The first thing you need to do is to choose your surgeon because the surgeon is one of the most important factors contributing in the success of your operation. Find a Board certified surgeon near you and book an appointment for your first visit.

After talking to your surgeon you will know the cost for your operation so, your next step is to know how to finance your operation. Some insurance premiums do not cover plastic surgery because they consider it elective and not mandatory for the patient so, if you are undergoing breast reduction for a medical purpose then inform your insurance company and make sure that they will cover your operation.

Surgeon will send a pre – authorization letter to your insurance company to know if they will cover the operation fees or that you are going to cover it yourself.
After that, your surgeon will set an appointment for preliminary examination. The surgeon will examine your breast and ask you how you want your breast to look like. The next step is to find out how your breast will really look like after surgery. The surgeon will suggest different surgical approaches and tell you about the best one suitable for your particular case.
The doctor will also tell you more about the complications that may appear after the surgical operation. During that session, you should ask your surgeon about any concerns in your mind about the operation or the preparations before the operation or even the results that you are expecting from the operation. If you feel that there is anything unclear then you should ask for clarification because the results are irreversible.

Generally, this type of operation is carried out under general anesthesia so, your surgeon will ask you about a full medical history and some lab tests to determine whether you are fit for the operation or not.

The pre – operative steps are very important, they are the base that will leave a direct impact on your operation so, take care of these steps and carry them out carefully because they will guarantee perfect results for your breast reduction surgical operation.

The first standard technique is the anchor technique; in this one the surgeon will cut the skin in three different directions horizontally along the breast crease, vertically from the breast crease to the lower end of the areola and finally a circular incision around the areola itself. The diagram resembles an anchor and it is used in different degrees of breast reduction.

The second technique is the standard keyhole technique; this is the basic technique that is used by several surgeons because it can be used with any needed degree of reduction from mild to severe. The process starts by incising a keyhole incision around the areola, remove the skin and the underlying tissue till the desired size then re – stitch the skin back together with lifting the areola to fit in the circular part of the keyhole diagram.

The previous two techniques leave long scars behind but they are the only ways to deal with severe cases but if the case is mild to moderate then there are other choices with fewer scars that you can choose from.

The third technique is called the periareolar technique but it is commonly known as the doughnut technique. The name comes from the shape of the incision in this technique, the surgeon will use the areola as the center of the doughnut then he will cut a circular strip of skin around it. Then he will remove the desired amount of fat and mammary glands manually and at the end the surgeon will stretch the skin to reach the areola and stitch. In this case stitching is mandatory as we cannot use glue or strips to close such wound. This technique will only leave a scar that is disguised at the rim of the dark areola.

The last technique is the simplest one and it is the only one that leaves minimal scars. In this technique the surgeon will perform a liposuction more than breast reduction. Small incisions will be made at the crease, the arm pit and the areola to enter thin liposuction catheter and remove the excess fat from the designated area before sealing these incisions back.