Br**st Reduction Surgery

[KristaTX]

Ah ok. I thought that was a another weird word to be against the rules.

 

[DISdreamin']

Had reduction surgery three years ago - best thing I ever did for myself! I was a 34K - yes, K. They removed about 8 pounds total. I have never felt better - no more back pain, it's wonderful!

As for insurance, I made sure my primary doc and ob/gyn had a history of my neck and back pain, as well as (sorry if TMI) rashes and all that lovely stuff (did I mention I'm much happier since the surgery?! ). Anyways, I then called my insurance and inquired about surgical consults. I saw two surgeons - one of whom came highly recommended, and who I ended up having do the surgery.

The surgeon submitted paperwork requesting coverage (including photos - eeewwww!) and I received a letter some weeks later letting me know the surgery would be covered in full. The way I look at it, they were either going to be treating me continually for back pain/neck pain/rashes, etc. or they were going to cover surgery. I didn't pay a dime other than for the office visit co-pays.

I have some very noticeable scarring, but it's a lot better than having the girls potentially in a different freakin' time zone than the rest of me when I travel east/west. The surgeon offered to do a follow-up to try and minimize the scarring (can't recall the word they used...cheloid maybe?) but the scars just don't bother me enough to go through another medical procedure for. I'm happy with the results! No, I'm THRILLED with the results! (one cloud for each b**bie!)

 

[disneybound2010]

I had surgery 2 years ago this November and it was the very best thing I could have done. By the time I was 14, I was a DD and never knew what a day without back and neck pain was like. By the time I was 25 I was into a DDD(I was actually bigger,but was squeezing into that!) and when I got pregnant, it became unbearable(G cup was the largest they had in maternity bras). They did not shrink after I gave birth!

The best advice I can give you is to RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH your surgeon. Ask a lot of questions, check out his credentials, ask to see photos of the surgeries he has performed( most surgeons DO have before and after pictures of their work) If at any time you feel uncomfortable or the surgeon cannot give you sufficient info, BACK AWAY and find a reputable one.

As for my experience, I started out with my primary physician who referred me to physical therapy(paper trail to show medical necessity) and then both the physician and therapist made it clear to the ins that this procedure was needed. My insurance covered 99% of the surgery. Once I spoke with the surgeon(who was amazing) I had a lot of questions answered. One thing I can tell you is not to get a definite size into your head. I told the surgeon my goal was to be a C, but in the end, I ended up a D (sometimes a DD depending on the brand) He did take as much as he could(5 lbs) safely, but there are a lot of different factors that go into determining how much needs to go and how much has to be left. Each person recovers differently and some experience more pain than others. For me, the pain was minimal. The worst part was the bandaging(I'm allergic to the tape) and once all the packing came off and I was left with just post op bra(which is like a corset) I felt pretty good. I was starting to get back into small chores and activities by the end of two weeks. I did have a small hole open at the cross seam(I have the anchor scars) but I followed instruction implicitly and it healed pretty quickly. My scarring is very minimal and most of the time I don't notice it(think thin silvery lines)

Don't expect immediate results. The swelling doesn't immediately go away. It was close to my first anniversary before my breasts were fully healed and settled into their position(in the meantime, you get to walk around with VERY perky girls!) I have lost a small amount of feeling. THe outer parts of the breasts still feel like they are asleep, very pins and needlesish, but my nipples retained all feeling. Immediately after surgery, they were hyper sensitiveand were always very apparent. Thankfully, that has subsided for the most part. Overall, I am very happy now and while there are days I still wish to be smaller, I am just thankful I can FINALLY run and play with my son and that normal every day activites don't seem like such a tremendous chore.

Sorry this is such a looooooong post,but I wanted to try and hit on every aspect of it for you so you do get a pretty good idea as to what to expect all the way around. Good luck!

 

[dakcp2001]

Can you breastfeed after this type of surgery?

 

[disneybound2010]

Can you breastfeed after this type of surgery?

The possibility of breastfeeding does decrease,but it is not a definite. Each woman's body is different. I had the surgery AFTER my son was born, BUT I was unable to breastfeed because I was so large, which is not uncommon.

 

[AlaskaMOM]

I have another question... Did anyone's insurance co pay for this procedure? After researching the net, I see that it can be difficult for people to get an ins co to pay. I am 40 pounds overweight (and working on it) and am wondering if that will be a factor that will cause the ins not to pay. I was looking forward to hearing what the ps will have to say during my consultation but now I am chickening out because the only way I can get this done is with ins. Thanks for listening!!

I have very good insur and they paid for everything, except the deductible. My doc also wanted me to lose a little weight but with the surgery as a goal it wasn't too hard to lose 22 pounds in 8 weeks.

Can you breastfeed after this type of surgery?

Typically no you cant. sometimes you may, especially if you have a small redution.

