What words should I know about breast reduction surgery?

Areola

Pigmented skin surrounding the nipple.

Breast reduction

Also known as reduction mammaplasty, the surgical removal of breast tissue to reduce the size of breasts.

General anesthesia

Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.

Hematoma

Blood pooling beneath the skin.

Intravenous sedation

Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.

Liposuction

Also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, this procedure vacuums out fat from beneath the skin's surface to reduce fullness.

Local anesthesia

A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.

Mammogram

An x-ray image of the breast.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging; a painless test to view tissue similar to an x-ray.

Reduction mammaplasty

The surgical removal of breast tissue to reduce the size of breasts.

Sutures

Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.