April 27, 2001 -- According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, of all plastic surgery procedures, women who undergo breast reduction surgery are happiest with the results. Often times, women who have the surgery done like the look of smaller breasts in their clothing -- consider, for example, Gwyneth Paltrow vs. Pamela Lee Anderson, or Audrey Hepburn vs. Raquel Welch.

But beyond the physical appearance of a sleeker silhouette, most women are, more importantly, relieved of major physical discomfort and pain. But that doesn’t mean they’re in love with the scars and shape of their smaller breasts.

That’s why plastic surgeons are increasingly performing Vertical Mammoplasty breast reduction procedures instead of the traditional Wise or inferior pedicle technique.

The standard surgery uses the “Wise” incision that looks like an upside-down T, or anchor, and leaves a scar that circles around the areola and extends below the breast until it joins a horizontal scar—the top of the inverted T or curve of the anchor—below the breast.

While the majority of people who have had traditional inferior pedicle mammoplasty are pleased with the results, many wish they could “tweak” the results—and plastic surgeons, a demanding bunch with high-expectations, always search for improvement.

Plus, there are a few, though uncommon, problems with the horizontal portion of the traditional incision. The two ends can become enlarged. And tension where the vertical and horizontal scars meet can stretch the scar around the areola and complicate healing.

Fortunately, in the past decade, surgical advances have addressed these issues, as well as cosmetic concerns with traditional breast reduction surgery.

Vertical incision mammoplasty is just what it sounds like: the procedure involves an incision that circles the areola and extends down vertically below the breast like a lollipop. With this surgery, there is no long horizontal scar beneath the breast.

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