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Dallas Breast Reduction

Dallas Breast Reduction Specialist Dr. Law

Today, many women with large breasts and excessively large breasts (i.e., breast hypertrophy) are choosing to have breast reduction (aka a reduction mammoplasty, reduction mammaplasty) procedures in Dallas, to decrease the size of their breasts. At Law Plastic Surgery, Dr. Huay-Zong Law performs breast reduction surgery to help women attain the smaller, figure-enhancing and natural-looking breasts they desire.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Breast Reduction in Dallas?

During a patient’s initial consultation, Dr. Law considers several factors to determine if a woman is a good candidate for a reduction mammoplasty in Dallas.

A woman who would like to decrease the size of her breasts may be a good candidate for a reduction mammoplasty in Dallas if she:

• Has fully developed breasts.
• Is healthy.
• Is within, or close to, the weight range and body mass index (BMI) level that the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend for her.
• Understands what she can expect to achieve with breast reduction surgery, and what Dr. Huay-Zong Law can accomplish for her with a reduction mammoplasty.

Who Should Consider Having a Reduction Mammoplasty in Dallas?

Women with overly large breasts who feel self-conscious and attempt to camouflage the size of their breasts with minimizing bras, by layering their clothing and wearing large, chunky necklaces, should consider having a breast reduction at Law Plastic Surgery in Dallas.

A woman with large or excessively large breasts who is looking for a solution to the health problems she is experiencing, and the negative side effects associated with having large breasts.

Common health issues women with large and excessively large breasts experience include:

Shoulder Grooves

Even if a woman with extremely large breasts has a fitted bra that is the correct size, she may find that the bra offers her breasts very little support. When support is lacking, the straps of the bra can create deep indentations in her shoulders. These grooves may remain even after she removes the bra. Purchasing a bra with a wide strap can help, but it may not be able to completely eliminate these indentations.

Shoulder, Neck and Back Pain

Large, heavy breasts tend to pull down on the shoulders, causing a woman with large breasts to hunch her back. This is why having large breasts frequently leads to poor posture. Furthermore, it is likely that due to the weight of her breasts, she will begin experiencing pain in her neck, back and shoulders.

Breast Numbness

Women who wear ill-fitting bras may experience numbness in their breasts. This numbness occurs because the bra is compressing small nerve fibers in the chest wall or the breast tissue, blocking the communication between the nerves in these areas and the brain.

Hand and Finger Numbness

When overly large breasts pull on the torso, the neck position changes. By changing the position of the neck, the patient’s nerve pathways that lead from the neck to her arms may become compressed. If this happens, the communication between the affected nerves and the brain causes the patient to experiences numbness in her fingers and hand.

Headaches and Migraines

The weight of the breasts pull the neck and upper back forward, which puts extra stress on the muscles in these areas, as well as on the shoulders. This stress causes the muscles to become tense and spasm, leading to the development of tension headaches. The good news is that many of Dr. Law’s patients state that since they had their breast reduction in Dallas, they are experiencing fewer headaches and migraines.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is another common side effect for these women. This shortness of breath occurs when the weight of the excess breast tissue constricts the movement of the diaphragm.

Intertrigo (aka a Yeast Infection)

When large breasts sit on top of the abdominal skin, excessive sweating and a lack of air circulation can cause the area beneath the breasts to remain very warm. The moist, warm environment beneath the breasts serves as the perfect breeding ground for fungal infections (e.g., an overproduction of yeast).

Signs of an intertrigo infection include:

• Red or reddish-brown skin within the crease of the breasts.
• Cracked and sore skin beneath the breasts.
• Itchy, raw skin underneath the breasts.

Sores

An ill-fitting bra can rub against the breasts and the shoulders, causing sores to develop.

Negative side effects associated with large breasts and breast hypertrophy include:

The Inability to Exercise

Remaining active can be difficult for women with large and excessively large breasts because they are unable to keep their breasts from moving up and down.

Feeling Uncomfortable Around Others

The desire to avoid social gatherings due to the amount of attention her breasts receive, as well as harassment (e.g., catcalls).

Depression

Issues related to feeling uncomfortable around others can cause a woman to become depressed.

Clothing Issues

Difficulty finding tops, swimwear and bras that fit her properly. Dr. Law can help solve this problem with a breast reduction in Dallas.

Poor Posture

Poor posture due to the weight of her breasts pulling her shoulders, head and neck forward. Poor posture can cause the muscles in these areas to tighten, leading to muscle spasms and resulting in the onset of a headache or a migraine.

During a Reduction Mammoplasty, Dr. Huay-Zong Law Also Enhances the Aesthetics of the Patient’s Breasts

Breast characteristics that Dr. Law addresses during a breast reduction in Dallas include:

• Pendulous breasts.
• Asymmetrical breasts.
• Nipples that point downward
• Large nipple-areolar complexes.
• Low breast mound and nipple-areolar complex location.

