Although your chest may be sore, you can resume light activities within a few days following breast reduction surgery. In order to help the healing process, routine physical activity and exercise should be avoided for at least 6 weeks after breast reductions. It is very important to avoid lifting and pushing or pulling motions, you should not bend over, lift your arms over your head during this period.

Because sexual arousal could cause incisions to swell, creating the possibility of delayed healing; sexual activity should be avoided for at least one or two week after breast reduction surgery.

Since there are various surgical techniques used in breast reductions and individual circumstances vary, it is important to get specific instructions from your breast reduction surgeon regarding returning to work and physical activity after breast reduction surgery.

As a rule, Breast Reduction will reduce your ability to breast feed. However, this can depend on the type of Breast Reduction that is performed. This will definitely be the case where the areola and nipple have been detached, and grafted back onto the breast.

With the "nipple pedicle" technique, the nipple-areolar complex is kept attached to its roots, therefore lessening the chance of damage to the milk ducts. But even with this technique you can lose your ability to breast feed because a considerable amount of glandular breast tissue has been removed.

Yes. Your cosmetic surgeon may recommend a "screening" mammogram prior to your surgery, depending upon your age, or family history of breast cancer. This will help detect questionable breast areas that can possibly be evaluated or biopsied at the time of your Breast Reduction surgery.

You will also be asked to have another mammogram several months following your surgery as a "baseline" for future mammograms. Additionally, breast exams and mammography may be easier to perform following Breast Reduction. Smaller lumps may be harder to detect in women with very small lesions, but will appear more readily once the breast size has been reduced.