A word of caution for combining breast lift and reduction [Katerina Gallus, MD, San Diego]

Eva Sheie (00:04):
Welcome to the podcast Where Before Meets After. Submit your questions for our experts at wherebeforemeetsafter.com. I'm your host, Eva Sheie.

Dr. Gallus (00:15):
I'm Kat Gallus. I'm a plastic surgeon in San Diego, California.

Eva Sheie (00:20):
How common is it for someone to come in and ask for a reduction and lift at the same time?

Dr. Gallus (00:26):
That's also pretty common. People want to be more lifted and there is a little bit of confusion about when you do a breast reduction if you're going to get lifted at the same time. I've seen that even in when I was in an insurance based practice and would do reductions. Oftentimes the perioperative nurse would be like, there's no breast lift on this consent. It just says breast reduction. Yeah, you can't do a reduction without lifting the breast. They're not, they are two separate procedures in one, you're removing tissue and in one you're not, but in both of them you're lifting, and so there's confusion amongst patients about that, and so I'm very careful to educate patients that we are going to be lifting your breast. We are going to downsize your areola. We are going to reshape your breast as part of making it smaller, would be really hard not to, but

Eva Sheie (01:19):
This is why we come to you.

Dr. Gallus (01:22):
I also learned to tell patients that I don't put drains in for breast reduction because, I know I don't put drains in and I haven't been putting drains in for 15 years, but I forget that there are people who still do that and that patients are concerned about that. And the look of relief when I'm like, oh, and also you will not be getting a drain, is palpable.

Eva Sheie (01:45):
You can tell if somebody's been on the internet too much if they're relieved by that information.

Dr. Gallus (01:50):
Yes.

Eva Sheie (01:51):
Where can we find you on Instagram?

Dr. Gallus (01:54):
I am at Restore SD, as in San Diego, plastic surgery.

Eva Sheie (01:58):
Sounds great. Thank you.

Dr. Gallus (01:59):
Thanks.

Eva Sheie (02:05):
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