Anyone here have breast reduction surgery...?

[kayte]

I have a tiny frame (5' 2") with very large breasts (36 F/G). I have permanent deep indentions in my shoulders from my bra and often have some shoulder and neck pain which I think is associated. Plus I have little bumps on my skin below my bra from it rubbing there--I have had them removed previously by a dermatologist who told me they would continue t o return. I have often joked that I wanted to get a reduction but after watching a friend go through the common aftermath of implants (which I hear are easier than a reduction) I put the real possibility out of my head. But I keep coming back to it... So I am curious who here has had it done , if anyone. Can you tell me what it's like and what the recover is like? DId you get it partially or fully paid by your insurance? How much did you reduce your size by? Have you had any regrets or issues afterwards.

ETA- If you got it covered by your insurance did they require you be a minimum size to start and a certain size after the surgery?

One more question--How did you find your surgeon?

TIA

[mommylamb]

My mother, both her sisters, and my sister have all had it done. I think I'm the only woman in my family who has not (and boy would I love to). I don't know what happened for my aunts, but my mother did get insurance to pay for it- after a lengthy back and forth process- but my sister wasn't able to. My mother really had to fight with her insurance company for at least a year or two. She had to document everything. They told her her problems resulted from being too fat and so she lost a ton a weight and still had the problems. Then they made her go to a chiroprator... there were lots of other hoops to jump through, but in the end she got them to pay.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I want one!!!!!! I am 5'6 with a very small frame, and I am a 34-36 F.

My BFF is getting one. She is an "I", her ins. is covering it. Her doctors office said they knew how to get it approved for coverage, and they did.

I have HORRIBLE posture, starting from trying to hide my boobs in Jr. High.... Now from the weight.

Sorry I can't tell you more!

[DebbieJ]

I've had it done.

Are you done having children? If not, wait til you are.

I had mine in 1996 when I was 22. I don't regret it. Insurance did cover it at the time. My surgeon took pics and sent them in and my chiropractor wrote a letter. I found my surgeon via my mom who was a nurse at the hospital.

Recovery is about 2 weeks, including no driving, so take that into consideration.

[Carrots]

I had it done in 1996 and don't regret it. I honestly have no idea what cup size I was because I wore the wrong size. I always squeezed myself into a 36DD minimizer make myself "feel" smaller. I still have the indentations from my bra straps and my posture is not great from so many years of trying to hide my chest.

After the surgery I was a comfortable 36C. Insurance did cover it (thank goodness). Like the PP stated, recovery was 2 weeks.

I had it done while in college during summer break. When I moved in to school in September everyone remarked on how skinny I looked:thumbsup:. I hadn't lost any weight over the summer, I was just so much better proportioned that my body was visible instead of just my boobs!

I had a hard time breastfeeding, which I knew was a potential risk. After having DD I was only able to produce 3/4 of an oz of breast milk in a 20 minute pumping session. I struggled to keep it up for 2 1/2 months, but had to stop when my supply decreased to only 1/8 of an oz (even with medication, a LC, BFAR, etc).

If you are serious about the surgery, I would shop around. Ask to see pictures of before and after and do your research on surgery techniques, as I believe they have changed in the 13 years since I had it done.

Best of luck to you!!!

[g-mama]

I had it done just last September. I waited til I was definitely done having kids. I am 5'2" and was a 36F. I'd always been large (36D or DD) but they got even bigger while breastfeeding each time and then never really went down, not to mention one was considerably larger than the other and the sagging....oh, the sagging.

I'm not a 36C and could not be any happier. I got a reduction and a lift. They look great without a bra and I don't think I could've said that at age 15. I feel so much more youthful now and I'll be 40 later this year.

My insurance did not cover it because I didn't have the medical conditions to warrant it. Yeah, sore shoulders sometimes, aching back sometimes, but not bad enough. And I didn't go down enough in size. I was not at all surprised, though, because our insurance tries to deny even regular stuff.

My recovery lasted 10-14 days, but I was only in bed for the first two days and was up around within a few days. I just didn't lift laundry baskets or children and didn't drive for one week due to pain meds. My doc told me that recovering from a reduction is actuallly less painful than with implants.

I found my doctor through a friend whose mother had a procedure done by him.

[wellyes]

I'd love to get one, once I'm done having kids / nursing. A little lift wouldn't hurt either :)

[JustMe]

I had one in Feb 2008. I am also 5'2" and also not sure of what my size was, but my ps said I could win some prizes in terms of how long the girls were.

Anyway, insurance covered it to the extent that my insurance covers surgeries...my co-pays were still high, but that is my insurance...and there were lots of extras thrown in to pay for as well...it was well worth it for me..I am now a large C. My ps said he could not control exactly what size I would be as it depends on some anatomical issues that he would not know until surgery. Some people's ps seem to be able to tell them what size they will be, but I knew mine knew what he was doing in other areas. I would have liked to be a little smaller, but I am really thrilled. I am in proportion now, can wear dresses, can exercise better, have no neck pain (really had more neck pain than back for some reason).

As far as recovery, the pain was not that bad and I am not good with pain. Ps said I should take 2-3 weeks off from work and I ended up taking 3. I have heard that the best way to prevent complications is not to do too much too soon, so I was very careful. I did not have any complications. I highly recommend it...I dont think I would have done anything differently.

[cvanbrunt]

I had it done when I was a senior in college over Christmas break. Went back to campus for second semester with no issues. That was in 1991 so I don't really remember many specifics about recovery. It wasn't bad though, I never took anything stronger than tylenol or advil. And I couldn't lift heavy things over my head for several weeks. I didn't care about breastfeeding at the time and I didn't bf either of my daughters. Don't feel even the tiniest bit guilty about it. I would do the same again. The reduction is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

[alexsmommy]

I had it done just last September. I waited til I was definitely done having kids. I am 5'2" and was a 36F. I'd always been large (36D or DD) but they got even bigger while breastfeeding each time and then never really went down, not to mention one was considerably larger than the other and the sagging....oh, the sagging.


No one ever believes me that I went UP a cup size post breast-feeding each time. Not pretty.

[KrisM]

I've told myself and my DH that once I'm done BFing and lose at least most of the baby weight, I am going to have it done. For those who have had it recently, about how much does it cost? I know it'll vary, etc, but just a ballpark. I have no idea if insurance will cover it.

[g-mama]

Around $8500.

My mom, who died 6 years ago, also had really large breasts that she hated and she always told me that I should have breast reduction surgery if I wanted to. When I received some money after she passed away, I told my dh right away that I was going to use what I needed to for a breast reduction...my mom would've wanted it that way. :)

[MaiseyDog]

I had it done about 12 years ago. It is easily the best thing I ever did for myself. At the time it cost just under 10K but my MD did not feel comfortable doing reductions in an off site surgery center. She felt that with the large amount of tissue being removed the risk of bleeding was higher and she prefered to do them at a hospital. This raised the cost. We had no problem getting insurance to cover it. I think a lot of it boils down to how your MD files it.

Like everyone said, recover was about 2 weeks, but I only stayed in bed the next day. After I had the drains out I was out and about, just slowly. I was determined to breastfeed, at least in some capacity, and worked very hard at it. Even with all of that, I don't regret having the reduction at all. I don't think I truely comprehended how much my self image was tied to my breast size until after the surgery. I was some much more confident, more comfortable with my body, and more sure of myself after the reduction.