Breast reduction / mammary hypertrophy in London, Bordeaux and Royan

By choosing a breast reduction, you are giving yourself the opportunity to reduce your breast size. Many women feel their breasts are too cumbersome. Does your breast size compared to your body’s morphology feel like a handicap? Does your back or neck hurt because of the heavy weight of your breasts?

Doctor Lemierre has been practicing cosmetic surgery in Bordeaux and Royan for over 10 years. He is specialised in breast reduction and mammary hypertrophy and can successfully reduce the size of your breasts.

An excess of volume in your breasts is often associated with sagging breasts (breast ptosis) and asymmetry. Mammary hypertrophy can also cause pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. If you suffer from mammary hypertrophy, you may also find it difficult to get dressed or exercise. These inconveniences can have an impact on your day-to-day life and your state of mind.

Breast reduction is a solution that will help you feel better in your own skin. The goal is to create nicely contoured, aesthetically balanced, and well-proportioned breasts so you can feel better in your everyday life. Finally, you will be able to dress however you like, exercise however you want, and you will feel better mentally and physically with attractive breasts and less back (dorsalgia) and neck pain.

Just like for any other surgical procedure, it is important to be well informed. Why choose a breast reduction? What are the advantages and inconveniences? Does your social security cover this type of procedure?

In the following sections we will answer these questions and concerns. Doctor Lemierre is also ready to answer all your inquiries in any one of his clinics in Bordeaux and Royan. He is ready to listen to your needs and desires.

Summary:

• Why choose a breast reduction?
• What are the advantages and possible inconveniences/risks?
• What does a typical session look like?
• A natural, long lasting result
• What is the post-operation procedure?

Why choose a breast reduction?

If you are suffering from mammary hypertrophy, it is time you find peace with your body. As previously indicated, breasts that are too heavy compared to your morphology can have significant consequences on your everyday life, your health, your state of mind, and your mental health.

Neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain… breasts that are too cumbersome, no matter your age, can keep you from exercising and can make it difficult to get dressed. Thanks to Doctor Lemierre, a cosmetic surgeon specialised in breast reduction, you have the possibility to reconcile with your body and to end the pain caused by large breasts.

The reasons for choosing breast reduction surgery are practical, but also cosmetic.

By choosing to have a breast reduction, you can have attractive, well contoured, harmonious, and well-proportioned breasts. You will finally feel free to wear whatever you want, to practice any sport you want, and to accept and your love your body.

If you have an E or F cup size or more, and this bothers you in your everyday life, it may be time to choose a breast reduction. If Doctor Lemierre removes a minimum of 300 grams per breast you will be able to make a claim to your social security.

To be able to make a claim, Doctor Lemierre needs to be able to remove at least 300 grams per breast; 600 grams in total.

In some cases, breast reduction can be considered a corrective surgery which means your social security or private insurance may be able to cover some of the costs (it is not a purely cosmetic surgery).

What are the advantages and possible inconveniences/risks?

There are many significant advantages:

• You will no longer suffer from back pain or a tense neck or shoulders
• You will move around more freely
• Your breasts will be more firm, contoured, attractive, and symmetrical
• You can choose the shape of your breasts (size, volume, etc)
• You will have more choice of bras (with or without wiring) and bathing suits
• You will feel more at peace with your body and your silhouette which will reinforce your self-confidence
• With time, the scars will become discreet and seamless

The inconveniences and possible risks:

• A haematoma or infection requires re-operation
• Slow scarring process
• Hypertrophic or keloid scarring
• Unsatisfying aesthetic results, like asymmetry for example
• Diminished sensations in the areola
• Necrosis of the areola mammae (very rare)
• One to two days hospitalisation

All of these inconveniences are rare. In any case, Doctor Lemierre has over 10 years of experience and can give you all the information you need during a consultation session. There are solutions to all of these inconveniences.

What does a typical session look like?

Breast reduction surgery not only reduces the size of your breasts but can also lift and reshape them. As a reminder, if Doctor Lemierre removes more than 300 grams per breast, the procedure is partially covered by your social security and insurance. More commonly, the costs will be your responsibility.

