Breast Reduction Liposuction After Middle Age: Why Satisfaction Is High and How Much the Size Decreases

Today I would like to explain, step by step, how the breast reduction liposuction we perform at Venus Clinic reduces the breasts, how much breast volume and cup size have been reported to decrease in international studies, and why patients who have had this surgery report high satisfaction.

Just as often as the physical discomfort, patients talk about other people's eyes. Many say that because they feel uneasy about their breasts standing out, they always choose clothes that cover the body and tend to shrink back in front of others. International studies likewise note that women with large breasts report neck, back, and shoulder pain together with limits on exercise, difficulty that leads them to avoid social situations, and trouble shopping for clothes.
Source: Moskovitz MJ, Baxt SA, Jain AK, Hausman RE. Liposuction Breast Reduction: A Prospective Trial in African American Women. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007;119(2):718-726. / Mellul SD, Dryden RM, Remigio DJ, Wulc AE. Breast Reduction Performed by Liposuction. Dermatologic Surgery. 2006;32(9):1124-1133.

Because liposuction removes the fat between the glands, the glandular tissue is not cut away, and there is no step of cutting out and relocating the nipple. This means women can choose it without worrying about breastfeeding function, and young women who have not yet had children and are planning marriage and childbirth can also consider breast reduction. International studies also indicate that breastfeeding function is not expected to be affected after breast reduction liposuction, and report that no decrease in nipple sensation was observed.
Source: Gray LN. Liposuction Breast Reduction. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 1998;22:159-162. / Gray LN. Update on Experience with Liposuction Breast Reduction. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2001;108(4):1006-1010.

That is why at Venus Clinic we reduce the fat in the breasts, accessory breast, armpits, and the side of the chest together, refining the line from the chest to the flank into one continuous contour. This not only helps reduce breast size effectively, but also makes the transitions to the surrounding areas look natural, so the overall shape after surgery looks natural.

The question I am asked most often in consultations is "How much smaller will they get?" International liposuction textbooks and papers report the reduction in volume and cup size achieved with breast reduction liposuction as follows. These are figures reported in international papers; they do not directly represent results at Venus Clinic, and the degree of reduction varies from person to person.

All of the studies above were conducted in the United States, and the women studied were mostly Western women with a large build and very large breasts. That is also why the pre-operative bra sizes in the papers are often as large as 40FF or 42FF. The amount of fat aspirated depends on the original size of the breast, so in women whose breasts are this large, more than 1,000 cc may be aspirated from one side, but it is unrealistic to expect the same aspirated volume or the same number of cup sizes of reduction in Korean women, who generally have a smaller build and smaller breasts. Even with the same surgery, it is natural for the aspirated volume to be smaller, and because bra sizing systems differ from country to country, cup sizes cannot be compared one-to-one.

So at Venus Clinic, rather than how many cc were aspirated or how many cup sizes were lost, we look at how much lighter the breasts have become relative to each person's build, and how well balanced the line from the breasts to the armpits and flanks has become. We hope you will regard the figures from international papers as evidence that liposuction alone can meaningfully reduce the breasts.

Above all, how much you want your breasts reduced is your own choice. Some women want a reduction even though their breasts are not very large, and people who use their bodies a lot, such as athletes, often want breast reduction so that their breasts do not get in the way of movement even when they are not large, and many hope to reduce them as much as possible within what is feasible. At Venus Clinic, we listen carefully during the consultation to how much reduction you want, examine the ratio of fat to glandular tissue and the condition of the skin, tell you in advance the range that can be reduced, and then plan the surgery within the principle of leaving the remaining fat layer evenly.

International studies also describe obtaining skin contraction through superficial liposuction, and report that the distance from the nipple to the hollow between the collarbones (the sternal notch) improved by an average of 6 cm. Another study reported that the nipple position rose by an average of 2.57 cm, and that in patients aged 60 and older the average was 3.16 cm, actually greater than the 1.79 cm seen in younger patients. The degree of improvement in sagging varies from person to person depending on skin elasticity and the degree of sagging.
Source: Gray LN. Liposuction Breast Reduction. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 1998;22:159-162. / Gray LN. Update on Experience with Liposuction Breast Reduction. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2001;108(4):1006-1010. / Mellul SD, Dryden RM, Remigio DJ, Wulc AE. Breast Reduction Performed by Liposuction. Dermatologic Surgery. 2006;32(9):1124-1133.

There is a reason why size tends to decrease more with age. After middle age, the breasts often contain less glandular tissue and a relatively higher proportion of fat than those of younger women. Since what liposuction can reduce is the fat inside the breast, the more fat a breast contains after middle age, the more its size can decrease. The study above also explains that the nipples rose more in patients aged 60 and older probably because their breasts had a higher proportion of fat. Conversely, the breasts of younger women, which have more glandular tissue, may shrink relatively less.

For women who used to hunch over because they felt uneasy about their breasts standing out, simply reducing breast volume can make it much easier to stand up straight and be in front of others. Not having to always choose covering clothes to avoid people's eyes is another important reason this surgery has high satisfaction.

Women who avoided running or exercise because of the weight and movement of their breasts may also find it much easier to start walking and exercising once their breasts feel lighter. When physical activity becomes comfortable, it brings energy to daily life as a whole, and this also helps maintain the body shape after surgery.

The three photos below show the front, 45-degree oblique, and side views of one patient who had liposuction of the breasts, accessory breast, armpits, and the side of the chest together at Venus Clinic, and all of the after photos were taken one week after surgery. The after photos still show bruising and yellowish discoloration seen during early recovery, and the swelling is still going down, so they are not the final result. The yellowish tint is part of the process of post-operative bruising fading and disappears over time.

This is a case in which the breasts, accessory breast, armpits, and the side of the chest were treated together. Compared with before surgery, the fullness of the lower breasts and the bulge at the front of the armpits look less prominent after surgery, and the width from the chest to the flanks appears reduced.

This is the 45-degree oblique view of the same patient. Compared with before surgery, the forward projection of the breasts and the contour running from the armpit to the side of the chest look less prominent after surgery.

This is the side view of the same patient. Compared with before surgery, the forward projection of the breasts and the lower contour appear reduced after surgery. The position of the arms and torso differed slightly between the two photos, so please take this into account when viewing them.

I believe breast reduction liposuction is not simply surgery that reduces breast size, but surgery that can help lighten the weight on the shoulders and neck, and make clothing, activity, and even the feeling of standing in front of others lighter. It is also very meaningful that, because no long incision lines are left and the glands are not removed, it can be considered by a wide range of women, from young women who have not yet had children to women over 60. At Venus Clinic, we view the breasts, accessory breast, armpits, and the side of the chest as one line, and rather than removing a lot, we evenly refine the remaining fat layer with harmony with the surrounding areas and the balance of the body in mind.

Less pain in the shoulders and neck, less self-consciousness about other people's eyes, being able to choose clothes that fit, and more comfortable exercise and activity: for these many reasons, breast reduction liposuction is a surgery with high patient satisfaction. The international study introduced above also reported a patient satisfaction rate of 93%.

We often hear this from older patients in particular. One woman in her 60s told us that she had long assumed the only way to reduce the breasts was to cut tissue away through incisions, and said she wondered why she had not known sooner about reducing them with liposuction, and that she regretted not having had the surgery earlier. Surgical results and satisfaction may vary from person to person, but if you have lived with discomfort from large breasts for a long time, I encourage you not to give up in advance because of your age and to come in for a consultation.

References: Breast Reduction Liposuction