Breast Reduction Surgery in Pune (Reduction Mammaplasty)

What is breast reduction surgery?

Breast reduction surgery (reduction mammaplasty) makes large breasts smaller by removing breast tissue, fat and skin, then reshaping what remains and lifting the nipple and areola (the darker skin around the nipple) to a higher position. The areola can also be made smaller.

Very large or heavy breasts (macromastia) can cause:

• neck, shoulder and upper back pain
• deep grooves from bra straps
• rashes, sweating and infections in the fold under the breasts
• difficulty exercising, running or finding clothes that fit
• tingling in the hands from strap pressure, in some women
• self-consciousness and unwanted attention

Breast reduction is one of the plastic surgery operations in which physical symptoms often improve as well as appearance.

Who may benefit, and how is suitability assessed?

You may benefit if you have symptoms like those above, your breasts have finished growing, your weight is stable, and you are in good general health. Many women choose it after they have finished having children, though this is not essential.

At consultation your surgeon will:

1. Ask about symptoms, how long you have had them and what you have tried, such as supportive bras, physiotherapy or weight loss.
2. Take a breast history: lumps, previous surgery, breast cancer in the family, pregnancies and breastfeeding plans.
3. Examine and measure: breast size and weight, skin quality, nipple position (distance from the collarbone and breast fold) and the difference between the two sides.
4. Arrange imaging where appropriate. Women over a certain age, or with a family history, may need a mammogram or ultrasound before surgery.
5. Discuss the expected size, shape, scars and the effect on breastfeeding and sensation.

Surgery may be postponed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, if a breast lump needs investigation, if you are actively losing weight, or if you smoke and are not ready to stop.

What are the treatment options?

Option	What it involves	Suited to	Limitations
Well-fitted support bra and physiotherapy	Better support and posture exercises	Mild symptoms	Does not reduce size
Weight loss	Reduces the fatty part of the breast	Breasts with more fat	Gland tissue remains
Liposuction-only reduction	Removes fat through small openings	Fatty breasts with little sagging, selected patients	Limited lift and reshaping
Short-scar (vertical) reduction	Lollipop-shaped scar	Small to moderate reductions	Shape settles over months
Inverted-T (anchor) reduction	Scar around areola, down, and along the fold	Larger reductions with more skin	Longer scars
Free nipple graft	Nipple removed and replaced as a graft	Very large reductions	Loss of sensation and breastfeeding

How is breast reduction performed?

1. Markings while you stand, planning the new nipple position and the skin to be removed.
2. General anaesthesia.
3. Incision around the areola and along the planned pattern.
4. Keeping the nipple alive: the nipple stays attached to a stalk of tissue, called a pedicle, which carries its blood and nerve supply. The pedicle is chosen to suit your breast.
5. Removing tissue: excess gland, fat and skin are removed and weighed so both sides can be balanced. Liposuction may be added at the sides.
6. Reshaping: the remaining tissue is shaped into a smaller, lifted breast and the nipple is moved up.
7. Closing in layers, sometimes with drains, followed by dressings and a support bra.

All removed tissue is usually sent to the laboratory for examination as a routine safety check.

How should you prepare, and what should you ask?

• Stop smoking well before surgery; smoking increases wound breakdown and nipple problems.
• Have recommended breast imaging done.
• Share medicines and supplements; some need to be paused on medical advice.
• Arrange help at home for the first week.

Questions to ask:

• How much smaller can I safely go, and what cup size is realistic?
• Which incision pattern and pedicle do you recommend for me?
• How likely is it that I can breastfeed afterwards?
• What will happen to nipple sensation?
• When can I return to work, drive and exercise?

What is recovery like?

Time after surgery	What to expect for most patients
Days 1-3	Usually one night in hospital. Tightness and soreness, controlled with medicines. Support bra day and night. Drains, if used, removed in a few days.
Week 1	Dressing checks. Gentle walking. Avoid lifting your arms above shoulder height for heavy tasks.
Weeks 2-4	Many return to desk work at about two weeks. Swelling settles gradually.
Weeks 4-6	Light exercise usually restarts; more strenuous exercise from about six weeks if your surgeon agrees.
Months 3-6	The breasts soften and settle lower into their final shape.
12 months	Scars mature and fade.

The breast reduction recovery article explains each stage.

What are the risks of breast reduction?

• Wound healing problems, especially where the scars meet under the breast, usually managed with dressings.
• Changes in nipple or breast sensation: reduced, increased or uneven; usually improves, sometimes permanent.
• Reduced ability to breastfeed.
• Partial or complete loss of the nipple and areola from poor blood supply, rare and more likely in smokers and very large reductions.
• Fat necrosis: firm lumps of damaged fat that can appear in the months after surgery and sometimes need imaging.
• Haematoma, seroma or infection.
• Asymmetry in size, shape or nipple position.
• Scars that thicken, widen or darken.
• Blood clots and anaesthetic risks, which are uncommon.

Contact your surgeon promptly for one breast becoming much more swollen or painful, a nipple turning dark or purple, fever, spreading redness, or a wound that opens. Our article on breast reduction safety discusses these in more detail.

What affects your results?

Breast tissue type, skin quality, weight stability, future pregnancies and age all affect how the shape lasts. Breasts usually settle slightly lower over the first months. Results are long-lasting, but breasts continue to change with weight, hormones and ageing.

What affects the cost of breast reduction surgery in Pune?

• Size of the reduction and the technique used.
• Additional procedures, such as liposuction of the sides or axillary breast removal.
• Hospital stay, operating time and anaesthesia.
• Pre-operative imaging and tests, and laboratory examination of the tissue.
• Support bras, medicines and follow-up visits.

Insurance cover varies with your policy and symptoms; ask your insurer before surgery.