Breast Liposuction in Costa Rica

Breast liposuction, or chest liposuction, is a procedure to remove fat from the breasts using a suction technique. This procedure is usually done on those who want to reduce the size of their breasts by removing excess fat. Breast liposuction can be considered as a medical need or a cosmetic desire.

Although breast liposuction can be done on both men and women, it is more common for men. In men, the procedure is commonly done to correct gynecomastia. Gynecomastia or male breasts is a medical condition in which the breast tissue swells or is enlarged in boys and men. It can often be a great source of embarrassment for men. It may also cause pain in the breast. Men who suffer from this condition can reduce the size of their breasts through breast liposuction. Breast liposuction can also be performed on older men who may suffer muscle mass loss and want to remove excess fat from their breasts. The goal of breast liposuction in men is to improve their physical appearance by removing as much excess and unwanted fat while avoiding any damage to the muscles or skin.

In women, breast liposuction is performed to reduce the size of overly large breasts. Women with larger breasts turn to this procedure to relieve the physical and psychological burden that excessively large breasts caused. These include:

• Neck, back, chest, and shoulder pain and injury because of the excess weight from the breast that can place strain on the body.
• An oversized breast can interfere with a woman’s ability to perform their daily activities, as well as athletic and other physical activities.
• The increased weight on the breasts can have a negative impact on a woman’s posture.
• Permanent dentations in the shoulders to the pull of heavy breasts on bra straps.
• Attracting unwanted attention and may lower self-esteem.
• Difficulty in finding clothes and bras that fit properly in the chest area.

Breast liposuction is often used as an alternative to traditional breast reduction surgery. It has many advantages over beast reduction surgery, such as:

• Faster procedure – traditional breast reduction surgery can take around 2 to 3 hours to perform, but breast liposuction can be performed within only an hour.
• Lower risk of loss of nipples sensation – in breast reduction surgery, an incision is made around the edges of the Areola, which can result in the loss of nipple sanitation. With breast liposuction, the risk of loss of nipple sensation is lower.
• Minimal trauma to breast tissue – since liposuction is done to remove fatty tissue from the breast, it spares the glandular breast tissue (the tissue responsible to produce milk). This means that women who undergo breast liposuction have a high chance of breastfeeding after their breast liposuction.
• Minimal risk of unsightly scarring – traditional breast reduction surgery involves bigger incisions, causing unappealing scaring. In breast liposuction, the incisions are so tiny that the scars are almost invisible under the breast fold or in the armpits.
• Preserve breast symmetry – suctioning the same amount of fat from both breasts means preserving breast symmetry.
• Faster recovery time – since breast reduction surgery it’s more expensive, it requires a longer recovery period. On the other hand, breast liposuction offers a shorter recovery time for patients.
• Up to 55% reduction in breast volume – while breast liposuction may not be able to reduce as much volume from the breast as a breast reduction surgery, patients with a large proportion of fat in their breasts in comparison to muscular and glandular tissue may be able to achieve up to 55% reduction in breast volume.

The Procedure

Before the actual breast liposuction procedure, you will have an initial consultation with your surgeon. During this consultation, your surgeon will tell you all the risks and benefits of the procedure. Make sure to tell them about your concerns and expectations and ask as many questions as you can. Your surgeon will also check if you qualify for the procedure. A good candidate for this procedure is:

• Men with enlarged breast or gynecomastia, especially pseudo-gynecomastia (enlargement of the male breast caused by an excessive amount of fat tissue, but the glandular breast tissue is normal).
• Women with a large proportion of fat in the breasts feel dissatisfied with the size of their breasts and experience neck or back pain because of their breast weight. Both older and younger women with more fat in their breasts can be a good candidate for this procedure.
• Healthy men and women who do not have any life-threatening medical condition or illness that can impair their healing.
• Men and women who have firm and elastic skin.
• Men and women who have realistic expectations, a positive outlook, and specific goals in mind about the results. You should not expect perfect breast after this procedure.
• There should not be any breast lumps in the area. Any significant breast mass needs to be evaluated first before you undergo breast liposuction.

To ensure that you are an ideal candidate for breast liposuction and that you can safely undergo the procedure, your surgeon may require you to take lab testing or a medical evaluation. They may also give you a set of pre-operative instructions, such as:

• Pause smoking cigarettes as it can slow down the healing process.
• Avoid taking certain medicines, such as aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements, because they can increase bleeding.
• Do not drink alcohol as it can increase bruising and prolong healing.

Your surgeon may also tell you to bring comfortable pajamas, antibacterial soap, laxatives, and entertainment such as movies and books to help keep you occupied while you rest in Costa Rica.

