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Breast reduction in Kenya

Patients who undergo breast reduction surgery frequently are seeking relief from physical symptoms caused by the excessive weight of large breasts. Breast reduction usually can solve these problems as well as improve the size and shape of your breasts. Following breast reduction, your breasts will be more proportional to the rest of your body, and clothes will fit you better. Dr Stasch at Vitality Fountain Clinic in Nairobi performs breast reduction for gigantomastia or makromastia on a weekly basis, helping Kenyan woman regain their desired breast shape and size.

Summary

Am I a good candidate for breast reduction?

You may be a good candidate for breast reduction if you have one or more of the following conditions:

Your breasts that are too large in proportion to your body frame
large hanging breasts with nipples and areolas pointing downward
breast asymmetry: one breast is much larger than the other
backpain, neck or shoulder discomfort due to the weight of your breasts
skin irritation underneath your breasts
tight bra straps that cause indentations in your shoulders
restriction of physical activity and exercise due to the size and weight of your breasts
dissatisfaction or self-consciousness about the largeness of your breasts

Breast reduction can be performed at any age. Commonly you will have experienced a life-long struggle with all the problems associated with oversized breasts, and now you feel it is time to do something about it. Ideally, you should have stabilized your weight.

Sometime large breasts cause problems from an early age, but we usually recommend waiting with surgery until breast development has been completed. Pregnancy and breast-feeding may have significant and unpredictable effects on the size and shape of your breasts, which might decrease in size again over time. Sometimes the size stays too large to be comfortable, at which stage breast reduction surgery can be performed. Nevertheless, many women decide to undergo breast reduction before having children.

During the consultation, you will be asked about the results you would like to achieve from your breast reduction surgery. This will help us to understand your expectations and determine whether they realistically can be achieved.

Breast reduction – the operation

There are a number of different techniques used to perform a breast reduction, depending on the size, amount of ptosis and your expectations of the results. In almost all cases of breast reduction, a method is used to reduce the amount of scarring.

The minimal scar breast reduction: vertical scar reduction

The superomedial pedicle in breast reduction; elevation of the areola; minimal scarring

Circumareolar reduction for smaller reductions

The minimal scar breast reduction: vertical scar reduction

The superomedial pedicle in breast reduction; elevation of the areola; minimal scarring

Circumareolar reduction for smaller reductions

After the breast reduction - Your recovery

You will be admitted in the morning of the day of your surgery, and the length of stay depends on your recovery. Usually, you will stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 nights.
You will have tape dressings applied to stabilize your breasts. A small drain (plastic tube attached to a suction bottle) will have been placed to drain excess wound fluid and blood from each side. The drains will usually be removed after 2-3 days. Most women do not find breast reduction surgery to be painful at all.
On the day following surgery, we will encourage you to mobilize (walk) gently. You will also be fitted with a special support bra to gently support your breasts. You will be encouraged to wear this for 12 weeks following the operation.
You will be mobile from day one and should be back to full exercise within six weeks. Stitches will NOT be removed as they are absorbable. Most people have approximately 1- 2 weeks off work following a breast reduction procedure, depending on the type of work you do. It is important in the first 4 weeks to avoid any strenuous activities, which can cause stretching to the incisions and disturbance of the new shape.

We will keep a close eye on you after your surgery and would normally see you for your follow-up appointments at regular dressing clinics every 2-3 days, and 3 weeks and then 6 weeks following surgery, at which point your post-operative photographs will be taken.

Results after breast reduction

Breast reduction often makes a dramatic change in your appearance. Most women feel very pleased with the results of surgery, they often start to exercise again and enjoy new hobbies. Of all plastic surgical procedures, the level of patient satisfaction resulting from breast reduction is among the highest. However, your breasts may require some time to assume a more natural shape – this might take as long as 3 months for the final result to become apparent.

A breast reduction operation is considered a permanent solution to reduce large heavy breasts. Unless you gain or lose a significant amount of weight or become pregnant, your breast size should remain fairly constant. However, gravity and the effects of aging will eventually alter the size and shape of virtually every woman’s breasts over the years. You may choose to undergo a breast „lifting“ procedure to restore their more youthful contour at that stage but this might not be necessary.

The incisions from your breast reduction surgery will heal and fade over time. It is important to realize, however, that the incision lines will be permanently visible, more so in some individuals than others. Ideally, the scars will heal well over time and will then be well concealed. Any scar goes through a maturation process, which takes a year to complete.

What complications can occur?

Whilst these operations are generally safe in the hands of a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon and regarded to be highly successful, there are, as with any operation, risks involved and the possibility of complications that patients need to consider.

Finding postoperative pain will vary from person to person, but this is generally not considered as a painful procedure.

Most patients are delighted with the physical and cosmetic improvements that breast reduction brings. It is impossible to guarantee that a particular cup size will result. There will be minor asymmetries between your breasts and the scars. Occasionally patients will bleed immediately after the operation and need to go back to the operating room for this to be dealt with. Wound healing problems can occur, particularly in the anchor scar procedure where the horizontal and vertical scars meet. All breast reductions result in some scarring although the nature of the scars will depend on the technique that has been used. Most patients will form good quality scars over time, but occasionally and unpredictably some patients will get lumpy scars that do not improve unless treated. Especially in African skin, hypertrophic or keloid scarring can occur, in which case appropriate treatment will be initiated.

