Overly large or disproportionate breasts can lead to several physical and emotional discomforts and cause difficulty managing daily tasks or activities, such as exercising or finding clothes that fit your body properly. Symptoms of large, heavy, or pendulous breasts often include neck, back, and shoulder pain and skin irritations, chafing, and bra strap indentations.
If you are among the many women who suffer from overly large breasts, board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Richard Baxter and Dr. Donald Brown at PHASE Plastic Surgery can personalize a breast reduction procedure to help you achieve a more proportionate breast size. With their years of experience and impressive education in medical aesthetics, our surgeons have become well-versed in achieving natural-looking results with this highly satisfying and life-altering breast procedure.
Schedule your breast reduction consultation at PHASE Plastic Surgery today to learn whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure and everything it can do for you! Our practice is located just outside of Seattle for easy, convenient access.
What Are the Benefits of Breast Reduction?
Overly large breasts can cause many unwanted and often painful effects. Many women pursue breast reduction to reduce these symptoms, providing patients with more comfort and confidence to do what they love. Breast reduction surgery offers the following benefits:
- Reduction in size of overly large breasts
- Relief from back, neck, and shoulder pain
- Lifting and reshaping of the breasts and areola
- A more proportionate and improved figure
Patients who pursue breast reduction to alleviate pain and discomfort can often live a healthier, more active lifestyle once they are no longer hindered by the limitations that often come with large, cumbersome breasts.
During your private consultation, our surgeons will ask about your goals and concerns to help determine the best approach to achieve results that will allow you to live a more comfortable lifestyle.
Is Breast Reduction the Right for You?
If large, heavy breasts are limiting your mobility, making you feel self-conscious, or causing you to experience pain in your back and shoulders while exercising or performing daily tasks, breast reduction may be the ideal solution for you. Breast reduction surgery is designed to relieve the extra weight you carry on your chest by reducing the extra tissue from your breasts. Additionally, this surgery can improve your breasts’ overall shape and position.
Good candidates for breast reduction should be at a healthy weight and in good physical and mental health. Our surgeons also ask that patients be non-smokers or willing to quit for six weeks before and after their breast reduction procedure.
Our Approach to Breast Reduction Procedures
Breast reduction surgery is generally performed as an outpatient procedure and takes approximately two to four hours to complete. The length of time varies depending on each individual’s unique needs and goals. Immediately after the procedure, patients will spend some time in a supervised recovery, and most will return home on the day of their surgery.
To begin, an incision that is shaped like an inverted “T” or an anchor will usually be created. The incision will go around the areola and down to the crease underneath the breasts. Excess skin, fat, and glandular tissue will be removed. Your surgeon may utilize liposuction to remove excess fat, and the areolas are raised to a more natural, lifted position. We will then use stitches to close the incision and cover the area with gauze and surgical tape.
In some cases, our surgeons may use the vertical reduction technique. In this procedure, an incision is made around the areola and down the breasts, somewhat resembling the shape of a “lollipop.” Scarring can be dramatically reduced if it is decided you’re a good candidate for this approach.
Meet Our Surgeons
At PHASE Plastic Surgery, we strive to make the decision process fun, educational, and exciting for our patients. As a pioneer in many advanced surgical techniques, Dr. Richard Baxter’s unique surgical methods and artistic background create stunning and natural results that enhance your lifestyle. Renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. Don Brown, uses his advanced techniques and methods to create stunning natural results that complement the overall appearance of his patient’s facial aesthetics. Dr. Chumble excels in facial aesthetics, post pregnancy and post weight loss body sculpting, breast aesthetics, and revision procedures.
Can A Breast Lift Surgery Be Combined with Breast Reduction?
Virtually every breast reduction includes doing a breast lift because removing breast tissue would increase sagging without it. By reducing excess breast tissue and skin, our surgeons correct breast ptosis (sagging) in overly large breasts and create more youthful and perky results. During your initial consultation, our surgeons will discuss your goals and create a treatment plan to relieve the discomfort you experience from excessively large breasts and improve your appearance.
Breast Lift with an Internal Bra
Dr. Baxter helped pioneer the internal bra technique with Galaflex mesh available at PHASE Plastic Surgery for women with extensive breast sagging or more dense, heavy breasts. The internal bra acts as additional support for the breasts to help women maintain upper fullness and cleavage.
Many women desire to have lifted, fuller breasts after their breast reduction but lack the elasticity in their skin to support long-lasting results. A woman’s breast skin and tissue can become weak due to post-pregnancy changes, age, genetics, or simply the stretching effect on the skin of large breasts. In these cases, additional soft tissue support is needed to achieve and maintain optimal cleavage and more volume in the upper pole of the breast. The internal bra with Galaflex mesh is made of a highly biocompatible material that slowly dissolves over time as the body replaces it with a layer of natural tissue.
The internal bra technique mirrors the support of a push-up bra within your own tissue. Just like the cup of your favorite push-up bra that supports and lifts the breasts to give you definition, the internal bra technique also creates better breast support without irritating shoulder straps and underwire. While this added procedure increases breast support, you should still wear a supportive bra every day as breasts will continue to age and are subject to the effects of gravity.
Recovery from Seattle Breast Reduction
Following your breast reduction, you can expect a recovery period of one to three weeks. During this time, you will need to wear the surgical bra provided to you, which will provide additional support, compression, and aid in proper healing. Special surgical drains may be inserted to collect any fluid from the surgical site and help with swelling; these will be removed in one to three days. If you experience excessive pain, swelling, or bruising, pain medication may be prescribed to help keep you comfortable.
You should resume light walking the day after your surgery to help prevent blood clots. Our surgeons will give you a better idea of when you can resume your normal exercise routine, typically after six to eight weeks of recovery. Patients should also avoid heavy lifting, such as grocery bags, milk jugs, and children, for at least two weeks. Only attempt to lift anything above your head once you are cleared to do so.
Maintain a high protein and vegetable diet and avoid drinking alcohol during your recovery. A nutrient-dense diet will help fuel your body during the recovery, and drinking plenty of water will keep your muscles and organs hydrated.
Natural Beauty For Every Phase in Life
Why Choose PHASE Plastic Surgery for My Breast Reduction Procedure?
When you choose PHASE Plastic Surgery to perform your breast reduction procedure, you join a compassionate, caring team of professionals focused on helping you achieve your goals. Our team will collaborate with you to determine the best techniques, approaches, and methods to achieve your desired outcome. We utilize state-of-the-art techniques, technology, and equipment that not only lend to the incredible results we can produce but also aid our patient’s recovery. Our doctors and staff spend ample time getting to know their patients personally, relating to their insecurities and struggles and desired aesthetic results.
During his education, Dr. Baxter studied art and had an aptitude for science. With his passion for studying and drawing figures, Dr. Baxter applies his artistic background to his surgical approaches, finding balance in proportions. The most significant reward he finds in his medical career is the joy, relief, and excitement his patients experience after their surgeries when they finally achieve the results they’ve been longing for and how they lead a happier, healthier lifestyle.
World-class plastic surgeon Dr. Brown is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. His goal with all surgery is to achieve a natural result and avoid the excessively over-operated look.
Schedule Your Seattle Breast Reduction Consultation at PHASE Plastic Surgery
Are you ready to address excessively large and heavy breasts that have caused discomfort or kept you from living an active and engaged life? Contact PHASE Plastic Surgery to schedule your personalized consultation with renowned artist, accomplished Argentino tango dancer, and award-winning plastic surgeon, Dr. Richard Baxter. Call (425) 776-0880 today or complete our convenient online consultation form to get started.
