Breast reduction surgery, or reduction mammaplasty, removes excess breast tissue, fat, and skin. It alleviates physical discomforts like back, neck, and shoulder pain, enhancing overall quality of life. Though a common choice, like all surgeries, it carries inherent risks.
Mortality Associated with Breast Reduction
Death from breast reduction surgery is extremely rare. A minimal risk exists, but advancements in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and patient screening have significantly improved safety. The risk of death from elective plastic surgery, including breast reduction, is very low, estimated at 1 in 35,000 to 50,000 cases. This rate is comparable to, or even less than, the risk of everyday activities like driving a car.
Serious Complications
Despite the low mortality rate, breast reduction surgery can lead to serious complications, though uncommon. One severe risk is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), blood clots in deep veins, often in the legs. If a DVT dislodges and travels to the lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition that can severely impair breathing and blood pressure. While rare, PE can be fatal if the clot is large enough.
Infections can also arise, potentially leading to sepsis, a dangerous bodily response leading to organ damage or failure. Cellulitis or surgical site infections can escalate if not promptly managed. Significant hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding, may require blood transfusions or lead to shock. Adverse reactions to anesthesia, though uncommon, can pose a serious threat, including respiratory complications or severe allergic reactions.
Factors That Increase Risk
Several pre-existing conditions and lifestyle choices can elevate complication risks during breast reduction surgery. Obesity is associated with a higher likelihood of complications such as infection, delayed wound healing, and increased pain. Diabetes also increases risks of wound-related complications, impaired healing, and infection due to elevated blood sugar. Heart disease and lung conditions can further complicate anesthesia administration and recovery.
Smoking and nicotine use significantly impair blood flow and oxygen delivery to healing tissues, increasing the risk of poor wound healing, infection, and even tissue death. Smokers may experience nearly three times the complication rate of non-smokers. Certain medications, like blood thinners, can increase excessive bleeding during and after the procedure. While age is a factor, a patient’s overall health status tends to be a more significant determinant of risk than age alone.
Patient and Provider Measures for Safety
Both patients and medical providers minimize breast reduction surgery risks. Patients contribute by undergoing thorough pre-operative evaluations and disclosing their complete medical history, including all medications and lifestyle habits. Strict adherence to pre-operative instructions, such as quitting smoking for a recommended period, is important for optimal healing and reducing complications. Selecting a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive breast reduction experience is also important.
Providers ensure safety through careful patient selection, involving detailed pre-operative screenings to assess health and identify potential risks. Performing surgery in an accredited facility with experienced anesthesia care helps maintain high safety standards. Surgeons employ proper surgical techniques, and post-operative monitoring is important for promptly detecting and managing any early signs of complications.