Vertical Incision Breast Reduction
Also known as “short scar” or “limited incision” breast reduction, this technique involves incisions that extend only around the areola and down to the breast crease for a lollipop shape. The vertical incision technique creates perky, shapely breasts and results in significantly less scarring than the traditional method. This approach also allows for excess breast tissue and skin to be removed and for the nipples to be lifted and the areolas reduced.
Excess breast tissue is removed from the sides and bottom of the breasts and the remaining breast tissue is reshaped internally to provide long lasting results. Ideal patients for short scar breast reduction are women who wish to achieve a moderate decrease in breast size and younger patients such as adolescents with enlarged breasts who wish to reduce breast size and are primarily concerned about limiting scarring on their breasts.
“Scarless” Breast Reduction
“Scarless” breast reduction uses liposuction techniques to reduce the size of the breasts using tiny incisions that result in minimal, imperceptible scarring. Since liposuction removes primarily fatty tissue in the breasts, patients who benefit most from this technique have a significant amount of breast fat relative to glandular tissue, minimal excess skin, well positioned nipples, and appropriately sized areolas.
There are no incisions around the nipples or areolas, so this method of breast reduction is limited to removal of breast fat and does not provide significant lifting of the nipples or reduction of the areolas. Skin reduction occurs as a secondary process following breast liposuction and relies on the patient’s skin elasticity to shrink and produce the final result. This technique is ideal for women who desire a moderate breast reduction and have excellent skin tone. It is also commonly used on men with enlarged breasts to remove excess breast tissue from the chest (gynecomastia correction).