Breast Reduction Beverly Hills

There are multiple reasons why the breast begins to droop over time. Genetics frequently play a major role in how large your breasts become.  The breast tissue’s response to hormones found circulating in the blood can have an effect on the growth of breast tissue.

Pregnancy or weight gain can change the size and shape of the breast. A less common reason may be the development of some sort of tumor (usually benign) that may cause accelerated growth in one breast.

A common misconception in breast reduction is that the nipple is completely removed and placed higher on the breast. There are some rare occasions in which this occurs when the breast is extremely large (we’re talking about reaching the waist) and movement into a “normal” position will put it at risk for having wound healing problems. In typical cases, the nipple is kept on a “leash” of breast tissue that allows it to swing into a higher position.

The remaining breast tissues is then closed around this tissue and the skin is closed.  The nipple will have maintained its nerve sensation and blood supply to be able to survive in its new position.

The nipple gets its sensation from multiple nerves that travel around the body from the sides of the breast. It is my goal to maintain the main nerve supply to the nipple when I perform a breast reduction. However, on rare occasions, the anatomy of the patient is different than the textbooks and the nipple sensation can diminish or even go away.

This is a relatively rare complication, but needs to be addressed prior to surgery.  On occasion, the nipple sensation can actually increase because the heaviness of the breast that caused nerve stretch (and decreased sensation) is relieved and now the nerve sensation functions properly.

Similar to the nerve anatomy, the blood supply to the nipple is also from multiple areas on the chest. I maintain at least two of the main blood supplies to the nipple to reduce the risk of nipple loss after surgery.

This is an extremely rare complication but can have an increased risk in patients who may be undergoing a very large breast reduction with lift, in smokers (who I don’t operate on), or in patients who have had multiple breast lift surgeries.

All of these patients potentially have decreased flow of blood to their tissues. I have a lot of experience with revision breast lift and secondary breast surgery and I take extra care to maintain the blood supply in these scenarios.

Breast reduction generally use one and done procedure. However, there is a possibility of needing a second breast reduction. Some factors that may increase the chance of having a second breast reduction include having significantly enlarged breasts at a younger age, inadequate reduction of the breast tissue at the first surgery, significant weight gain, pregnancy, and hormonal changes that may stimulate breast tissue regrowth. It is quite uncommon to require a second breast reduction but it can occur.

Yes, it absolutely is! Fewer people are smoking these days, but there are still a good number of people who are smoking or have replaced smoking with vaping. Vaping is still a problem because it frequently contains nicotine. Nicotine is a very toxic substance that greatly hurts the blood supply to your tissues, even if you are not having surgery. This is why people who smoke have an increased risk of wound healing problems and in the case of breast lifts, death of the skin and death of the nipple.

Nicotine clamps down on the blood vessels feeding the healing tissue and reduces their ability to bring oxygen-rich blood to the surgical area. If you are an absolute smoker, I cannot operate on you. If you are able to stop for at least a month prior to surgery, then I can consider operating on you. But for your health and wellness, please stop smoking!