How does the procedure work?
On the day of the operation, the surgeon comes and draws the different markings on the patient’s breasts before the patient goes to sleep. The operation is performed under general anaesthetic, lasts 3 hours and requires 1 to 2 nights of hospitalization. A drain is placed on each side to evacuate the residual hematoma, which will be removed after 24 to 48 hours.
The breast reduction procedure takes place at our center in Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland.
The scars on the breast are all around the areola, one vertical and one horizontal. The stitches are made with absorbable sutures, so there are no stitches to remove.
When will the results be visible?
As soon as the breast reduction surgery is completed, the new breast is visible. After the first three months, the swelling is completely gone and the breast adopts its final position. Healing will be complete after one year.
What are the post-operative effects?
Immediately after the operation, a sports bra must be worn for 1 month, day and night. The first bandage is changed the day after the operation, then at 1 week and 2 weeks. The patient can shower the day after the operation, once the drains have been removed.
As soon as the healing is complete (2 to 3 weeks), bathing is allowed. Sports can be resumed after 1 month.
What are the possible complications?
As with any surgical procedure, there are some possible risks. These include :
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- Hemorrhage: It is prevented by careful hemostasis. Its appearance (painful tension of a large breast) must lead to a surgical revision. It is a complication that occurs immediately after surgery.
- Infection: Rare, it is prevented by prophylactic antibiotic therapy during the operation. However, if it occurs several days after the operation, antibiotic treatment will be introduced. And in case of infection of the implant, the infection is serious and implies a surgical resumption to remove the prostheses the time that the infection is controlled
- Seroma: this is the most frequent complication. It is the presence of serous liquid. It appears directly after the operation and may lead to repeated punctures and rarely to a reoperation for drainage. It usually resolves spontaneously.
- Thrombo-embolic accidents: very rare in this type of operation. Prevented by early mobilization
Scar problems: dehiscence (disunion of scars), enlarged (hypertrophic) or pathological (keloids)
Alterations in sensitivity: especially of the nipples, most often transient (six to eighteen months)
Insufficient results: residual asymmetry
- Liponecrosis: an indurated nodule of poorly vascularized fat likely to be responsible for a delay in healing. The risk is considerably increased in case of overweight, smoking or in case of gigantomastia (very important hypertrophies)
Please note that our center is also involved in the treatment of breast augmentation.
