Category Archives: Breast Reduction Surgery

While many women seek to enhance the size of their breasts through the use of implants or fat transfer, plenty of other women are looking to achieve just the opposite. Large or pendulous breasts can cause a multitude of problems for patients, including chronic neck and back pain, discomfort while exercising, difficulty finding clothing that fits, and negative impact on a woman’s confidence and self-esteem. These issues can have a significant impact on quality of life, and unfortunately for many women, recommendations like weight loss and wearing a supportive bra just don’t cut it! For this population, breast reduction surgery offers a safe and effective way to decrease the size of the breasts to a size the patient is comfortable with, correcting many of the issues associated with very large breasts. When considering breast reduction, many women have concerns about how their breasts will look after the procedure. One common question that arises is if the size of the nipple areola complex can be altered for those who wish to decrease the size of their areolas or correct asymmetry. This blog post will give an overview of breast reduction as well as answer this common question.

Breast reduction is a highly effective procedure for reducing the size of the breasts to decrease excess weight and create a proportional, balanced bust line. The first step towards any surgical procedure is having a thorough in-person conversation with your plastic surgeon. Experienced board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen takes her time with each patient to ensure a thorough review of their anatomy and goals, as well as to address all questions. Patients may also raise any concerns they have at this time about undesired asymmetry between the breasts or areolas, as well as the desired size and position of the nipple areola complex. Dr. Temmen understands the importance of this open communication and makes every effort to make each patient feel cared for and listened to while forming a personalized surgical plan to get them the best possible results.

During the procedure itself, a circular incision is made around the perimeter of the nipple areola complex (the junction where the skin color becomes darker). Depending on the scale of the reduction and patient anatomy, sometimes a second vertical incision is made on the breast that connects to the bottom of the peri-areolar incision. While many women have concerns about these scars, most find that they fade significantly with time, and are well worth the overall positive change in their quality of life that comes from this life-altering procedure. After these incisions are made, excess breast tissue is removed while preserving the blood and nerve supply to the nipple. This accomplishes the reduction in breast size, and also allows for correction of any sagging by lifting the breasts to a more youthful position. If the breasts are naturally different sizes, different amounts of tissue can be excised from each breast to restore symmetry. During this procedure, the nipple areola complex is also lifted to a higher position on the breast mound to match the breasts and create a perky appearance. Many patients also desire the size of their areolas to be reduced to match the proportions of their new breasts. This can be accomplished by removing skin from the perimeter of the incision that was made around the areola. Afterwards, the incision is closed to ensure a seamless, proportional, and symmetric look. To correct asymmetry in areola size, more tissue can be taken from the larger areola.

Dr. Traci Temmen recognizes that oversized breasts can have a profound effect on quality of life. She is a meticulous perfectionist with every patient, and is committed to helping women finally feel comfortable and confident in their bodies. For women who are impacted by the negative effects of their large breasts, breast reduction offers a safe and highly effective surgical solution. Dr. Temmen frequently performs areola reduction as part of this procedure to correct enlarged or asymmetrical areolas and create a proportional and balanced appearance. Patients are thrilled with their results, and love being free of the burden of overly cumbersome breasts. To view real examples of patient results, click on the Gallery tab of this website. To learn more about if you may be a good candidate for this procedure, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!

While many women spend their days wishing their breasts were fuller, other women have just the opposite problem. In fact, having breasts that are too large is becoming an increasingly common problem that has women searching for a solution. While healthy lifestyle changes like nutrition and exercise can help decrease overall body weight and thus take some weight off the breasts as well, unfortunately for many women that just isn’t enough. Fortunately, breast reduction surgery, also called reduction mammoplasty, is a safe and effective surgical option for women to consider who are bothered by their large and cumbersome breasts. This blog post will talk about the risks and benefits of this surgery that addresses an increasingly common complaint experienced by women today.

Firstly, breast reduction has the risks associated with surgery of any kind, including bleeding and infection. These risks are typically very small if the surgery is performed in a fully accredited surgical facility by a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Traci Temmen who is well-equipped to manage any potential complication that could arise during or after surgery. As far as risks that are specific to breast reduction, there are a few. One of these is changes in nipple sensation due to surgery impacting some of the small nerves that supply the area. Along similar lines, women who have a breast reduction may have difficulty breast-feeding down the road due to some loss of sensation as well as some glandular tissue. This is not always an issue for patients, but it should be discussed with the surgeon if the patient plans to try to breastfeed in the future. Another very rare complication is loss of the nipple areola complex, but this can almost always be prevented by proper patient selection (only operating on patients who are healthy and don’t smoke). Lastly, there is always a risk that the patient will be unhappy with the result. This can be minimized by taking time to do your research to select a plastic surgeon who is board-certified, understands your goals and concerns, and consistently gets great results. Dr. Traci Temmen has performed many breast reductions with beautiful results, and her patients are always impressed by her kind bedside manner and gentle hand. To see for yourself, just read one of her many raving reviews left by real patients, and view the images of real patient results in the photo Gallery.

