Achieving Natural-Looking Results with Plastic Surgery

Breast reduction surgery is in the top three cosmetic surgery operations performed in the UK (BAAPS, 2019) and this life-changing procedure certainly shows no sign of slowing. Celebrities, including most recently, Doja Cat, have been open about their surgery, while a new TikTok trend shows users filming how clothes fit differently both pre and post surgery.

Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, Mr Naveen Cavale, says that breast reduction surgery has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates when it comes to plastic surgery. “It’s often seen as a cosmetic procedure, but it’s actually a functional surgery. A breast reduction procedure reduces the size and weight of large, heavy breasts and helps create a bust that is in better proportion to the patient’s body. Excess breast tissue is removed, along with fat and some skin. It helps to decrease or eliminate back and neck pain, improves posture and can also help with breathing in some cases. A lot of my patients go on to live healthier lives following the procedure which is why it has such a high patient satisfaction rate.”

So if it can be quite literally life-changing for some people, why is the procedure hard to get on the NHS? “I split my time between the NHS and private work” says Mr Cavale “so I know first-hand the huge stress that the NHS is under. The goal-posts are getting narrower because NHS finances are under immense strain – people living longer, treatments becoming more advanced, and therefore expensive (e.g. in 1960s, for a heart attack, you were pretty much just asked to stay in bed for a few weeks, now it treatments/drugs/physio/community care that costs tens of thousands of pounds). The rise of obesity on the NHS also can adversely affect someone’s ability to get a breast reduction – a lot of people who come asking for a breast reduction are overweight and as a result, the NHS is very strict about who it allows to have surgery, even if their breasts are the thing pushing them over the BMI figure (28) we have to work within.”

What about going down the private route? “As strain on the NHS continues to rise, a lot of people are choosing to go down the private route so it may be worth exploring whether this procedure might be an option for you” What is clear, however, is that those that do choose to have this surgery will see wide-ranging health benefits.

5 things to know about breast reduction surgery by Mr Naveen Cavale:

There’s no size guarantee. “There’s no exact science with determining how many cup sizes you can drop, and a good plastic surgeon should inform you of this during the consultation stage. There is no guarantee of size, but instead, I perform a breast reduction that leaves the patient with breasts that are proportionate to their frame.”
You’ll need to take time off work. “We advise patients to take 10 days off work if they’re going into the office, but if they’re working from home, which is a much more feasible option at the moment, then I would suggest they can work from home again from about 4 days in.”
You’ll need to wear a sports bra for about 6 weeks, day and night. “A sports bra is worn pretty much 24/7 for 6 weeks. This not only helps keep swelling and bleeding under control, it also reduces pain.”
Smokers won’t be eligible for the surgery. “The risks are simply too high to perform this surgery on someone who smokes.”
Spotting early breast cancer symptoms is still possible after a reduction. “As there is less breast remaining, theoretically, there is less tissue for cancer to develop in. It’s also often easier for patients to spot the early signs of breast cancer such as lumps, changes in texture as the breasts are smaller. It’s worth noting that mammograms can still be carried out as normal post-reduction surgery too.”