At first glance, breast reduction using liposuction alone seems like a good idea. Traditional breast reduction requires significant incisions in the breast, which ends up leaving long scars on the reduced breasts, whereas liposuction would allow breast reduction with only minimal scarring. The procedure could be performed more quickly and easily than traditional surgery. The procedure would also have lower cost and reduced recovery time. Liposuction is regularly used for male breast (gynecomastia) reduction, so why not for female breast reduction? The main reason why liposuction is not used for breast reduction is the same reason why tummy tuck is often preferred for contouring the belly: it doesn’t lead to retraction of the skin envelope. This can be especially problematic in women with larger breasts who may have significant sagging in the breast already. Surgical breast reduction allows for the correction of sagging breasts at the same time the reduction is performed. A traditional reduction allows for the creation of smaller shapelier, more youthful-looking breasts. But even for women who are not concerned with the appearance of their breasts after breast reduction, liposuction may not be a good solution. That’s because there is concern that the internal scar tissue may obscure mammography results, something that has not yet been studied. Overall, these concerns mean that traditional surgical breast reduction is likely to remain the standard of care. If you are bothered by large breasts and would like to get relief from the physical and psychological symptoms, you can get smaller, shapelier breasts with surgical breast reduction. To learn more, please contact Dr. Vasdev Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center, serving patients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.