Breast Reductions in Los Angeles

The single most important factor is recognizing that you would rather be smaller and perkier with scars than you are now, scar-free.

A breast reduction includes a breast lift. Skin is removed and tightened to achieve the lift. Tissue is removed on the inside, and that takes care of the reduction.

No, the nipple is never removed in a breast reduction. The skin around the nipple is removed and tightened, but the nipple remains attached to the breast.

A standard breast reduction involves significant scarring on the breast. It can remove skin and lift the breast, as well as remove any amount of breast volume on the inside. A ‘scarless’ breast reduction is nothing more than liposuction of the breast. One or two very small incisions are made underneath the breast, and fat is removed, but there is no removal of skin or lift.

The standard reduction is best for most of our breast reduction patients because it allows for correction of droopiness and the greatest volume of tissue removal. But if the skin is relatively good, the breast is not very droopy, and the breast has a significant fatty component, a scarless reduction can be a good choice. With the removal of weight from the breast, the breast may rebound slightly upwards, but it does not actually lift the breast per se.

With a regular reduction, Dr. Teitelbaum can remove as much skin and tissue as a patient wants. But with the scarless technique, he does not remove any skin, and the amount of volume removed is limited by the amount of the breast volume that is fat (because the glandular, milk-making part of the breast is too firm and dense to be removed by liposuction)

You and your surgeon will discuss how much smaller you want to be. But understand that the actual footprint of the breast on the chest – where it starts towards the center and ends towards the side – can be minimally changed in most situations. Given that, there is an ideal breast volume that will create the most aesthetic breast.

In an attempt to go too small, the breast can look wide and flat; if it is left too big for the width, the breast will still look too big. This is the subject for an extensive conversation at the time of your consultation. In a scarless breast reduction, only fat tissue can be removed, which limits the amount that can be removed.

Our Los Angeles patients are usually satisfied with the volume removed, but at other times, they wish that more could be removed. Even so, most of these patients are still satisfied that, for whatever lack of reduction they had, they still didn’t have to have any scars. They can still have a regular reduction to remove more, but it is rare for a scarless-reduction patient to ask for one.

Yes. The removed tissue is gone, and the remaining breast tissue can fluctuate with hormones, fat in the breast can fluctuate with weight, and droopiness can increase just due to gravity. But by and large, most of the results of a breast reduction are permanent, though like all breasts, they will, of course, change over time.

They can increase in size, but they are unlikely to get as large as they were, except for in the case of significant weight gain.

You will have what is called an "anchor" scar, which is a scar that goes around the nipple, straight down to the bottom, and across the underneath part of the breast. This affords the greatest shaping in all three dimensions.

The so-called "vertical" lift leaves only a scar around the nipple, extending straight down to the bottom of the breast. And though the total length of the scar is shorter, inch by inch, the quality of the scar is worse because this technique requires ‘bunching’ of skin, which often results in a wider scar. The vertical frequently requires some scar revision, often including the placement of a horizontal scar at the bottom at a later date, so in most cases, it does not make sense.

Patients sometimes ask about the "donut" lift, also known as the "circumareolar" or "Benelli" scar. This is very limited in the amount of tissue that can be removed and in how much the breast can be reshaped. The breasts often end up looking under-projected, and therefore, this procedure is not very common.

There are usually two scars, each about ¼" long, located in the crease under your breast. For all intents and purposes, these scars are invisible.

Loss of sensation is a risk of breast reduction. Many women with large breasts have lost sensation from the stretching of their nerves, and for them, this is not an issue. But many others have a lot of sensation, and the risk of losing that sensation is important to them.

It is very hard to measure and quantify changes in breast sensation. While most patients do not experience a reduction in feeling, the bottom line is that you have to decide for yourself that you would rather be smaller, even if it means you lose sensation.

Today’s breast reduction techniques do not cut the milk ducts. Most patients can breastfeed after their procedure. If this is a priority for you, discuss your options with Dr. Teitelbaum during your consultation.

If a patient has symptoms of neck, back, shoulder, and breast pain, or has a history of rashes under the breasts, most insurers will pay for a reduction.

Please note: We are not contracted with any insurance companies, and we do not preauthorize or bill insurance. We will provide you with an operative note to submit to your provider.

We will provide detailed instructions after you schedule your surgery. We will provide you with the recovery bra you will need to wear after surgery. When heading to the clinic for your procedure, wear a comfortable sweatshirt you can zip on and off.

No. You’ll be well enough to go home after your procedure, and you do not need to go to an aftercare facility. However, some patients opt to spend the night at an aftercare facility for extra peace and quiet or if they do not have a friend to watch them the night of surgery.

Most patients use the word 'sore' more than 'painful'. They feel achy and like they have pressure around their breasts, but the pain is never sharp or severe. Our team can provide pain management strategies for you to utilize while recovering at home.

Swelling increases after surgery, usually peaking at about 5-6 days. After that, the swelling will subside, rapidly at first, and then gradually. It can take up to a year for all residual swelling to fade, though changes will be subtle.

The fate of your scar is largely determined by your genetics and the surgery itself. It is not clear to what extent putting things on scars will affect their final appearance. However, most patients want to do something.

There has never been a direct comparison between the various products. Patient feedback has been most positive for three types of products: Scar Guard, a liquid containing a steroid, Vitamin E, and silicone that you brush on like nail polish; Silicone gel strips (such as Neosporin scar strips); and silicone ointment (such as Scar Fade). You can get these from our Los Angeles office or the pharmacy, and you can start applying them once the glue or Steri-Strip is off, following the instructions on the packaging.

It is normal for the two sides of the body to swell differently when operating on both, but by and large, they serve as a control for the other. So if one is much larger or more painful, let us know right away. If the incisions get red, tender, or inflamed, let us know. Sometimes there can be a little separation along the incision or a "spitting" suture. Contact us as soon as possible to follow up on this.