Breast reduction alternative

The good news is Dr Grant Bellaney, founder of the Encoré Cosmetic Clinic, offers women an alternative to traditional breast reduction surgery, with extremely good results.

“Most breasts, particularly in women over the age of 40, consist of 40 to 60 percent fat, so the removal of some of that fat through a procedure called tumescent liposuction can give a significant reduction in breast size,” he says.

While traditional breast reduction surgery is carried out by plastic or general surgeons, breast reduction procedures using tumescent liposuction have been developed and practised by dermatological surgeons such as Dr Bellaney, who are skin and fat specialists.

The procedure was first used in the 1980s and has an outstanding safety record.

“The procedure also has huge advantages over traditional surgery. It is a form of ‘keyhole surgery’ so results in little or no scarring as the small incisions the procedure is done through heal very quickly, usually without needing sutures. It is simpler and less painful than surgery and the recovery time is far quicker,” Dr Bellaney says.

It is also safer because it is performed under tumescent anaesthetic, which has fewer risks than surgery that is carried out under general anaesthetic.

There are also fewer side effects. With traditional surgery about 10 to 25 percent of patients can experience a loss of sensitivity around the nipples or an inability to breastfeed afterwards.

With tumescent liposuction, the risk reduces to less than one percent.

“It’s a day procedure, so women can go home afterwards and are usually back to their regular routine within a few days.”

Dr Bellaney is the only specialist in the South Island performing this technique and has successfully performed this procedure on hundreds of women over the last 10 years.

Phone the day surgery clinic at 248 Papanui Road in Merivale, 03 356 0214 or visit the website

---