During the first consultation session, Doctor Lemierre will examine you to evaluate the volume of your breasts, your genes, your overall health, your desires, and your wants. He will then offer several personalised solutions that cater to your needs. He will then describe the advantages and disadvantages, where the scars will be placed, the post-operation procedure, and the resting time you will need including time away from work and sports.

If you are over 30 years old, Doctor Lemierre will automatically request breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance). This imaging provides us with a standardised reference examination that is essential to have a successful breast reduction procedure.

Next, you will choose the date of the operation and fill out a consent form along with your personal information. You will also need to have a consultation session with an anaesthesiologist and an orthotist to order compression stockings and a custom-made bra.

The day of the operation, you will be comfortably positioned and will then be administered general anaesthesia. Doctor Lemierre will come to your room to take photos and mark your breasts where there will be incisions. These incisions will become scars around your areola, a vertical scar below the breast, and a horizontal scar at the base of the breast.

These scars will allow you to have harmoniously contoured breasts with a more ‘erotic’ effect. The operation lasts between 2 and 3 hours and requires 2 days maximum of hospitalisation.

Be aware, if you smoke, you have to completely quit tobacco at least six weeks before and after the operation. Tobacco increases the risk of inconveniences and complications associated to general anaesthesia. It also slows down the scarring process and increases the risk of necrosis and infection. You also should not take any medicine containing aspirin 10 days before the operation.

A natural, long lasting result

Ladies, you will have to be patient to appreciate the final results of the operation. The final results will become truly visible in the months following the procedure.

You can be sure the wait is worth the while. You will be pleasantly surprised when you rediscover your silhouette and breasts. Your contour will be more harmonious and your breasts will be more symmetrical and natural. Aesthetically, you will be very happy with the results. Aside from the aesthetic advantages, your breast reduction will have an impact on your weight, the sports you choose to practice, the clothes you choose to wear, and on your mental state of mind.

The scarring process takes a while because you will have to massage your scars every day after the operation. Every three months, you will have follow-up appointments with Doctor Lemierre to ensure the healing process is going as planned.

During the first few months, you will begin to see the results, however the scars will still be visible and pink.

If these imperfections persist, Doctor Lemierre will be able to monitor them and offer new courses of treatments, such as scarring correction procedures, during the follow-up appointments. This solution, among others, is only possible 6 months after the breast reduction.

Doctor Lemierre makes it a point to be by his patients’ side before, during, and after any procedure. He will there to listen and care for you. He will also guide you towards a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular and intense exercise to optimise the results of your breast reduction. 

What is the post-operation procedure?

After the operation, Doctor Lemierre will schedule several follow-up appointments to evaluate your post-operative results.

The post-surgery recovery period is not too painful; generally over the counter analgesic medicine will be enough.

It is highly recommended that you maintain regular physical activity after the surgery, however this will have to wait at least one to two months after the procedure.

You will also need to take about two weeks off of work to recover.

The shape, size, and scarring will stabilise in the months following the operation.

Just like for another surgical act, swelling and bruising will appear but then disappear within 2 or 3 weeks.

Doctor Lemierre will also ask you to only wear bras without wiring, like sports bras, night and day for one month, and during the day for two months following the operation. It is also recommended that you avoid carrying heavy loads during the healing process. For about one year after the operation you should not expose your scars to the sun.

Taking care of your scars

For 15 days after the procedure, your scars will not look too bad. It is after this period that your scars will become redder, thicker, and harder. Do not worry, this is a good sign! This ‘inflammatory’ period can last up to 9 months.

To optimise the scarring process and make them nearly invisible, you will have to massage your scars. As of 15 days post-op, you will very delicately apply a scarring cream that the doctor has prescribed for one month. The first massages may be a bit painful, but do not be alarmed. Over time, it will become less and less painful thanks to the reoccurring massages. You should massage the scars one or two times a day for about ten minutes. Many studies show that these massages lessen the effects of the scarring to give you a better aesthetic and cosmetic result post-operation.

Doctor Lemierre is available to provide you with any additional information. Do not hesitate to make an appointment to meet him in any of his clinics in Bordeaux or Royan to ask him any questions you may have.