Breast reduction

Breast reduction
Breast reduction: the correction of macromastia and severe breast ptosis; pre-operative aspects (left); post-operative aspects (right).
ICD-9-CM	85.3
MedlinePlus	007405
[edit on Wikidata]

Reduction mammoplasty (also breast reduction and reduction mammaplasty) is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts. In a breast reduction surgery for re-establishing a functional bust that is proportionate to the patient's body, the critical corrective consideration is the tissue viability of the nipple–areola complex (NAC), to ensure the functional sensitivity and lactational capability of the breasts. The indications for breast reduction surgery are three-fold – physical, aesthetic, and psychological – the restoration of the bust, of the patient's self-image, and of the patient's mental health.^[1]

In corrective practice, the surgical techniques and praxis for reduction mammoplasty also are applied to mastopexy (breast lift).^[2][3]