# Breast Reduction

> Citation bundle for Breast Reduction on The Treatment Registry.
> URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/procedures/breast-reduction
> Bundle URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/api/citations/procedures/breast-reduction

- Category: cosmetic-surgery

## Description

Reduction mammoplasty is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts. In a breast reduction surgery aimed at re-establishing a functional bust that is proportionate to the patient's body, the critical corrective consideration is the tissue viability of the nipple–areola complex (NAC), to ensure the functional sensitivity and lactational capability of the breasts.

## Overview

Reduction mammoplasty, also known as breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty, is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts. Its purpose is to re-establish a functional bust that is proportionate to the patient's body. In surgery directed at that goal, the critical corrective consideration is the tissue viability of the nipple-areola complex (NAC): the operation is planned to preserve that tissue viability, so that the functional sensitivity of the nipple and the breast's lactational, or breastfeeding, capability are maintained. The indications for breast reduction are described as three-fold, being physical, aesthetic and psychological, and correspond to restoration of the bust itself, of the patient's self-image, and of the patient's mental health; the procedure is therefore carried out both to relieve the physical burden of disproportionately large breasts and to address the effects that they can have on appearance and wellbeing. In corrective practice, the surgical techniques and praxis used for reduction mammoplasty are also applied to mastopexy, the breast lift, reflecting the shared principles of reshaping the breast and repositioning the nipple-areola complex.

## FAQs

### What is breast reduction?

Breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts, with the aim of re-establishing a functional bust that is proportionate to the patient's body.

### Why is the nipple-areola complex so important in the surgery?

The critical corrective consideration in breast reduction is the tissue viability of the nipple-areola complex. Preserving it is what ensures the nipple keeps its functional sensitivity and the breast retains its lactational, or breastfeeding, capability.

### What are the reasons for having a breast reduction?

The indications are described as three-fold: physical, aesthetic and psychological. They correspond to restoring the bust itself, the patient's self-image, and the patient's mental health.

### Can breast reduction affect breastfeeding or nipple sensation?

Maintaining the ability to breastfeed and the sensitivity of the nipple is a central aim of the surgery. This is why preserving the tissue viability of the nipple-areola complex is treated as the critical corrective consideration.

### Is breast reduction related to a breast lift?

Yes. The surgical techniques and praxis used for reduction mammoplasty are also applied to mastopexy, the breast lift, because both rely on reshaping the breast and repositioning the nipple-areola complex.