My reduction was done just a few months ago: june 1.
But my healing is a little different. I had the other type with the grafting. (typical with extremely large sizes 38G) I was in surgery for 4 hours, recovery room for a couple of hours, then doc said I could go to our hotel with DH (if I was actually going home - 150 miles - then I'd need tostay overnight) The anesthesia made me a little naseaus, and there was ALOT of pain. I tried to keep the amount of pain meds to a minimum so I wouldn't hurt myself by not feeling something. Went back to doc on day 3 to change the dressings and remove drains, then again on day 10-11 to remove stiches - I had more than 100 stiches! Since I live so far away doc said I didn't need to come back unless I had a problem. No real problems, sore and tender. hard finding things to wear for support (that doesn't rub on the scars). I was feeling pretty good in about 5 weeks.
But now they are feeling more uncomfortable, and painful around the stiches (areole stiches especially). But as I said before I think my case is a little different, I have gained about 12-15 pounds since August. (I know most women lose weight because they are feeling good, but I wasn't done recovering from surgery when my son was killed and had/have to deal with the emotional grieving mess) I have been eating more comfort foods, and baking to many goodies (my grief counselor recommended I go back to baking, because I used to enjoy it so much)

Not typical to gain weight so soon after, but a warning that it does make them tender/sore again.

Good luck with having the surgery; I wish I had done it years ago!!!

 

[Ember]

I had mine done 8 years ago, when I was 21. I went from a G cup to a comfortable C. Like many other ladies, it was the best thing I ever did.

I do have scars, but I'm so pale they're almost invisible unless you look closely. One nipple is more sensitive than the other, but they both have sensation and that was the only side effect. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

 

[swandiverpatt]

Had mine a long, long time ago (almost 20 years!) It wasn't that painful (maybe because I *wanted* it done so badly?), I did get nauseous from the anesthesia, I had no drains put in. I ended up with little pyramids on the sides under my arms from overlapping of skin, but eventually they evened out. Scaring is pretty much gone after all these years.

I think I was in the hospital overnight and out the next afternoon. I remember being wrapped and in a bra I couldn't take off for about two weeks. My surgeon was an excellent plastic surgeon and did a really good job.

I was a big success story -- I had a friend have it done last year and she had a terrible time. She has a lot of medical issues anyway, and I would suspect if anything was to go wrong, it would go wrong with her. I felt badly about encouraging her to have it done, because mine was so easy. I saw her in July and now she's okay. It's such a relief to have this procedure done.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

I also had breast reduction surgery 2 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did for myself!!! I had a total of 9 pounds of tissue removed. My adivce would also be research!!!
I went to 2 different plastic surgeons and asked quite a few questions. I read 2 really good books ( "When Less is More" and "Cosmetic Breast Surgery: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Decision--from A to Double D") both helped me come up with a list of questions to ask my Dr. My surgeon did the procedure in a surgical center instead of a hospital and I received excellent care! I was nervous about not being in a hospital but I am glad I didnt. I had my own nurse who only looked after me! I did not have drains and did not stay overnight. I did not take pain meds at all just Advil. I think the worse thing was having to sleep in a recliner for about a week. There is a really good forum at makemeheal.com but, make sure you are ready to see photos and hear all kinds of stories, good and some really bad. I was thrilled with my surgery and wish I had done it years ago!! Good luck. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[lovin diz]

i have been thinking of doing this.....the only thing holding me back was that i didnt think ins would cover it...I dont have back problems yet, it would def. be more cosmetic, but i might call my ins and see....

one of the girls is a comfortable "C". the other is a large DD. Has anyone gotten only one done...will the doc reduce only one...

 

[mjkacmom]

i have been thinking of doing this.....the only thing holding me back was that i didnt think ins would cover it...I dont have back problems yet, it would def. be more cosmetic, but i might call my ins and see....

one of the girls is a comfortable "C". the other is a large DD. Has anyone gotten only one done...will the doc reduce only one...

I don't think you would want one done - the reduced one would have the perkyness of an 18 year old breast, the other... I don't know of anyone who has had insurance refuse.

 

[cybrkitn]

i have been thinking of doing this.....the only thing holding me back was that i didnt think ins would cover it...I dont have back problems yet, it would def. be more cosmetic, but i might call my ins and see....

one of the girls is a comfortable "C". the other is a large DD. Has anyone gotten only one done...will the doc reduce only one...

Talk to whatever doctor you choose. He/she may tell you that it would be considered cosmetic or not.

My insurance covered it and my doctor was shocked at the quick response she had gotten from them.

I also did not have back problems. However, I did have the issue with my bra strap digging into my shoulder and into the bone. It was very difficult to find clothing to fit me b/c of my size. Now, I don't have a problem at all. And even though I have gained weight since my surgery 14 years ago, my cup size has remained a "C". My back side, however, went from a 38 to about a 42