For women who experience the negative physical symptoms associated with large breasts, such as back or neck pain, breast reduction surgery offers them a chance to experience life free from pain related to breasts. Breast reduction surgery is performed by removing excess tissue, fat and skin in the breasts to obtain the patient's desired size and shape.
Loss of Sensation
While a surgeon attempts to avoid as many nerves as possible during breast reduction surgery, a complication associated with breast reduction surgery is the permanent loss of sensation in the nipple or breast. While it is common to lose some sensation in the few weeks following surgery, in some women, the loss of feeling due to nerve damage is permanent.
Inadequate Healing
In women who have decreased blood supply to breast tissues, which can be due to prior smoking or radiation to the chest area, areas of skin or nipple tissue may die. This may necessitate a skin graft in order to improve the appearance of the breast. Discuss this risk with your surgeon in advance of the surgery in order to identify if inadequate healing is a possibility given your health history.
Infection
Infection can occur in both the surgical site or inside the body when the tissue was exposed during surgery. While you should receive intravenous antibiotics during surgery as well as take antibiotics following surgery to prevent further infection risk, infections can occur in accumulated blood (such as from hematomas/bruising). This can cause serious effects, such as toxic shock syndrome.
Scarring
While most surgeries involving incisions will cause some scarring, different women experience different scar effects. As a general rule, how your scarring has appeared in the past can predict how your scarring will be for the surgery. For example, if your scars in the past have been thicker or lumpy in consistency, it is likely that you will experience similar scarring.
Fat Necrosis
Fat necrosis occurs when fatty tissue in the breast dies following surgery. This can cause hard, lump-like materials that may feel like breast lumps. However, these lumps can be easily differentiated on a mammogram, according to Dr. S. Sean Younai on his website, beautifulself.com. If the fat necrosis is bothersome, it is possible to remove the lumps in the breast.
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