Breast reduction in Edinburgh

Yes. The consultant who assesses you at your first appointment is the consultant who plans your surgery, performs it at Waterfront Private Hospital, and reviews you afterwards. There are no handovers between consultants.

Your breast reduction is planned and performed by one of our consultant plastic surgeons, Mr Ken Stewart, Mr Omar Quaba, Ms Ewa Majdak-Paredes and Mr Will Anderson, all on the GMC Specialist Register. You choose your consultant, meet them at your first appointment, and the same consultant operates and sees you afterwards.

Yes. Our breast reduction before and after gallery shows patients treated at Quaba Plastic Surgery, shared with their consent. Results vary between people, and your consultant will show you what is realistic for you at your consultation.

Your Quaba consultant stays responsible for your care after surgery. A nurse sees you a week after your operation, more often if you need it, and your consultant reviews you at around six months, when the result has settled. If anything worries you before then, contact us and your consultant will reply directly and see you as soon as needed.

Breast reduction at Quaba starts from £10,000. The price covers the surgeon’s fee, the anaesthetist’s fee, the hospital and theatre fee at Waterfront Private Hospital, and all post-operative reviews until you are fully discharged. The full price for your individual case is confirmed after a face-to-face consultation.

All our guide prices are on our pricing page.

Breast reduction surgery is only carried out in women over the age of 18. Some women choose to have the procedure before they have started a family; others have it after completing their families or much later in life. It is not unusual for older women who have had surgery to say they wished they had the operation years ago.

All reduction surgery involves a breast uplift and reshaping to raise the height of the nipple and give a better shape to the breast. The operation can also improve breast asymmetry when a size reduction is desired. The technique is tailored to your needs at consultation.

You can expect better cosmetic results and fewer complications if you are at or near your ideal body weight. We can operate on women who are overweight, within reason, if they understand the limitations. For some women, exercise is difficult with large breasts, and they find it easier to exercise and lose weight after the procedure.

Several studies have indicated that women who have undergone breast reduction surgery have a similar ability to breastfeed as those who have not. However, it is important to be prepared for the possibility that you may not be able to breastfeed after the surgery.

To move the nipples to a higher position on the breast, a cut is made around them and the areola is reduced in size, as it has usually been stretched. The nipple remains attached to the underlying breast tissue to keep its blood supply, and the tissue is repositioned with the nipple attached so it sits higher on the breast.

Your surgery may be carried out as a day procedure at Waterfront Private Hospital, or with an overnight stay at our partner facility in Edinburgh. You are seen in the dressing clinic one week after surgery. Take at least 1 to 2 weeks off work to rest. The wounds should be healed by two weeks, but small areas of delayed healing are common, so full healing can take longer. Light exercise can usually be resumed at four weeks, and you should feel recovered by six weeks.

Scars can take up to 18 months to mature, and sometimes longer. Before-and-after photographs typically show results at around six months, when the scars are still red; significant fading can be expected beyond six months. The degree and rate of improvement vary considerably between patients.

Initially your breasts will be tight and can look a little “boxy” in shape. By six months they will look much more rounded, and they continue to improve in form for up to 18 months.