There are three types of breast reduction surgeries.
Reduction mammoplasty
The most common type is performed on women whose breasts are overly large, often causing back and neck pain in addition to self-consciousness. Also known as reduction mammoplasty, this surgical procedure involves the removal of excess breast tissue.
The goal is to reduce the overall breast size, bringing the size of the breasts into proportion with the rest of the patient's body. This type of breast reduction may be performed for cosmetic reasons or because the weight of the breasts causes physical pain. During breast reduction surgery, incisions allow the surgeon to remove excess breast tissue, fat, and skin before sculpting the remaining tissues into an aesthetically pleasing contour, leaving the patient with smaller and lighter breasts.
Male Breast Reduction
Male breast reduction is a similar procedure, performed on men with gynecomastia, or abnormal breast development. In this procedure, excess fat, breast tissue, and skin is removed from the chest area, leaving male patients with a more masculine-looking body contour. This procedure is intended for men whose breast development has left them self-conscious. Like with other forms of breast reduction surgery, the procedure may involve a combination of traditional surgical techniques and liposuction to remove excess tissues from the chest area.
Breast Surgery Revision
While both of these procedures involve the removal of natural breast tissues, the final type of breast reduction surgery is performed on women who have already gotten breast implants, and now wish to reduce the size of their chest. This breast surgery reduction procedure involves the removal of previously inserted breast implants. They may be replaced with implants that are smaller in size, or the incision may be closed without the re-insertion of implants. This procedure is also known as 'breast surgery revision,' and may be performed at any point after the original surgery.
