Breast Reduction and Lift – The Combo Procedure With the Best Results

Breasts come in so many different shapes and sizes, but when you’re not happy with your breasts’ shape or size, then it may be time for a breast reduction and lift. In addition to breast augmentation, Qazi Cosmetic Clinic also offers breast lift and reduction procedures for the women who have been both blessed and cursed with extra breast tissue.

What Are Signs that a Breast Reduction and Lift May Be Necessary?

Women who have excess breast tissue can experience health problems as a direct result of their breast size. Overly large breasts can cause back and shoulder pain, nerve pain, skin irritation under the breasts, and bruising from bra straps. Women with excess breast tissue may also have difficulty exercising due to the weight of her breasts. If breast size decreases a woman’s quality of life, then a procedure may be necessary. Breast reduction procedures are commonly paired with a breast lift in order to both remove breast tissue and reverse sagging. 

Although a breast lift with reduction is more frequently requested among older women, patients of all ages can benefit from the procedure. If you are sick of being weighed down by your breasts, it may be time to think about a solution. 

What is Breast Reduction and How Does it Work?

Breast reduction is exactly what it sounds like: a procedure that surgically reduces the size of the breasts by removing excess breast tissue. When you get breast reduction surgery by itself, the procedure works like this:

1. Breast reduction is always performed under general anesthesia, so the patient is put out by the anesthesiologist first.
2. The surgeon will make two incisions on each breast: one around the nipple and another running from the bottom of the nipple to the crease of the breast.
3. The incisions are used to access the fat tissue in the breast. The surgeon will use a cannula and a liposuction device to vacuum out the fat cells.
4. The surgeon will also trim away extra skin from the breasts in order to avoid the appearance of loose skin.
5. In some cases, it is necessary for the surgeon to reposition the nipple. This is often beneficial for women who breastfed multiple children and have downward pointing nipples. 
6. At the end of the procedure, the surgeon will suture the incisions. 
7. The treatment area will be dressed and drains will be placed near the armpits to prevent fluid buildup. 

After breast reduction, women can enjoy:

• Freedom from back pain
• The ability to jog and participate in sports
• An easier time finding clothing
• No discomfort or bruising from bra straps
• Greater ease in everyday life
• No more rashes or skin irritation under the breasts 
• Improved posture
• Greater self-confidence 
• Improved ease and enjoyment of intimacy

What is a Breast Lift and How Can it Be Combined with Breast Reduction?

A breast lift is a procedure that treats sagging, drooping breasts by lifting them back into position. In medical terminology, this procedure is known as a mastopexy. When performed on its own, a breast lift does not change the size of the breasts, only the shape. 

During a breast lift, the surgeon trims away excess skin, reshapes the breasts, and repositions the nipples. The entire procedure is performed under general anesthesia.

Depending on the size and shape of your breasts, there are 4 types of incisions that the surgeon may use:

1. The Anchor: The incisions go around the outside of the nipple, straight down from the nipple to the crease, and horizontally along the crease. This type of incision results in the most scarring for the patient. It is best for patients who have severe sagging or larger breasts. This type of incision is very similar to the kind of incision made during breast reduction. This means that for a combo procedure, the surgeon can accomplish both procedures without needing to make additional incisions on your breasts. 

2. The Lollipop/Keyhole: This incision is for women who have only moderately sagging breasts. This incision encircles the nipples and runs from the bottom of the nipple to the crease. This is the same kind of incision required for breast reduction, so it is easy for both procedures to be performed at the same time. 

3. The Donut: As the name sounds, this type of incision is a circle around the outside of the nipple. This method is best for women who have minimal sagging in their breasts. It is ideal because the edges of the nipples easily disguise the scars from the incisions. However, if you get a breast reduction with your lift, additional incisions may need to be made on the breast.

4. The Crescent: This is another type of incision that leaves no visible scars on the breasts. For a crescent incision, the surgeon cuts in a half-circle shape along the top of the nipple. This method is best for women with minimally sagging breasts. 

The Breast Combo Procedure

Breast lift and breast reduction surgery go together like peanut butter and jelly. When most busty women imagine their ideal body, they probably picture their breasts smaller and perkier. No one wants to walk away from a reduction mammoplasty with breasts that are smaller, but otherwise just as saggy as before. 

Women who have excess breast tissue also tend to have breasts that sag a little more than is desirable. The process of removing volume from the body typically leaves the body with excess skin. You are probably very familiar with this if you had to lose your post-pregnancy weight. This is where a breast lift comes in. While the reduction mammoplasty removes the heavy breast tissue, the breast lift is for removing the excess skin. 

What Are the Benefits of Combining Breast Lift and Reduction?

This combo procedure is the best way to transform your chest. Not only does it successfully reduce the size of your breasts to make your life easier, it also improves the appearance of your figure. Patients are advised to take advantage of this combo procedure rather than doing just a reduction mammoplasty. 

