What Is Breast Reduction Surgery?

Breast reduction surgery (also known as reduction mammoplasty) is an operation to remove extra fat, tissue, and skin from your breasts. You might consider it if you have very large breasts (sometimes called macromastia or gigantomastia) that are making you self-conscious or causing neck pain, back pain, or other symptoms. This surgery is for people of any gender, including men with large breasts (gynecomastia). About 100,000 people get it each year.
Because it's a major surgery, you should know the benefits, potential complications, and what's involved in recovery.
Breast reduction surgery vs. top surgery
In top surgery, a surgeon reshapes your breast tissue so that you can appear more feminine or masculine. This can involve adding or removing breast tissue, moving the nipples, or making other changes. Top surgery can be helpful if your gender identity doesn’t match the sex you were assigned at birth. Many transgender and nonbinary people choose to have top surgery.,

Why Breast Reduction Surgery?

You might decide to get breast reduction surgery for many reasons. One of the most common reasons is that your large breasts cause physical discomfort. They might cause:

• Headaches

• Poor posture

• Deep notches in your shoulder from tight-fitting bra straps

• Difficulty breathing while you’re lying down

• Back, neck, and shoulder pain

• Nerve problems like numbness or tingling

• Rashes, infections, and skin irritation beneath your breasts

Large breasts also could make it difficult for you to fit into clothes or take part  in certain activities, like exercise. Over time, this could affect your body image and self-confidence. It can even affect your health.
Breast reduction surgery also can help with gynecomastia, a condition that affects some men and people who were assigned male at birth. It is when you have extra fatty tissue in the breast(s). If you have the extra tissue removed, it can boost your self-confidence.
Breast reduction candidate
If you experience physical or mental symptoms from very large breasts, you might benefit from this surgery regardless of gender.
But certain things might prevent or postpone your surgery. For example, you might not be able to have it if you smoke, are very overweight, or have other health conditions that could affect your recovery.
You might consider postponing breast reduction surgery if:

• Your breasts are still growing. Teenagers and young adults can have this surgery, but they might need a second surgery if their breasts continue to grow.

• You are planning on breastfeeding. This surgery can affect your ability to breastfeed, although some techniques can preserve it.

• You are trying to lose weight. Weight loss or gain can impact breast size.