Breast reduction surgery for women

Breast reduction surgery for women has many benefits. It can reduce back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain and, by reshaping the breasts, it can give you an aesthetic look and a better looking chest.

If you struggle with a large breast, breast reduction surgery can ease back, shoulder and neck pain, improving your self-confidence and freedom to move. While there’s not a 100% guarantee, most people do see a major improvement in their symptoms after surgery.

You can have breast reduction surgery if you’re between 18-80, as long as you’re medically fit. The older you get, there are more risk factors there may be - such as delayed wound healing.

There's no optimal age for breast reduction surgery but if you are younger and planning on becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding, you'll need to consider this. 

The smaller you are, the better result you should get from the surgery. Ideally, your BMI should be above 19 but less than 30. We may offer breast reduction to patients with a BMI over 30 on a case-by-case basis.

Every operation carries some risk, but your Consultant or Nurse will discuss these with you. Here are some that could occur during breast reduction surgery for women:

• Delayed wound healing and need for dressing changes.
• Possible wound infection.
• Development of a post-operative collection of blood in the wound (haematoma).
• As the nipples are being repositioned and the breast is being tightened, there is a small risk that the nipple can undergo necrosis (die), but fortunately this is rare.
• Changes in nipple sensation are very common.
• Asymmetry of the breast.
• All operations carry a risk of blood clots occurring the legs (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) that can migrate to the lungs (pulmonary embolism, or PE).
• Need for revision surgery.

You’ll need to stay in hospital overnight, but after a day or two you should be allowed home. We'll give you painkillers to take home as your breasts may be sore and swollen following surgery.

Our ward staff will call you after a couple of days, to make sure you're recovering well. You'll have a telephone consultation with our Breast Care Nurse about a week after surgery. Two weeks after surgery, we'll invite you for a wound check to remove any dressings.

At four to six weeks, you'll see the Consultant and we'll give you a number to call if you have any issues.

Six months after your surgery, we'll contact you again to see how you're getting on.

It's important you take your time to recover. It may be weeks before you can stretch, or do strenuous exercise, while the final shape of your breasts may take months to settle.

You’ll need to wear a support garment, such as a front zip-up sports bra, night and day for six weeks after your breast reduction operation.

You’ll need a minimum of two weeks off work with no strenuous activity or heavy lifting for six weeks.

It usually takes between two and four weeks before you can safely do an emergency stop but you may have to check with your insurance company.