Guest Post : How much does breast reduction surgery cost and what is involved

Whether the motivation’s aesthetic, medical, athletic, or other, many women find themselves desiring a permanent reduction in breast size. Breast reduction surgery can free patients from the emotional and physical pains associated with large breasts—and with modern technology, do so while preserving shape, minimizing scarring, and preventing complications. There are two questions any woman considering breast reduction considers sooner or later: How much does breast reduction surgery cost, and what is involved?

How Much Will It Cost: Financial Concerns and Considerations

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to name a price without a thorough consultation. The specifics of procedure, anesthesia, and complications resulting from other medical conditions, the quality of the surgeon, and the quality of the facility you’re visiting all work together to make the price of a breast reduction very difficult to judge. Typically, however, breast reductions in the UK range start at around £5000 and go up from there depending on your needs and desires.
Your final cost will largely be a question of how much you want to invest in a quality surgeon and a nice stay – better quality means less complications, faster recovery, and less scarring.

What Is Involved: The Process, Step By Step

The process will begin with an examination and consultation at a good clinic such as Cosmetic Surgery Partners – the doctors need to know what they’re dealing with, what they’re aiming for, and what both of you should expect moving forward. You’ll discuss your options, establish a date, and discuss precautions such as not smoking, stopping contraceptives or HRT, and filling out consent forms.
Breast reduction surgery rarely takes long or requires much recovery. You’ll be placed under general anesthetic for anywhere between one and four hours while the surgery takes place using one of several techniques:

• Anchor Type/Inverted T Reduction: The most common form of reduction, results in an anchor-shaped scar starting around the areola, traveling down, then following the breast crease.
• Vertical Pattern Breast Reduction: Results in a circular scar around the areola and a vertical scar down toward the breast crease; leaves no scar under the breast, but may not be suitable for all cases and may require minor follow-up surgery later.
• Circumareolar reduction: Only viable for minor reductions, this results in a circular scar around the areola only.

After your surgery, you’ll wake up bandaged, possibly with tubes attached to drain excess blood away. After a day or two, you’ll be ready to go home. You’ll experience some pain for a few days past that, depending on the details of the operation and your own body. For anywhere between two and six weeks, you’ll need to rest and recover. You’ll need to wear dressings for a while until you’ve healed some, and if your stitches aren’t dissolving you’ll need them removed after the first week or thereabouts.

At some point, you’ll have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon, who will be able to give you a rough estimate of when you’ll be back to 100%–it might be as much as a month until you’re back to work, depending on how physical your job is, and you shouldn’t drive until wearing a seatbelt doesn’t hurt. Finally, you’ll want to keep wearing a well-fitting wireless sports bra for up to three months after your surgery, to support your healing breasts without agitating them. When that’s done, you’re in the clear—the process is complete, and you can get on with your reduced-breast life.