What Is Breast Hypertrophy?

Breast hypertrophy is a rare, benign but progressive medical condition. Breast hypertrophy causes a substantial increase in the amount of connective tissue a woman develops in her breasts. This condition can affect one or both of her breasts.

What Causes Breast Hypertrophy?

Breast hypertrophy may result from a woman’s increased histologic sensitivity to certain hormones (e.g., female sex hormones, growth factors and prolactin). There are two types of breast hypertrophy, macromastia and gigantomastia. Dr. Law performs breast reduction procedures in Dallas, to address both types of breast hypertrophy.

Determining If a Woman Has Macromastia or Gigantomastia

Doctors base a woman’s breast hypertrophy diagnosis on the amount of excessive breast tissue she has. Excessive breast tissue refers to the amount of breast tissue a patient has after subtracting the amount of tissue that is considered average for her height and weight.

Reaching a Diagnosis

Dr. Law determines the amount of excess breast tissue a patient has by deducting her average breast weight from the current weight of her breasts.

To receive a macromastia diagnosis, a woman must have excessive breast tissue in one of her breasts that is at least 3.3 lbs. above the average size for her physique. To receive a gigantomastia diagnosis, one of a woman’s breasts needs to have at least 5.5 lbs. of excessive tissue.

An Initial Consultation for a Breast Reduction With Dr. Huay-Zong Law in Dallas

Women in the Dallas area who are considering a reduction mammoplasty should schedule a consultation with an experienced, highly skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Law.

During this appointment, the patient should be prepared to discuss:

• What she would like to accomplish with a reduction mammoplasty in Dallas.
• Her medical history.
• Current medications, vitamins and herbal supplements.

Once Dr. Huay-Zong Law knows what the patient wants to achieve with a reduction mammoplasty, he examines her breasts. If she decides to move forward with a breast reduction, Dr. Law may take a variety of measurements (e.g., the size of her nipple-areolar complexes) and photographs from different angles. He refers to these during the creation of the patient’s personalized treatment plan.

Preparing for a Reduction Mammoplasty in Dallas

Dr. Huay-Zong Law may order a variety of tests for the patient to have before her surgery. These tests may include a mammogram and blood work. In addition, since safety is one of the most important factors, Dr. Law may ask a patient to visit her general practitioner to receive medical clearance for surgery. Requests for clearance and the presurgical testing that Dr. Law orders must be completed no later than a week before surgery. This gives him time to receive and review the results.

On the Day of Surgery, Patients Need a Chauffeur

During their reduction mammoplasty, patients receive general anesthesia. This medication keeps the patient comfortably asleep during her surgery. However, slow reflexes is one of the side effects associated with general anesthesia. When an individual’s reflexes are slow, the likelihood that she will be involved in an automobile crash increases.

Hired Transportation on the Day of a Breast Reduction in Dallas

Law Plastic Surgery cares about each patient. After general anesthesia, besides having slower reflexes, patients are somewhat vulnerable. To ensure his patients do not fall victim to someone with nefarious intentions, Dr. Law’s patients need to bring a personal driver with them on the day of their reduction mammoplasty.

Patients need to choose someone they trust to serve as their chauffeur. In addition, Dr. Huay-Zong Law likes his patients to have someone remain with them overnight. When choosing their caregiver, patients must keep in mind that this individual may be assisting them with highly sensitive activities (e.g., using the washroom, getting dressed).

Adjust or Discontinue Certain Medications, Herbal Supplements and Vitamins

For at least 10 days before surgery, patients need to discontinue the use of certain medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Some of these medications are aspirin, ibuprofen, blood thinners. Patients must never discontinue taking or reduce the dosage of a prescription medication or an over the counter medication that one of their doctors prescribed. To adjust these medications, patients need to speak to the prescribing doctor or Dr. Law. If, during this 10-day period, a patient has to take medication for pain, she can take acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol).

Herbal supplements to discontinue at least 10 days before a breast reduction in Dallas, include Kava Kava, St. John’s Wort, Ginger and Ginkgo Biloba.

Stop taking vitamin E and fish oil at least 10 days before surgery.

Discontinue Using Products That Contain Nicotine

Patients need to stop using products that contain nicotine (e.g., traditional cigarettes, smoking cessation products, e-cigarettes) and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after their reduction mammoplasty. Following this recommendation is critical because nicotine causes the blood vessels to contract, which slows blood circulation, negatively affecting the body’s ability to heal.

Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding Are Not Good Candidates for a Breast Reduction

A woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding is not a good candidate for a reduction mammoplasty in Dallas. However, once she has her baby and finishes breastfeeding, Dr. Law may be able to help her reduce the size of her breasts.

