Laser-assisted breast reduction surgery

A Los Angeles plastic surgeon and his research team confirm that the use of a laser to prepare breast tissue during breast reduction is not only safe but also offers other benefits compared to the traditional methods.

Breast reduction surgery is becoming a popular cosmetic surgery as breast augmentation. It looks like more and more women are choosing smaller breasts size over the discomfort brought about by large breasts such as upper body pain, freedom to exercise without discomfort, and heightened self-image.

Physicians who perform breast reductions have gone tired and weary with the old methods. They have been looking for ways to do the procedure in a much safer and more convenient way. Fortunately though, a new study headed by Dr. Grant Stevens, a plastic surgeon in Southern California, finds that a carbon dioxide laser can successfully replace scalpels or scissors used during the procedure.

The team then concluded that using laser is safe and effective as alternative to the classic breast reduction techniques.

Published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the study explains that the laser-assisted breast reduction surgery shortens the time it takes the deepitheliazation process (the process of preparing the excess skin in a way that will allow it to grow together with adjacent skin around the surgical area) and leads to the consistent preparation of the deepithelialized skin. This also results in less blood loss than the traditional methods.

Moreover, the laser technique does not require tight stretching of breast tissue, which can make surgery more difficult for those patients whose breasts have poor elasticity.

The study reviewed 367 consecutive laser-assisted breast reduction procedures that were performed over a period of 10 years. The researchers discovered that an overall complication rate of 11% is attained through the laser-assisted procedure as compared to the 10 to 43% complication rate for traditional methods.