On the day of the surgery, your surgeon may measure your breast volume before they begin the breast liposuction. This is usually done by immersing your breast in a breaker full to the brim of warm water. After your breasts are removed from the beaker, your surgeon or medical team will record the volume of water needed to fill the beaker to its brim. This is done to plan the amount of fat reduced from each breast. Most male patients do not need to undergo this procedure. Your surgeon will then draw the lines on the breasts using a marker.

Your surgeon will begin the breast liposuction procedure by administering anesthesia. In most cases, local anesthesia is used for this procedure, so you will be awake throughout the procedure, but the targeted areas will be numbed. Sometimes, however, you may be given anesthesia instead, which puts you in a temporary sleep.

There are a number of techniques that can be used for liposuction, but breast liposuction is most commonly performed using the tumescent technique. With this technique, your surgeon will create multiple tiny incisions (around 1 – 1.5 mm in size) on the skin overlying the breast. They will then inject a large volume of tumescent solution into the breasts. Afterward, your surgeon will start suctioning the fat from the breast using microcannulas (around 1.55 – 2.7 mm in size). Once your surgeon finishes removing the fat from your breast, they will apply super-absorbent pads to the incision area. A breast compression garment is applied on top of the pads to hold them in place. You will be then taken to a recovery room where the medical team monitors your condition.

How Long Should You Stay in Costa Rica?

You should be able to leave the hospital right away after your breast liposuction. In some cases, however, you may be required to stay overnight, particularly when general anesthesia is used. Plan to stay in Costa Rica for at least a week for your initial recovery. Your surgeon may also schedule several follow-up appointments to check your healing. If everything is alright, your surgeon will let you fly home.

How Long is the Recovery Time?

Expect to feel some discomfort for the first several days following your breast liposuction. You may also feel soreness in your skin and muscles for around two weeks. There will be swelling, which will subside over time. Breast liposuction in women may cause temporary lumpiness that may persist for several weeks. This lumpiness is not visible but can be felt with your fingers. It is part of the normal recovery process.

Most people can return to some of their activities, including work, within a week or two. However, if your job is physically demanding, you may need to take four to six weeks off work. The incisions will take two to three weeks to heal. Still, strenuous activities, such as vigorous exercise and heavy lifting, should be avoided for about six weeks.

What Aftercare Should You Consider?

You will be given postoperative instructions that you must follow strictly. These may include:

• Wear the compression garments for two to three weeks following your breast liposuction. Compression garments help contain the fluids in the area, diminishing swelling, and maintaining proper shape. It also protects the area from potential bumping, bruising, and from daily movements. Always wear them and only remove them to change your dressings.
• Take the prescribed medications as directed.
• Do not engage in sexual activity for at least a week.
• Resume walking at a gentle place to promote blood flow.
• Do not smoke and avoid people who smoke for at least two weeks as smoking delays healing and increase your chance of infection.
• Make sure to get a good night’s sleep and have extra pillows in your bed for support.

For women, getting a mammogram six months following your breast reduction may be required to detect if there are any calcifications caused by the procedure.

What is the Success Rate for Breast Liposuction?

Breast liposuction is a safe and effective procedure. It also has high success rates, with most patients who undergo this procedure reported to be satisfied with the results. Although breast liposuction is generally associated with fewer complications than traditional breast reduction surgery, you still need to be aware of some possible complications. These include excessive bruising, pneumothorax, bleeding, contour irregularities, fluid collections, inverted nipples, loss of nipple skin, numbness of the nipples, asymmetry, visible scarring, and loose breast skin. To avoid these complications, make sure you choose a board-certified surgeon and follow all the pre/postoperative instructions that your surgeon gives you.

Are there Alternatives to Breast Liposuction?

The alternative to breast liposuction is breast reduction surgery. It removes excess fat, skin, and glandular tissue from the breast using incisions on your breast. This procedure is mostly recommended for men with true gynecomastia (enlargement of male breasts caused by excessive glandular breast tissue. For women, it is recommended if breast size is largely due to glandular tissue and excess skin.

What Should You Expect Before and After the Procedure?

Before breast liposuction, women with oversized breasts may feel dissatisfied or uncomfortable with the size of their breasts. They may also feel pain or experience injury due to the extra weight. For men with enlarged breast, they may feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. Both men with enlarged breasts and women with excessively large breasts may also find it difficult to find clothes that fit in a flattering way. After the procedure, all these problems should be addressed. Women with oversized breasts should not feel pain or experience injury due to excess weight, and men should not feel any embarrassment.