
Breast reduction surgery can be a life-changing decision women make to reduce physical and psychological discomfort. Help to improve your confidence through our breast reduction surgery.
Neck and back pain, bra strap indentations on the shoulders, and general discomfort are all unfortunate realities for women who have exceptionally large, heavy breasts.
- Breast reduction surgery is also known as reduction mammaplasty
- During this procedure, breasts are made smaller, lighter, and more proportionate to the body
- Your plastic surgeon removes excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin to achieve optimal breast size
- Surgery usually takes between 2 and 3 hours and is performed under anaesthesia
Is breast reduction right for me?
Oversized breasts can make a woman feel self-conscious, as well as physically uncomfortable.
The right candidates for breast reduction surgery:
- Are in good overall health and do not smoke
- Have realistic expectations about the outcome
- Have physical discomfort or pain
- Have trouble finding clothes that fit them well
Candidates for breast reduction surgery may include:
Teenagers with abnormally large breasts
Young women may feel self-conscious about large breasts and can also suffer from extreme neck and back pain.
They may feel embarrassed wearing certain clothing or finding clothes that fit well. They may hesitate to exercise or participate in sports.
Teens with large breasts can also suffer irritation under the breast fold, or simply feel that their breasts are too large and heavy for their build.
Women whose breasts have grown with weight gain
If your breasts have grown to an undesirable size after weight gain, you might be considering breast reduction surgery.
Your health and safety is our number one priority, so regardless of your specific circumstances around your consideration of breast reduction surgery, we will only perform the procedure on candidates who are in good overall health.
Post-menopausal women whose breasts have grown and sagged
The body experiences many changes during menopause, one of which may be excessive breast tissue growth.
It’s estimated one in five women will experience growing breasts during menopause, often leading to neck, back, and shoulder pain. Deep grooves from digging bra straps can also cause discomfort.
If you are postmenopausal and are suffering from large, heavy breasts that are causing you pain or out of proportion to your body, you might be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery.
Breast reduction surgery can also be performed alongside breast lift surgery in order to not only reduce the size of the breasts, but to reposition them higher so they appear perkier and more youthful.
The breast reduction experience
Breast reduction surgery may take up to three hours and is performed under anaesthesia.
Your breast reduction surgery experience begins with an incision, which is made around the areola of the breast (the dark circle of skin surrounding the nipple) and down to the curve of the breast.
Next, excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin of the breast are removed, and the remaining skin is tightened around the newly contoured breast.
Although there will likely be swelling, temporary bruising, and some pain, these side effects diminish in two weeks as the breasts heal.
Breast reduction recovery
It can take anywhere from 6 months to a year for the breasts to fully settle into their final position. Here are some important milestones you’ll reach along the way:
Immediately after breast reduction surgery:
- Your breasts may be swollen and bruised
- Scars will be visible but will begin to settle
- You may experience mild pain, discomfort, or soreness
- You will be advised to wear a surgical bra for about a month
- Then, you will transition to a wirefree bra
- Finally, be proud of your decision to undergo breast reduction surgery!
6+ months after surgery:
- The breasts have healed and have settled into their “near-final” position
- Scars will have faded, but they will continue to fade for the next 12 months
- Your surgeon will advise if you can begin wearing an underwire bra
- Your nipples may experience more sensitivity
Breast reduction cost
Cost varies on your explicit circumstances and desires.
For more information on breast reduction costs, we invite you to book a complimentary information session with one of our nurses. During this confidential, no-strings chat, we can talk about your concerns and discomfort, and discover why breast reduction surgery may be right for you.
To organise your session, please give the clinic a call on (07) 4031 5755 or fill in this enquiry form and we will be in touch.
Breast reduction before and after
View more “Before and Afters” to see what our patients have achieved after breast reduction surgery at Cairns Plastic Surgery

Before

After

Before
