Breast Reduction in Miami, Florida
World renowed plastic surgeron, Dr. Sam Gershenbaum combines state of the art technology with vast experience to offer the best breast reduction surgery results in Florida.
Women with unusually large, sagging, or uneven breasts are dissatisfied with their physical appearance. Some experience pain and discomfort due to the weight of their breasts and the pressure of bra straps on their shoulders and neck. Excessively large breasts can affect posture, limit their physical activity, exercise, and make it difficult to find properly fitting clothes. Ungainly stares and rude comments may further promote a feeling of self-consciousness, limiting confidence and adding psychological strain to the physical symptoms.
Dr.G’s Cosmetic Surgery Center in Miami, we offer breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty to reduce and lift overly large and sagging breasts to a more comfortable size and shape. Breast reduction surgery improves body contour, reduces pain, and increases comfort in daily activities and exercise. Breast reduction is generally performed on women who have fully developed breasts, but occasionally, it is necessary in teenage girls who suffer from the physical and psychological symptoms of overly large breasts. Patient satisfaction with breast reduction is exceedingly high, and a great majority of women who have had this procedure wish they had had the procedure earlier.
An ideal breast reduction candidate is uncomfortable with their large and/or asymmetric breasts. Patients must also be free of medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, skin/connective tissue disorders, etc. If pregnancy is planned for the "near" future, it is best to wait until well after breast-feeding is complete. 
Who is a candidate for breast reduction?
- Women with breasts that are too large in proportion to your body frame.
- Women who suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain caused by the weight of your breasts.
- Women who get skin irritations beneath their breasts, indentations their shoulders from tight bra straps.
- Women who are often restricted of physical activity due to the size and weight of your breasts
- Women who are dissatisfaction or self-consciousness about the largeness of their breasts
Breast reduction surgery can be performed at any age, but plastic surgeons strongly recommend waiting until breast development has completely stopped. Childbirth and breast-feeding may have significant and unpredictable effects on the size and shape of your breasts. Nevertheless, many women continue to undergo breast reduction before having children and feel that they can address any subsequent changes later. If you plan to breast-feed in the future, you should discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
During your consultation, you will be asked about your desired breast size as well as anything else about your breasts that you would like to see improved. This will help your plastic surgeon to understand your expectations and determine whether they realistically can be achieved.
- Breast Reduction Consultation
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The Consultation
During the initial consultation with Miami breast reduction surgeon Sam Gershenbaum, numerous before and after photos from previous breast reduction procedures will be reviewed. The procedure is explained in detail, and treatment variations are discussed to meet patients' needs. Dr. Gershenbaum also uses this consultation to get to know his patients on a personal, patient-surgeon trust that he feels is necessary for a comfortable surgery.
The breasts are examined to ensure that expectations can be met, as well as to review the surgical plans and the incision/scar placement. Every patient has different expectations, and Dr. Gershenbaum will formulate a plan to meet patients' needs. The doctor and his staff are always available to answer questions concerning breast reduction at our Miami, Florida center. Contact the Aventura Center for Cosmetic Surgery to discuss your breast reduction options today.
- Breast Reduction Recovery
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Following breast reduction surgery, patients report mild to moderate discomfort, which is easily controlled with medication. Varying degrees of swelling, bruising, and firmness subside in several weeks to months. The periareolar-vertical and periareolar breast reduction techniques often result in varying degrees of “pleats” or folds around the incisions, which will resolve in weeks to months. Sutures (stitches) are removed after seven days. Patients can often return to work after several days to one week. Light exercise may begin after four to six weeks. A support bra is worn for two to three months following the surgery and is encouraged as much as possible thereafter to maintain contour. Recovery and healing will vary depending on the extent of the surgery. Complete healing takes time and patience, taking up to one year or longer.
It can take this amount of time for scars to soften, lighten and fade and for the breast tissue to soften, relax and remodel itself. As swelling subsides and the effects of gravity and tissue relaxation act on the newly tightened skin envelope, the breasts will the breasts will get slightly smaller and descend to a certain extent as swelling subsides and the effects of gravity and tissue relaxation act on the newly tightened skin envelope, the breasts will shrink slightly and descend to a certain extent. Most patients find this beneficial because the breasts look more natural. The ability to breast-feed after breast reduction is usually preserved, but cannot be guaranteed.
- Breast Reduction Surgery
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Breast Reduction Surgery Techniques
There are currently several techniques for breast reduction in Miami, Florida. Each of the following breast reduction techniques aims to remove excess breast tissue, add contour to the breasts, and reposition the nipple. The standard breast reduction technique uses a "keyhole" pattern or "anchor" shaped incision. The incisions/scars for this procedure extend in three basic areas:
- Entirely around the areola (the pigmented area around the nipple)
- From the areola in a vertical direction down to the fold or crease under the breast
- Horizontally along the area of the fold or crease under the breast extending for a variable length.
