Should Breast Reduction with free nipple graft techniques be used?

In our opinion, breast reduction surgery that involves free nipple graft should be used only very infrequently.

Our surgeon Adrian Richards has not used this technique for over 10 years and he treats over a hundred people for breast reductions per year.

The reason we feel free nipple grafting should not be used in most patients is that the nipple is numb following surgery and also the scarring around and within the nipple can be very unsightly.

For very large breast reductions of over 2 kilograms per side we might consider it as part of their breast reduction procedure. These types of breast reductions, usually in people with a large BMI, are very unusual.

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts breast surgery should only really be performed on people with a BMI of under 30. The reason for this is that studies have shown a significant increase in the complication rate following breast reduction surgery in people with a larger body mass index.