Now that we’ve covered some of the risks of breast reduction, let’s move on to the fun part – the benefits! For most women, breast reduction surgery has both functional and aesthetic benefits. From a functional standpoint, breasts that are large and out of proportion to the rest of the body often cause chronic back pain, neck pain, and headaches from the excess weight. Large breasts can also make it very difficult to exercise, perform normal daily activities, and find clothes that fit well. Some women also experience painful rashes underneath the breasts from chronic irritation of the skin. After breast reduction, many of these problems are improved or even disappear completely, dramatically improving quality of life. Women often feel like a great burden has been lifted off and now they can finally enjoy life without all that extra weight and pain. From an aesthetic standpoint, most women are also very happy to have breasts that look more proportional to their body after surgery. Usually, breasts that are very large become low and saggy due to all of the excess weight. During surgery, the breasts are lifted back up to their normal anatomical position, creating a more youthful and natural look. In addition, women seeking breast reduction are often also bothered by areolas that are very large and out of proportion to the breast. During surgery, Dr. Temmen can decrease the size of the nipple areola complex so that it is in proportion to the rest of the breast. Overall, women are usually very pleased with the look of their new breasts that are lighter, perkier, and more proportional to their body.

Hopefully this post has shed some light on the potential risks and many benefits of breast reduction surgery. Of course, the best way to learn more about if you may be a good candidate for reduction mammoplasty is through talking to a board-certified plastic surgeon. To find out more, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!

Breast augmentation with implants is one of the most popular plastic surgeries, enhancing the shape and size of the breasts with the use of saline or silicone implants. For women with smaller breasts who have always wished they were larger, this surgery can truly be life-changing and help them feel more confident and beautiful every day. However, there is also a population of women who have the opposite problem, where their breasts are too large. This can lead to health problems like chronic back and neck pain, difficulty exercising comfortably, and struggling to find clothes that fit well. These women often find themselves increasingly frustrated and unhappy, feeling trapped by a body that negatively impacts their quality of life. Luckily, the field of plastic surgery offers a solution in the form of breast reduction surgery for those women who are tired of dealing with the negative consequences of their breast size and ready to make a change. This blog post will give an overview of this surgery as well as answer a common question many women have who are considering breast reduction, which is “How many cup sizes can I go down with breast reduction without impacting the nipple?”

First, I will briefly explain the steps of breast reduction surgery. The first step is for board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Temmen to meet with the patient one-on-one to discuss the patient’s goals and plan the surgery. During this visit, Dr. Temmen performs a thorough physical exam, reviews the patient’s medical history, and discusses the patient’s goals for surgery. Often times, Dr. Temmen also encourages patients to look at real patient before and after pictures on this website and identify some examples of the kind of results they are hoping for. During this consultation, Dr. Temmen and the patient create a surgical plan together, as well as address any questions or concerns the patient has. All of this prep ensures that the patient feels safe, comfortable, and fully informed well in advance of the day of surgery. During surgery, Dr. Traci Temmen first carefully removes the excess breast tissue in order to decrease breast volume to the size that the patient desires. Removing this tissue also reduces the weight on the patient’s back and neck, helping to lighten the burden and reduce chronic pain. Once the tissue has been removed, Dr. Temmen raises the position of the nipple-areola complex and surgically tightens the skin of the breasts. This works to create a full and youthful shape and reduce sagginess. Depending on the degree of sagging the patient has, Dr. Temmen may need to make an additional incision that runs vertically from the bottom of the breast to tighten up the tissues. Although many patients are initially concerned about this scar, it fades and becomes barely noticeable with time, and the vast majority of patients are very happy with their final appearance.

One of the questions at the forefront of many patients’ minds who are considering surgical breast reduction is how many cup sizes they can go down without impacting the nipple. One point to note first is that patients tend to underestimate their cup size and might think their breasts are smaller than they actually are. Generally, Dr. Temmen is able to decrease a patient’s breast size up to about three cup sizes before the nipple will be impacted. Most patients want a reduction within this range, and therefore there is no need to reposition the nipple-areola complex. However, in some cases where the patient’s breasts are very large and she desires greater than a three cup size reduction, removing such a large amount of breast tissue may threaten the blood supply to the nipple. In these cases, Dr. Temmen recommends removing the nipple and then reattaching it to the breast as a skin graft. The grafted nipple will grow a new blood supply, but may be flatter and have reduced sensation. Nevertheless, this is a good option for women whose excessively large breasts are negatively impacting their quality of life, and would get great benefit from substantial reduction to reach a size that is much lighter and more comfortable.

Breast reduction surgery is popular among women who are negatively affected by their large breast size, alleviating many of the associated issues such as chronic back pain, difficulty finding clothing, and discomfort while exercising. Dr. Traci Temmen is experienced in this procedure, and works hand-in-hand with every patient to tailor each surgery to the individual patient’s anatomy and desires. To learn more about if you may be a good candidate for breast reduction, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!