Breast surgeries like augmentation are known for the successful results they achieve. And by successful, we mean that patients are typically quite happy with the results they get from their surgery. It isn’t only breast augmentation that can have a profound effect on a woman’s sense of well-being. Breast reduction surgery can be just as meaningful. We see this all the time from our clinical perspective but we realize patients may not be quite a sure as we are that they will be happy with smaller breasts.

Because we have a front-row seat that allows us to see the outcome of breast reduction surgery, we find it interesting that researchers are still studying this. That being said, if you’re wondering about breast reduction for yourself, the findings of research may be helpful.

A study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal in October of 2018 confirmed what we already knew, that breast reduction surgery can, in fact, lead to lasting satisfaction with one’s body. Titled Breast Hypertrophy, Reduction Mammaplasty, and Body Image, this study out of Brazil observed two groups of women. One group of 100 women were placed into the breast reduction group. Another 100 women with similar characteristics except for breast size were observed as a control group.

Before women in the first group underwent breast reduction surgery, all participants completed several questionnaires and examinations, including body dysmorphic disorder assessment, a body investment scale, and other screenings. The same questionnaires and exams were conducted six months after breast reduction procedures were performed.

Researchers analyzed the data from pre and post-surgery assessments for each group and found that assessment scores for women in the breast reduction group improved. Among the control group, scores remained the same. Furthermore, scores for some of the women in the breast reduction group increased to surpass scores for women in the control group.