Breast Reductions Are Outpatient Procedures

Although a reduction mammoplasty is typically an outpatient procedure, Dr. Huay-Zong Law performs reduction mammoplasty procedures at one of the nearby hospitals.

The Day of Surgery: A Breast Reduction in Dallas

Patients who are only having a reduction mammoplasty can expect to remain in surgery from 2 to 4 hours. Patients having a combination of procedures (e.g., a tummy tuck with a reduction mammoplasty) will be in the surgical suite for a longer period of time.

Arriving at the Hospital

Since patients receive general anesthesia, they do need a driver, therefore, patients who arrive without a driver will need to reschedule their reduction mammoplasty.

Pre-op

A friendly medical professional escorts the patient to pre-op. While here, the patient changes into a surgical gown and the nurse takes her vitals (e.g., temperature, heart rate, blood pressure). Dr. Law usually visits the patient while she is in pre-op to answer any last-minute questions she has. He may also make several markings on her breasts. These markings help guide Dr. Huay-Zong Law through the surgery. These markings are important because they relate specifically to the patient’s individualized reduction mammoplasty surgical plan.

A surgical team member moves the patient to the operating room.

Administering Anesthesia

The patient receives medications from an experienced anesthesiologist. These medications cause the patient to fall asleep, at which point the breast reduction begins.

Creating the Incisions

Dr. Law and the patient discuss her incision options prior to surgery; therefore, she knows which incision he plans to use during her surgery.

Incision options include:

An anchor incision (aka inverted-T method)

– During the creation of this incision, Dr. Huay-Zong Law encircles the areola, moves down the center of the breast and along the inframammary crease (i.e., the crease at the base of the breast). This inverted-T incision is good for women who have uneven breasts that sag, as well as for women who have a substantial amount of fat and tissue to remove.

The lollipop incision (aka vertical method, short scar)

– Dr. Law creates an incision around the areola, down the center of the breast to the crease at its base. This lollipop incision is ideal for women who have pendulous breasts and only need Dr. Huay-Zong Law to remove a moderate amount of fat and tissue. With this incision, Dr. Law can also lift the patient’s breasts to a more youthful position on her chest.

Dr. Law’s skill and surgical experience allows him to hide breast reduction incisions discreetly within the contours of the patient’s body (e.g., along the inframammary crease, around the areola). Nonetheless, patients should expect to have a scar running from their areola down to their breast crease. Although hiding this incision within body contours is not possible, as long as the patient follows the post-surgical recommendations for scar treatment, with time, her incision lines diminish substantially.

Removing Breast Fat and Excess Tissue

Dr. Law removes excess tissue and breast fat. He may accomplish this by strategically using liposuction or by carefully excising the fat and tissue manually.

Nipple-areolar Reduction

Dr. Huay-Zong Law uses his skill to keep the nipple-areolar complex attached to the pedicle, which preserves the original nerves and vessels of the complex. In addition, as long as the surgeon preserves the patient’s pedicles, if she has a child, she can still choose to breastfeed.

Using his artistic vision, Dr. Law reduces the size of the patient’s nipple-areolar complex so that it looks natural with her new breast size.

Free Nipple Graft – For Extremely Large Breasts

Women with extremely large breasts may require full removal of the nipple-areolar complex. During their breast reduction procedures, Dr. Huay-Zong Law grafts these patients a new, natural-looking nipple that matches in size with her newly shaped, smaller breasts.

Moving the Breast Mound

After removing the excess fat and tissue, Dr. Law reshapes the breast mound and moves it to a higher position on the patient’s chest.

Removing Excess Skin

The removal of excess tissue and fat results in a substantial amount of excess skin. Dr. Huay-Zong Law removes this excess skin.

Drain Placement

Some patients receive temporary drains. Dr. Law places these drains near the incision sites. These drains provide excess fluid a way to exit the body, which helps reduce inflammation and decrease the patient’s pain level following surgery.

Closing the Incisions and Reattaching the Nipple-areolar Complex

Dr. Huay-Zong Law brings the remaining skin together and uses nonabsorbable stitches to close the incisions. He also reattaches the patient’s nipple-areolar complex.

Placing the Bandages

Before moving to the recovery area, Dr. Law places gauze dressing and bandages over the patient’s surgical incisions. The gauze and bandages help the breasts maintain their new shape and remain securely in place at their new location.

What Happens Directly After Breast Reduction Surgery in Dallas?

Once the patient’s reduction mammoplasty is complete, she is taken to the recovery area. The patient remains here for monitoring purposes, as well as to give her time to wake up from anesthesia.

When the patient awakens, she receives information detailing how to care for her breasts, physical restrictions and medication information.

Dr. Huay-Zong Law wants his patients’ recovery to be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Therefore, he encourages his patients to ask any questions they have before heading home with their driver.

