Medically indicated female breast reduction

Who is breast reduction suitable for?

Breast reduction surgery is a surgical procedure which, in addition to reducing the volume of the breast, also restores an aesthetically pleasing shape and eliminates its decline.

Breast reduction is suitable for any patient with back pain caused due to spine overload with too large breasts, or with significant asymmetry.

Medical aspects of the intervention

The ideal size of a woman's breast is often more a matter of personal taste, but really large breasts are associated with health complications such as spinal affection due to considerable overload.

The disadvantage of this procedure is the formation of scars; their extent depends on the surgical technique.

Form of intervention

• The procedure is performed during hospitalisation and under general anaesthesia.
• In total, the procedure takes about 2-3 hours.
• The hospitalisation is about 3-5 days.
• It is necessary to undergo a breast examination before the procedure.

Method and course of procedure

During the procedure itself, the areola with nipple are separated from the surrounding skin around their contour. Afterwards, they are left connected to the rest of the mammary gland with a so-called stem. Any excess mammary gland and skin are removed. The nipple is moved upwards a few centimetres, and the remaining tissues are modelled into the desired shape. The resulting scar on the breast has a different shape and size, depending on the method of surgery.

Postoperative course and recommendations

Pain medications (analgesics) are given for pain in the postoperative period. Drains, if used, are most often removed 1 to 2 days after the surgery. It is necessary to wear special elastic underwear after breast reduction surgery, which is important for the overall outcome of the procedure. Elastic underwear must be worn for at least 4-8 weeks. Sutures are removed approximately 10-14 days after the surgery. After the wounds have healed, it is necessary to take care of the scars, which must be protected from sunlight for at least 3 months after the procedure (you will discuss the details with your physician). The average recovery time after this procedure is about 4-8 weeks. It is not recommended to do sports for about 4-6 weeks. Wear elastic underwear for a further month.

Price calculation

In some cases, health insurance companies reimburse surgery for patients with very large breasts treated for a long time with back pain (most often in the cervical and thoracic spine), for whom the current conservative treatment, such as analgesics or rehabilitation, has no effect, and breast volume reduction can be expected to lead to a significant reduction in difficulties. Payment for breast reduction surgery is subject to the approval of the review physician of the relevant health insurance company where the patient is registered. An integral part of the application for reimbursement is a mammological, orthopaedic, neurological examination and possibly also an examination by a rehabilitation specialist.

Even so, it is always the health insurance company that decides whether the procedure will be covered or not. If the insurance company does not consider the claim legitimate, the client pays for everything herself.

The total price of the procedure, if the procedure is not covered by the health insurance company, is given by the sum of the price for the procedure, for general anaesthesia, for elastic underwear and for hospitalisation according to its duration. For more information, see the price list.

This surgical procedure is performed in our sanatorium by all plastic surgeons.