Breast reduction, also known as reduction mammoplasty, is a procedure to remove excess breast fat, glandular tissue, and skin to achieve a breast size proportional to your body and to alleviate the discomfort associated with overly large breasts (macromastia).
Disproportionately large breasts can cause both physical and emotional distress for patients. Patients with macromastia may experience physical discomfort from the weight of their breasts.
The resulting pain may make it difficult for some patients to perform common physical activities. Besides the physical discomforts of macromastia, some patients may experience emotional distress or more significant mental health problems as a result of their large breasts.
Although breast reduction is usually done to address medical problems, patients who do not have symptoms of macromastia but are not satisfied with the size of their breasts can still undergo breast reduction as an aesthetic procedure.
Patients who choose to have breast reduction surgery for cosmetic reasons can cite any number of factors, including social stigma and wardrobe concerns.