Recovering After a Reduction Mammoplasty in Dallas

Patients are unique, and so is their recovery. However, many patients like to have a general guideline to refer to as they recover. The guideline below provides patients with information about what they can expect at some point during their recovery.

Bruising, Soreness and Inflammation

For several days after surgery, breast reduction patients usually experience inflammation, soreness and bruising.

Bandage Removal

Dr. Law removes the patient’s bandages at Law Plastic Surgery in Dallas, 2 days after her reduction mammoplasty. A surgical bra replaces the bandages. Patients will wear this bra up to 6 weeks. During this 6-week period, even if she is no longer wearing a surgical bra, the patient must refrain from wearing a bra with an underwire.

Removing the Drainage Tubes

At his office in Dallas, Dr. Huay-Zong Law removes the drainage tubes. He typically removes these tubes within several days of the patient’s breast reduction procedure.

Physical Activity

Patients must avoid strenuous activity of any kind during the first week or two of recovery.

Exercise and Strenuous Activity

Strenuous activity (e.g., lifting heavy objects) and exercise restrictions continue for 4 weeks, possibly longer.

Inflammation and Bruising

Most of the bruising and inflammation subsides by the time the patient reaches the 4-week mark. Nonetheless, slight swelling may continue for up to 6 months.

The Results of a Reduction Mammoplasty in Dallas

Patients can see some of their breast reduction results directly following surgery. As the inflammation and bruising subsides, the overall appearance of their breasts improves and their new, smaller breast size becomes more and more evident.

The results Dr. Law achieves with a reduction mammoplasty are long-lasting. Nevertheless, even after surgery, the breasts are subject to the natural aging process (including the pull of gravity), as well as weight loss and weight gain.

Scarring

With time, the incision scars fade. Dr. Huay-Zong Law takes great care to place the patient’s incisions in areas that will not affect her ability to wear a low-cut blouse or bathing suit.

An Important Note About Scarring

Patients who want their scars to fade must refrain from exposing them to UV light of any kind until they have healed completely. Exposure to UV light while the incisions are still pink can cause the scars to darken, permanently.

Dr. Law May Only Need to Use Liposuction to Reduce the Size of a Patient’s Breasts

Sometimes all Dr. Law needs to do to decrease the size of a patient’s breast is perform liposuction. Nonetheless, for this to be an option, the patient’s breast must have more fat than glandular tissue. Patients eligible for this option benefit from little to no scarring. Dr. Law frequently uses this breast reduction technique to address enlarged breasts (i.e., gynecomastia) in men.

The Risks and Potential Complications of a Reduction Mammoplasty in Dallas

There are inherent risks with every surgical procedure. There are also risks that relate specifically to a reduction mammoplasty. A patient’s breast reduction risks and potential complications vary depending on which technique Dr. Huay-Zong Law uses (e.g., lollipop incision, inverted-T incision).

Potential surgical complications include:

• A reaction to the medications the patient receives during surgery.
• Bleeding.
• Visible scarring.
• Nausea or vomiting after surgery. This reaction is relatively common with general anesthesia, patients who know they have nausea following surgery should let their anesthesiologist know. There may be a medication available to prevent this side effect.
• Fatigue.

Some potential breast reduction complications include:

• Uneven breasts.
• Sensation loss.
• Firm breasts.
• A partial or total loss of the nipple-areolar complex.
• Skin or tissue loss in the locations of the incisions.
• The inability to breastfeed.

How Much Is a Breast Reduction in Dallas?

Women who are interested in learning more about a reduction mammoplasty, and men with gynecomastia, should contact Law Plastic Surgery to schedule an appointment with Dr. Huay-Zong Law.

During this consultation, Dr. Law determines if a woman is a good candidate for a reduction mammoplasty or if a man is eligible for liposuction to address gynecomastia. If Dr. Law determines that the potential patient is a good candidate, he provides the individual with an estimate for a personalized breast reduction or a liposuction procedure to address gynecomastia.

Will Health Insurance Cover a Reduction Mammoplasty?

If a patient is experiencing difficulties due to the size of her breasts, the patient’s health insurance company may pay a portion of her breast reduction in Dallas.

Dr. Huay-Zong Law is an experienced, highly skilled and board certified plastic surgeon in Dallas. His goal is to help men and women attain the physical characteristics and facial features they desire with plastic surgery procedures and non-surgical treatments (e.g., Botox, Restylane). Dr. Law uses his experience, skill and artistic vision to provide each patient with beautiful, natural-looking results. If you are a man with enlarged breasts, Dr. Law may be able to help reduce their size with liposuction.

If you are in the Dallas area and dealing with overly large breasts, Dr. Huay-Zong Law may be able to perform a breast reduction to help decrease the size of your breasts. To schedule your appointment, contact Law Plastic Surgery at (972) 331-1900 today. Law Plastic Surgery’s address is 7777 Forest Lane, C-528, Dallas.