Breast Reduction

[Theod]

Would like to ask if anyone who has had breast reduction surgery would share their experience,,how was the surgery and recovery, how long was the recovery, did it improve your physical discomfort, how did you find the right surgeon, and what was the first consult with the surgeon like? Did the surgeon try to really understand your motives for getting the reduction and explain clearly what the surgery and recovery entails..

My 19yo daughter has asked if she can have breast reduction surgery. She complains of constant neck and upper back pain and that nothing fits her and she never looks good in any of her clothes. I suggested we go and get her fitted for bras for a fuller bust, which we did, but after trying on loads, she was really dejected as she felt they were all like granny bras, so we left with nothing. She was measured as a 32G or GG. She wears Calvin Klein and Victoria Secret bras which really don’t provide any support and, in all likelihood, is wearing ones that are too small for her.

She has put on weight since starting university, so I suggested that before considering going down the surgery route, maybe she could consider trying to lose weight, which could possibly help her drop a few bra sizes, anyway suggesting that was big mistake, I don’t even know if losing weight would help that much at all, but I thought it would be something to try first,. She does take the pill which also probably contributes to the fuller bust.

Anyway, it wasn’t mentioned for a while, but she is bringing up the surgery again, now prefaced with, ‘and before you say anything, don’t tell me I need to loose weight,…….’

We will support her if this is what she wants, but it’s such a big surgery that I worry it’s the right thing for her to do now and she would have to do it during the summer holidays so it didn't interrupt her uni.

well i had a breast reduction and lift at the age of 62.
health wise, it was very helpful although i should have had a tummy tuck at the same time, the full bust really prevented me from seeing my belly bulge and it's been a difficult journey to reduce that now at 67.
but my bmi needed to be within a certain range and i've maintained that although i need to drop 10 solid pounds.
weight aside.
the dr was recommended by a friend, he was honest, he said he would pick the size based on my body shape (so i had little say in that matter). all questions were straight forward surgery type questions no guarantee on scaring as that's genetic but he did look over my c/s scar and skin type. we discussed healing (non smoker) no history of mrsa.
surgically she will need to be aware it may prevent breast feeding, may decrease nipple sensation and at such a young age they may change over the following several years still (so need redoing)esp through pregnancy.
my incision is very long nearly armpit to armpit with a small 3-4 inch gap by the breast bone, plus an incision around each nipple and from the nipple to the main chest incision.
surgery was long 6 hours. the long acting freezing kept me comfortable for 48+ hours after surgery, by then the analgesic was also working well.
recovery not that slow or fast, you follow the protocol. no showers for x many days, no lifting for x many weeks, etc etc.

I had one following an 8 stone weight loss. It was, as pp, a reduction and lift.
It was around 2005 and I was very lucky to get it done on the NHS, which is very unlikely now.
I went from a HH to a D and I loved it. Unfortunately, they have grown back and I am now an HH again, although much less saggy than they were.
It isn't unusual for them to grow back. I still don't regret it as they were like spanial ears and at least now they have a bit of shape.

I get my bras from BraStop. They do sizes up to K cup, from 28 back so will definitely have her size. There's free returns, so she can order loads in different sizes and easily return unwanted ones. There's always some on offer under £20 too.

I would still recommend a reduction but she can feel better in the meantime.

I had a reduction at 49, best money I ever spent. I found the recovery quick and easy. The only downside is the scarring, but I think it fades over the years.

It does change your shape and I felt more self conscious about my spare tyres of fat around the middle.

They can grow back, for this reason I waited until post menopause for the surgery.

My daughter had one at 22. She had very heavy pendulous breasts with downward pointing nipples. Although she’s disappointed by the size, because she’s still a g they are now forward facing/pert/reduced auréola and basically the breasts of a young woman now. Recovery was quite quick and scaring isn’t too bad. She has lost nipple sensation and v v unlikely to be able to breast feed. However she would never have breast fed anyway as she hated her then boos so
muvh
id never really seen her without clothing since she was a young teen so when she first started bringing it up I thought she was mad. It was only when she showed me her pre op medical photos that I could see what they were like unsupported

She won't get it on the nhs if she has significant weight to lose and that is for a good reason, it's quite high risk for post op blood clots

Thank you everyone for the insight, I never realised they can grow back.

@QOD I was surprised when they measured my dd as a 32G/GG. Like you, I would never have guessed. I also don't think she would be breastfeeding, she is currently of the opinion that she never want's kids anyway.

@letsgoskiing she is not significantly overweight, she was about 9st but is now probably 10st and a half. She would be doing it privately, we would need to pay for it, I doubt her health insurance would cover it.

I am realising how it is impacting her life in different ways,, she started a boxing class, said she really enjoyed it but yet never went back, kept saying she didn't have the time, eventually she admitted that she felt the instructor was laughing at her boobs bouncing around. The only activity she does is yoga, even though she has access to a great gym which a lot of her friends go to.

The journalist Sali Hughes had one a few years ago. She did a couple of Instagram videos talking about it. Lots of info https://www.instagram.com/tv/CD0br3jnWNA/?igsh=MWJtZ2hpajl4Z2pwOQ==

I had this done at age 24. It was hard, but one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I was a 34J and went down to an F. I’m now a GG so yes they can ‘grow back’. Back pain doesn’t go but it’s much better, the uplift that naturally comes with it helps. No loss of nipple sensation and no reason why I couldn’t breastfeed (although I haven’t tried). I understand there is a higher risk of breast cancer due to the tissue being disturbed.

Obvs breast size can fluctuate with weight. Is your DD happy with her weight? Was she ok with her breast size when she was slimmer?

I’d be concerned that she’s a bit young at the moment to deal with the recovery. It’s HARD. About 3 weeks of being unable to sleep, can’t lift anything etc.

I found a surgeon with a huge amount of experience just via google. One thing I would say is avoid companies where you have to speak to a call centre before you speak to a surgeon. It should be the other way around. Consult should be with the surgeon and only afterwards should you be referred to someone to discuss money.