Sydney Plastic Surgeon Reveals Top Two Reasons for Breast Reduction

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Feb 19, 2013) - Dr. Steve Merten, a Sydney plastic surgeon, considers "reduction mammoplasty," or breast reduction, one of the most successful plastic surgery procedures performed at Pure Aesthetics, his private practice. Breast reduction surgery is intended to make heavy breasts smaller and lighter by improving the breast shape and position.

According to Dr. Merten, breast reduction surgery has significant physical and aesthetic benefits. He says large breasts are very common, and women ranging in ages from their late teens to their 60s and older exhibit common symptoms including:

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Rashes beneath the breasts
• Difficulty finding well-fitting bras
• Difficulty exercising

Dr. Merten notes that having big, heavy breasts can be a major physical or social disadvantage, depending on the woman. He adds that some of his Sydney plastic surgery patients may experience damage to their skeletal support and this damage increases with age. Dr. Merten recommends breast reduction for any woman whose symptoms are significant, although surgery during a woman's teenage years is uncommon.

"It is almost a universal comment by my older patients that they wish they had the surgery done years earlier," says Dr. Merten.

At Pure Aesthetics, Dr. Merten sees two distinct groups of women who seek out breast reduction surgery:

• Young women in their 20s who have not yet had children, but who are significantly affected by the size of their breasts
• Older women who have finished having children, whose breasts have gotten bigger and heavier over the years, and whose symptoms have increased

From Dr. Merten's experience, most women have a good idea of their ideal breast size. He says smaller framed women usually want to be a full C cup, while larger women usually want a D cup. It is rare for a large-breasted woman to want to be very small after the surgery -- and it is not always surgically possible to do so. Dr. Merten takes both the size and the shape of the breast into consideration when discussing sizing options.

During the consultation process, Dr. Merten talks with his patients about their expectations and goals. Patients are shown a large number of before-and-after photos to assist them in visualising the reduction. Dr. Merten and his patients work together to determine the best suitable breast size for each individual.

About Steve Merten, FRACS
Dr. Steve Merten trained under the Royal Australian College of Surgeons and earned his medical degree at Sydney University. He has served as Chairman of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as the Head of Plastic Surgery at Concord Hospital in Sydney. Dr. Merten is extensively trained in a number of cosmetic enhancement procedures, including breast augmentation and tummy tuck surgery. He is available for interview upon request.