Before you can have an informed discussion about breast feeding after breast reduction it really helps to have some insights into what the range of breast feeding experience of women who do not or have not had a breast reduction may be. As you would expect, every woman's experience of breast feeding is different and a huge number of factors (such as the mother's health, the baby's health and size at birth and in the months following). Let's start with the current recommendations from the health authorities. There are 2 major authorities who make recommendations relevant to Australian women. These are: The World Health Organization (WHO), and The Australian National Health and Medical Research Authority (NHMRC) Both these authorities have issued recommendations about the optimal period of breast feeding for babies. The WHO guideline statement was issued in 2011 and the NHMRC guideline statement was issued in 2012 following on fro...

I think the most useful way to think about this issue is to divide into it things you can do something about and the ones that you are stuck with: Risks you can do something about: Exercise: Not exercising regularly increases your risk Weight: Being overweight (particularly as you get older) increases your risk compared to women of ideal body weight Alcohol: Research studies show consuming alcohol increases your risk of breast cancer. It is dose related (that means the more you drink the more you increase your risk) Medications: Some forms and I emphasise only some types of oral contraceptive pills have been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. If you are worried about this you should ask the doctor who prescribes it for you. Taking some preparations of HRT for more than 5 years may increase your risk. Risks you can't do anything about: Your age: you can't do anything about this but the incidence of breast cancer increases as you get...

There are 2 common scar patterns produced by different types of breast reduction procedure. Vertical or "lollipop" type procedures have a circular scar around the nipple and areolar complex and a vertical scar from the nipple scar vertically down towards the breast fold. These type of procedures are ideally suited to small to moderate breast reduction procedures and are more often chosen by younger women who may not have had the opportunity to meet their long term partner and may have greater concerns about other people's reactions to scars on their breasts. Traditional or "anchor" type procedures also have a circular scar around the nipple and areolar complex and a vertical scar from the nipple scar towards the breast fold. The difference with "anchor" pattern procedures is that in addition to the above scars there is also a long scar in the breast fold. These procedures are most often chosen by women requiring large breast reductions an...

All breast reduction procedures include a lift. Often when I am consulting with someone who is considering a breast reduction procedure they seem to be uncertain or confused whether a breast reduction procedure will include a breast lift. There are two components in all breast reduction procedures. The most important aspect is the removal of the excess weight of your breasts. It is the excessive weight of breast tissue which is producing the postural changes in your neck, back and shoulders which leads to the pain. The second component to all breast reductions is the repositioning of the nipple and areola complex. This is the so called "breast lift". This is important as it repositions the remaining breast tissue back up onto your chest where it should be rather than where your nipple may currently be sitting. Obviously, this may improve the appearance of your breast but it is also essential that the remaining breast tissue is positioned over your chest to c...

Most women know intuitively having a breast reduction procedure will have implications for them should they wish to breast feed in the future. Many assume they will not be able to breast feed should they decide to have a breast reduction procedure prior to having a family. I think this is a reasonable starting point. If you assume you will not be able to breast feed after breast reduction either way you cannot be disappointed. If you cannot breast feed then that is what you expected. If it turns out that you can breast feed then it is an unexpected bonus. What the research says though is more positive and reassuring. In a research study first published in 2005 (1) breast feeding rates after breast reduction was examined. In this study women who had had a child at some point after they had had a breast reduction procedure were questioned about their breast feeding experiences. In this study where women had had breast reduction performed using a number of different ...

The common reasons women consider breast reduction surgery are neck, back and shoulder pain, postural problems, difficulty exercising, rashes or infections under the breast fold and self-esteem issues. Having said this if you feel you need to consider breast reduction surgery for a combination of the reasons above it is still reassuring to know that if you do proceed to breast reduction you are likely to be reducing your risk of breast cancer. There a multiple international published studies which confirm this observation. The reduction in risk is in the region of 25- 50%. The effect seems to be greatest in women over 40 years of age but is observed across all age groups. I have listed the research papers below if you are interested in reading up further about this. (Ref 1-5). A further study has been published looking into whether the effect is related to how much breast tissue is removed. It does appear the more tissue that is removed the greater the effect....