Most wound problems are minor and can be managed with simple dressings. However, more major wound problems can arise such as infections, skin loss, wound separation and delayed healing. Wound problems, if they occur, can delay your recovery and result in worse scarring. You may notice that you feel less sensation in the nipple and areola areas. This usually is temporary. It may, however, take weeks, months or even more than a year before sensation returns to normal. Using the scar-sparing breast reduction techniques it will still be possible to breast-feed, but this ability might occasionally be lost.

Smokers are strongly advised to discontinue smoking several weeks prior to surgery and after the operation, as smoking increases the risks of complications and delays wound healing by altering blood circulation in the skin. You can reduce your risks of complications by closely following our instructions before and after the surgery.

Breast Reduction COST

The cost of breast reduction surgery depends on your circumstances and the technique we will perform. For more information on breast reduction costs, we invite you to book a consultation session with Dr Stasch. During this confidential appointment, we can discover more about what you would like to achieve and find out if breast reduction surgery is right for you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about Breast reduction:

Should I lose weight before a breast reduction / BBR?

It is best to reach your ideal weight before you come in for your breast reduction because if you lose the weight after the surgery, it could affect the results of your breast reduction. If you lose a significant amount of weight after it could result in smaller and slightly droopy breast. However, most of our patients Kenya will struggle to lose weight BECAUSE of their breasts – it is often just too difficult to exercise with very large breasts.

Does health insurances cover breast reduction in Kenya?

MAYBE! Most medical insurance companies cover breast reduction surgery however we will need to provide you with a medical report to seek approval from your insurance and we always go the extra mile to provide the insurance with all the necessary information for their review and approval. International companies usually have a very well defined recommendation as to who will qualify, while some local Kenyan insurances will decide from a patient to patient basis. A good rapport with your insurance provider will sometimes help to shift the favour to having the op covered. From our point of view, it is a medical condition if the large breast cause discomfort, interfere with daily life and cause emotional distress.

When can I wear a normal bra after breast reduction?

We will provide you with special bras post-surgery which you will need to wear ideally day and night for about 6 weeks after your surgery. As you continue to heal you can start wearing regular bras without the underwire because the underwire is likely to irritate the tissue, rub on the scar and compromise your healing. We recommend to still use the special bra or well fitting sports bras during exercise after 6 weeks. After about 12 weeks post-op all the swelling will have completely subsided so you can now shop for new bras that will fit your new breast size and shape.

Will breast reduction affect my ability to breast feed?

Many women who have had a breast reduction have gone on to successfully breast feed their babies but this is a conversation you can have with Dr. Tilman Stasch when you come in for consultation. He uses a special technique where the Nipple-areola-complex (NAC) is preserved complete with nerves (sensation), blood vessels (circulation), and breast ducts (breast feeding).

Angela Gathage

2022-09-05

Dr. Tilman and his team are the best in Kenya! I had a breast reduction surgery and the results are beyond phenomenal! They took their time preparing me and walking me through the whole process from the moment I reached out and through my recovery period. Winnie, Michelle Vangline and Lavender have been very supportive, professional, friendly and compassionate. Dr. Tilman is a true artist! His work is absolute perfection!!! He really did exceed my expectations. I had an easy flawless recovery and the scars have healed beautifully. The results are stunning. If I were to do it all over again, Dr. Tilman would be and remains to be my 1st choice. Honestly, I couldn't be happier. The surgery changed my life. The back and shoulder pain disappeared alongside the constant headaches. Size truly does matter.Thank you for making me look and feel good! You're all are exceptional.

r nduku

2022-07-28

I did my breast reduction surgery in February after suffering gigantomastia for as far back as I could remember. After my extensive research I went for the very best Dr. Tilman Stasch. My journey was way better than I expected, from the first consultation, to the OP and even the post op care. I was handled by a team that I found very professional and caring. I am 3kgs lighter on my chest and the happiest version of me.

Mutheu Mathaeka

2022-07-08

Exceptional services offered by a fantastic team. I highly recommend the clinic, very happy client and will definitely visit again.

Helga Hosseini Balaei

2022-06-20

Hi Dr, Tilman Stasch, für Ihre einfühlsame Betreuung von 2012 bis 2014 in Aachen Luisenhospital sende ich Ihnen alle Sterne. Bin gesund geblieben. Liebe Grüße 👍😍

Brenda Wangeci May

2022-06-01

Dr. Tilman is very professional and keen on the patient’s needs. The after care is 5 stars ⭐️. His work is perfection. No need to fly abroad for cosmetic surgery for those who are in Kenya/Africa. Very happy customer.

Lorna Achiro

2022-04-14

Gosh. What can I say? Except thank you,thank you, thank you.Dr Tillman and the team were awesome. They became my new family and it was sad to leave them after 3 weeks.Everybody was so helpful and attentive and this made healing so much faster.

Sayeeda Kasili

2022-03-09

I salute Dr. Tilman and his team for the wonderful personality and great work he's doing, to restore confidence and smile on our faces with his magic. I recommend him anytime!!! Happy Valentines all.

Nicole Olwande

2022-02-17

Dr. Tilman is excellent at his services. He has perfected his craft with his many years of experience. Hands down the best cosmetic and hand surgeon in town.

Sarah Keter

2022-02-17

I had my ear keloid removed 3 years ago. I'm Very happy with the healed results. It's like it was never there. Thanks Dr Tilman Stasch.

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Dr. Tilman Stasch

For further information about what is involved in this type of procedure, please contact us.