Minimal scar breast reduction encompasses several newer techniques, which are aimed at reducing scars. These techniques consist of removal of excess breast tissue either by excision or liposculpture and may result in scars only around the areola, or around the areola and vertically down to the crease under the breast. Although every effort will be made to keep scars inconspicuous, they are the inevitable result of the surgery. Scars usually fade in the course of six to twelve months.
Breast Reduction with Auto Augmentation
Our Miami surgeon, Dr. Sam Gershenbaum, often combines breast reduction with "Auto" augmentation, a new technique that helps maintain fullness in the upper portion of the breast. One of the problems common to most breast reduction surgeries is a flatness or lack of fullness in the upper area of the breast. This deficiency in the upper breast area occurs gradually in several months as the repositioned breast tissue settles and succumbs to gravity. Some surgeons refer to this as "bottoming out" of the breast. "Auto" augmentation is a procedure where a portion of the internal breast tissue, which would normally be discarded, is left connected to the chest wall and its blood supply. This segment of tissue is passed up and under a two-inch bridge of pectoralis muscle and secured. This keeps fullness in the upper breast as a "natural" breast implant.
Scarless Breast Reduction
There is also the "scarless" breast reduction technique, which can reduce breast size with no visible scars. This liposculpture-only breast reduction technique is meant for patients who are unwilling to accept the scars associated with standard breast reduction surgery, but are willing to accept a less dramatic change in size and shape.
Breast Reduction Surgery Procedure
This surgical procedure is performed in our state-of-the-art out patient facility under general anesthesia. Local anesthesia, with intravenous sedation, may also be used in some circumstances. Depending on which technique is used, the actual surgical procedure may take anywhere from two to six hours. While standing, lines of incisions, new nipple/areola location and the remainder of the surgical plan is outlined on the breasts. After speaking with the anesthetist/anesthesiologist the patient is brought to the operating room. After asleep, local nerve blocks are combined with a medication that shrinks blood vessels and capillaries to reduce any bleeding.
The standard breast reduction used a “keyhole” pattern or “anchor” shaped incision. The incisions/scars for this procedure extend in three different directions. First, entirely around the areola (the pigmented area around the nipple). Second from the areola in a vertical direction down to the crease under the breast and third, horizontally along the fold or crease under the breast extending for a variable length.
The greater the amount of the reduction and lifting, the longer will be the horizontal portion of the scar. Skin and breast tissue are removed and sculpted from the inner and outer quadrants of the breast and from the area above the nipple. The nipple and areola are preserved on a pedicle (or mound) of breast tissue that also adds volume to the breast. The remaining breast tissue and nipple are relocated in this keyhole pattern and the incisions closed. Dr. Gershenbaum does not use clips or staples to close the skin. All incisions are closed with sutures predominantly below the surface of the skin to avoid cross- hatching and suture marks, optimizing the chances for the finest scars. “Auto” augmentation to preserve fullness in the upper portion of the breast may also be performed with the standard breast reduction. This additional procedure utilizes a portion of breast tissue left connected to the chest wall and its blood supply, which is passed up and under a two-inch bridge of pectoralis muscle and secured.
Other minimal scar techniques exist. With a periareolar-vertical or “lollipop” technique, excess breast tissue is removed by excision and/or liposuction. The skin is elevated and the excess is then removed from around and under the areola. The resulting scar extends completely around the areola and vertically down to the crease under the breast. An “auto” augmentation technique may also be performed to enhance the fullness in the upper portion of the breast.
To schedule a breast reduction consultation in Miami, Florida, please contact our cosmetic surgery center today!
- Breast Reduction Complications
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Breast Reduction Complications
As with most cosmetic surgical procedures, complications following breast reduction are unlikely when the procedure is performed by a skilled and competent surgeon. Complications include, but are not limited to, anesthesia risks, bleeding, infection, tissue loss, delayed wound healing with obvious wide and/or raised scars, numbness, altered nipple sensation, asymmetry in breasts and/or areolas, enlarged areolas, and need for revisional surgery. Also, rare but possible are blood clots or emboli (blood clots which dislodge and travel in the blood stream to distant sites) which can be fatal.
At the Aventura Center for Cosmetic Surgery, Venodyne® calf compression devices are used for every breast reduction surgery (as well as other surgeries). Venodynes are pressure cuffs that fit over each lower leg from the ankle to the knee circulating every one to two minutes to reduce the pooling of blood in the lower extremities and further reduce the possibility of blood clots or emboli. Also, smokers must stop smoking well in advance of surgery. Smoking seriously decreases blood circulation in the skin, which increases the risks of complications and poor healing.
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