There are several notable benefits of getting breast reduction surgery with a lift:

It is more cost effective than getting one procedure, recovering, then getting the other procedure.

In the world of plastic surgery, there are some procedures that can easily be combined and some that can’t. Breast reduction and breast lift are one of the procedures that it is better to combine. Rather than paying the surgical fee, the anesthesia fee, the facility fee, and the cost for materials twice for two procedures on different dates, you can only pay it once. 

One recovery on the same treatment area is far easier than going through two different 4-6 week recoveries.

A lot can go into recovering after a procedure: you need to take time off work, hit pause on all your normal activities, turn down social outings, and deal with the discomfort and swelling. At the end of the day, the recovery is more than worth it for the long-lasting results. However, no one wants to be out of commission for 5 weeks two times in the same year. Dr. Nadir Qazi and his team of plastic surgeons also recommend that patients combine like procedures. This combo procedure is a great opportunity to do so because both procedures involve the same treatment area. 

A greater transformation means greater satisfaction with the results

You know in those 90s movies where a character goes from drab to fab in a 30 second montage? It’s a similar feeling to getting your breasts lifted and resized all at the same time. Sudden transformations that drastically improve your appearance all at once are a lot more satisfying than the gradual improvements. Humans are built to enjoy instant gratification; while the results of this procedure won’t be instant, they are still transformative and remarkable.

Qazi Cosmetic Clinic patients tend to feel sexier and more excited about their results when they get the combo procedure. This way, they can enjoy their final results after recovery without having another procedure on the horizon. 

Prep, Recovery, and Results: What to Expect Before a Reduction Mammoplasty-Mastopexy 

The Prep

Some elements of this procedure prep are standard and some will be different. If you’ve had procedures before, you’re probably familiar with the standard prep instruction.

The first step of every procedure is actually the consultation. This is when you meet with Dr. Qazi and his team to discuss your goals, healthy history, and concerns. Consultations are actually an important step in your medical care. During this meeting, the plastic surgeon determines if the procedure is suitable for you. In some cases, the surgeon may recommend a different procedure, ask you to change your habits first, or break it to you that the procedure won’t be safe for you.

To be a good candidate for this procedure, you need to be overall in good health. This means that you are a non-smoker, at a healthy weight, don’t have any serious underlying conditions, and are not allergic to anesthesia. 

In the short term, you will need to stop taking any medications or herbal supplements that thin the blood. The purpose of this is to reduce risk of excessive bleeding and bruising. You will also need to arrange for a friend to drive you home and care for you after the procedure. 

The Recovery

After the procedure, it is normal to be sore, swollen, bruised, and to have surgical drains placed in your body for a few days. The first week is always the most uncomfortable, but most patients feel a sense of relief that they no longer have to carry around the weight of their breasts. This temporary discomfort is absolutely worth how lighter you will feel without all that extra breast tissue. 

After the first week, the discomfort will gradually subside. You will need to sleep on your back and wear your support bra for a minimum of 3 weeks after the procedure. After 1-2 weeks, you can safely return to work, depending on how active your job is. At the 3 week mark, you can increase activity levels, including resuming certain parts of your exercise routine. However, you should not lift anything too heavy or do any upper body exercises. 

At 4 weeks, you can resume all daily activities. It is normal for patients to have some residual swelling and bruising. This normally clears up by week 6. After 6 weeks have passed you should be completely healed and in the process of buying a new wardrobe. Surgeons advise patients to be careful when purchasing underwire bras. Certain types of bras can irritate your freshly healed incisions and hurt your back. 

Many women are a little less than happy about having incisions and scars on their breasts. While this is far more avoidable in other procedures, like breast augmentation, it is a necessary element of the reduction and lift procedures. The good news is that there are ways for you to fade your scars to the point where others will not notice them. Dr. Qazi and his team recommend silicone scar sheets to help the incisions heal evenly. Non-surgical procedures like RF microneedling and laser scar treatment can also help fading the scars.

The Results

Although you will be fully healed after 6 weeks, your results won’t quite be final. When your body is used to supporting large breasts, it can take time for your body to adjust. It normally takes between 6 and 12 months for the breasts to settle into their final position. A small amount of droop is natural, but your breasts will still retain their freshly lifted shape. 

The results of a breast reduction and lift are permanent. The excess fat removed from your breasts will never come back, but certain life events may change the size and shape of your breasts over time. For example, if you have a baby and breastfeed, your breasts will change size and begin to droop again. As you age, you may notice more skin laxity and more drooping in your breasts. In this case, a second breast reduction and lift surgery may be helpful to rejuvenate your breasts. 

Breast Lift and Reduction in Newport Beach, CA

Have you looked down at your breasts lately and thought to yourself “I am sick of carrying these around.” That is definitely a sign that a breast reduction and lift can be beneficial for you. Qazi Cosmetic Clinic offers surgical breast transformations for patients of all ages. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Qazi and his plastic surgery team today!