'Consequently,' says Dr. Casas, 'doctors now readily refer patients for the procedure. And patients are quick to recommend it to their friends. So there's a growing awareness that breast reduction surgery relieves your pain, improves your posture, strengthens your back muscles, enhances the quality of your life, and gives you great-looking breasts.'

There are also some new, less-invasive techniques becoming available, such as liposuction and Lejour Breast Reduction.

Instead of a large skin incision, liposuction uses a few small punctures to remove excess fatty tissue from the breast. According to a study in the June 2000 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, liposuction provides results as good as traditional surgery, with less pain and shorter recovery time. The risk of complications (loss of sensation, inability to breastfeed, and problems with blood supply) is also much less with liposuction.

'The appearance of the breast is good,' says Alan Matarasso, MD, co-author of the study. 'The absence of a large incision also means smaller, hidden scars 'less than half an inch compared to extensive, visible scars experienced with conventional surgery.'

Dr. Matarasso recommends increased use of breast liposuction for carefully selected patients: the results are best in women with a relatively greater proportion of fat in the breast tissue and in younger patients.

In addition to liposuction, David Hidalgo, MD, an aesthetic plastic surgeon in New York City, says Lejour Breast Reduction, named after the Belgian surgeon Madeline Lejour, is a 'newer type of breast reduction that provides better results with fewer scars.'

View before & after photographs of breast reduction procedures.

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