Breast reduction, also known as reduction mammoplasty, is a procedure to remove excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin to achieve a breast size in proportion with your body and to alleviate the discomfort to shoulders and spine often associated with overly large breasts.
There can be numerous reasons for an increase in breast tissue and size, for example after menopause and post pregnancy. After pregnancy, the glandular tissue of your breasts may shrink considerably so tightening of the skin envelope and glandular tissue will allow reversal and a return or improvement to the desired shape of the breasts you desire.
Medical Term: Reduction mammoplasty
Type of Anesthesia: General Anesthesia
Surgery time: 2 to 2.5 hours
Length of hospital stay: Outpatient or 1 overnight stay
Aftercare: Support Bra for 6 weeks
Back to public: After one week
Back to work: After 1-2 weeks (depending upon physical strain)
Time of recovery: 6 weeks
Fees: starting at 14.000 CHF
Reduction mammoplasty is performed on an outpatient basis under a light general anesthesia. As an outpatient, you may return home on the same day of the procedure. Depending on the breast size, whether a vertical (scar sparing) incision is made, to avoid the horizontal scar in the sub mammary fold or in cases of vast skin excess an inverted T-shaped incision is performed. In this regard the nipple is realigned, which is associated a minimal circular scar at the edge of the nipple. During a reduction mammoplasty procedure, both skin and sections of the glandular body are removed.
Incidents and complications are extremely rare in mammoplasty procedures. However, on occasion, a patient could experience infection, hemorrhage, or later in the course thickened or widened scars due to excessive stress or movement placed upon the breasts in the initial days following procedure and in such event can usually be treated and corrected (at the earliest after 6 months). Most of the scars heal without any complications.
The breasts are supported with a tight-fitting bra for several weeks following your procedure. However, you may return to work and resume normal daily activities between 10 – 14 days following surgery and resume more sporting and more stressful activities again between 4 – 6 weeks following surgery dependent upon the nature of the activity.
As with any cosmetic procedure, breast reduction surgery costs can vary widely dependent upon the patient, condition of the skin, degree of skin and tissue to be removed, eventual reposition of the nipple and so forth. Our fee is based on the type and extent of the surgical procedure performed (under general- or local anaesthesia). Naturally, all surgical fees are discussed, agreed and paid in advance. They include anesthesia, operating room facilities, compression garments or other related expenses.
In general, most health insurances do not cover reduction mammoplasty surgery procedures unless various medical criteria and a history of chronic discomfort are met that are seen to include: documented long history of neck and back pain, assessments of normal body weight and a minimum of 500 gr of breast tissue removed from each side. For these reasons, the overwhelming majority of breast reduction and reduction mammoplasty procedures are not covered by most health insurances, if the above mentioned criteria are not fulfilled and viewed instead as being qualified for aesthetic reasons only.
Price for breast reduction: from 14.000 CHF