Gigantomastia: large breasts – huge problem

Breasts are a natural attribute of femininity and a source of many complexes. They are usually too small, not firm or asymmetrical. But women with very large breasts are also not satisfied with their breasts. Gigantomastia , i.e. breast enlargement, is the cause of many physical and mental ailments and causes huge complexes, especially in young women. The solution to these problems is breast reduction surgery.

Currently breast reduction surgery is one of the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures in women. This is because more and more women are struggling with an enlarged breast gland. Today's teens have much larger breasts than their mothers and grandmothers when they were their age. The causes of gigantomastia are unknown and new theories are constantly emerging. Specialists note, among others to: genes - often related women suffer from breast enlargement; hormones that work during adolescence or during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium; hormonal contraception and the effect of estrogen contained in pills; hormonal disorders; the use of certain drugs or pesticides. Certainly, one of the reasons is excessive weight gain - modern women struggle with extra kilos, and as their body weight increases, their breasts also grow.

- Breast reduction surgery has been performed for around 60 years. Their number is constantly growing and is beginning to equal the number of surgeries aimed at breast enlargement. The age of the patients also changed. More and more very young women come to my office, which I did not observe 20 years ago. In fact, this problem also applies to men in whom an enlarged mammary gland is called gigantomastia. In my opinion, this is the effect of a modified diet rich in estrogen - said Joanna Wiśniewska-Goryń, MD, PhD, specialist in plastic surgery, general surgery and aesthetic medicine from the Formmed Es clinic.

"Heavy" breasts make it difficult to function normally and cause many ailments. An oversized mammary gland puts a strain on the spine and causes pain in the cervical and thoracic sections. In addition, some women with large breasts have posture defects - due to the change in the center of gravity of the body, they slouch excessively. Many women also complain of numbness in the hands . Sometimes there are also skin changes under the breasts - redness, chafing, abrasions, ulcerations.

Women with large breasts are also less active. They cannot play certain sports, such as running , jogging, fitness or horse riding. Too big breasts is also an aesthetic problem. It is more difficult to maintain hygiene. Oversized bust disturbs the body proportions and is very susceptible to deformation, not very firm and drooping. Due to which it causes many complexes.

- Unfortunately, complexes due to excessively large breasts also affect teenagers, whose breasts grow very quickly during puberty, often arousing excessive interest of the opposite sex. Teenagers are also ashamed of participating in PE lessons or other sports activities. Meanwhile, large breasts are often found in overweight women and girls. Resigning from activity causes them to experience even greater health problems - posture defects and obesity, which negatively affects their psyche - said Joanna Wiśniewska-Goryń, MD, PhD. - Mature women also face complexes. Not only is their often deformed breasts significantly different from the canons of beauty, but they have a lifelong problem with buying well-chosen clothes and underwear - bras, shirts, dresses or jackets. They dream about functioning normally, e.g. going to the beach or finally being able to play sports. Once, I had a patient who, two weeks after the operation, told me that she had already bought a sports outfit because she had always dreamed of practicing any sport - added Dr. Joanna Wiśniewska-Goryń.

The current trends are also important. Although breast augmentation is still in the first place among plastic surgeries, the canon of beauty has changed in importance over the last few decades. Women more and more often want to have breasts as close to their natural size as possible and usually opt for B and C cups. This trend is visible especially in very young women.

All these factors mean that there are more and more people willing to breast reduction surgery . And very well. It is important not to delay it, because for women with large and very large breasts, it is a real godsend. - The largest breasts that I have reduced weighed a total of over 6 kg. The bust was so large that it prevented the 50-year-old patient from sleeping on her stomach and back. The bust crushed her and made it difficult to breathe - said Joanna Wiśniewska-Goryń, MD, PhD. Many years of stress on the spine and lack of exercise may also result in irreversible diseases of the osteoarticular system. With age, our body may also be burdened by internal medicine and cardiology - so the operation can be a big challenge for the body. If a woman is thinking about surgery, she should do it, but it is important that she is fully well.

It is also worth noting that the decision to operate must be conscious. The patient must be emotionally mature and be aware of the consequences of the operation. - Breast reduction is a complicated operation. It takes about 3-4 hours and is stressful for the body. It requires extensive experience and spatial vision from the surgeon, because apart from the fact that we remove excess skin, glandular tissue and fatty tissue, a new breast must be formed from the remaining part of the breast. We have to be able to imagine what this breast will look like in a few years - 3, 5 or 10. Plastic breast reduction surgery is a procedure that brings results for life, but gravity constantly affects our breasts. This new breast is going to keep changing and this has to be taken into account. Breast reduction is a big challenge for the surgeon and that is why I like these surgeries very much - said Joanna Wiśniewska-Goryń, MD, PhD.

Breast reduction surgery prevents breastfeeding in most cases and the woman must be aware of this. She has to decide if she wants to breastfeed naturally and have surgery later, or if she will have surgery now, and when she has a baby she will need to take lactation stop pills.

It is also worth being aware of the ailments that await after surgery, incl. swelling, possible excessive sensation or decreased nipple sensation - sensation returns up to about a year after surgery. Post-operative scars around the areola and at the bottom of the breast are also a problem. Whether they will be more or less visible depends on the surgeon's technique and healing tendency. To reduce their visibility, massages are used to stimulate wound healing. Ointments and special plasters will also help. Women deciding to undergo surgery must be aware that scars cannot be avoided after surgical intervention, some will fade with time, but will remain forever.

For the 8 weeks following surgery, a specialized bra should be worn to help shape the breasts properly. You should absolutely avoid strenuous effort, sudden and vigorous movements, sports activities, sleeping on the stomach, and housework such as ironing and cleaning windows. But it is impossible to remain without any physical activity, as immobility can cause thrombotic complications. After surgery, you should walk a lot.

Women suffering from excessively large breasts should consider reducing surgery as a way to get rid of both physical and mental ailments. A smaller bust improves comfort and quality of life. Postponing decisions only aggravates the problems. The best time of the year to perform surgery is winter. Healing, which usually takes about 4 weeks, is much better than in hot summer. Excessive sun exposure should be avoided for the next 3 months after the surgery. A woman deciding to undergo surgery in winter can enjoy the full sun as soon as the holidays start!

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