Has anyone had a breast enlargement on the nhs in the last few years

[nobreasts]

Hi I have no breasts
It's impacted my bf of my children
I am healthy on the lower end of BMI
Have no breasts
GP in agreement
Have had babies so not particuarly a sex dissorder
Genuinely no breasts

Very upset

Have asked for an enlargement with nhs but Gp said he's never encountered and unsure how to go further thru this with NHS

Any advice appreciated

Gosh I didn't know about this

I'm worried I won't have enough skin for the surgery to be carried out.
I don't have tubular breasts but no tissue practically, men have larger breasts then me a lot of the time
It's like a swollen area around my nipple the width of a breast but only just

I appreciate this post it's been thought provoking

Actually, it's not just men. Women who present as men can also have their breasts removed on the NHS.

I would be very pleased if you identified as a transwoman and successfully argued that you needed them and then went public about this. But I guess this is off topic. Sorry to see you’re in distress

Yes I have body dysmorphia
Yes I have and still attend private therapy
Yes I have been treated for basically some sort of anorexia and medicated to eat I weighed 37.8kg last year and no matter my size my breasts have never changed

The replies on here are a disgrace

I've asked about eligibility and policy

Not for someone else's my life is harder then you shit

I also pay half my earnings and more practically into tax
And corporation tax
And I go to a private doctor for my back

And yes it's a lot of admin to try and sort with the NHS

But if anyone who replied about how selfish I am read my post I wasn't asking for your opinions on that

Another reminder why I haven't used this forum for fucking ages and also : to all the hard workers and contributors, sorry to hear you feel so robbed by my question

I've already told you all I have a clinical condition
It fits the parameters in some areas not the one I live in

I don't need to give an enhanced disclosure but you should take a moment to reflect on how you have communicated with someone who already feels a burden , unattractive, unfeminine and depressed

😔

If you have literally never developed breasts and have no breast tissue/muscle, then that is surely a medical condition.

If it is causing you distress and affecting your mental health then you should be entitled to help on the NHS.

Sorry but this is a stereotypical answer for a very complex issue

I said impacted I didn't stay prevented

I had to express using Hakkas and they were the only method

I think you'll find that no breast tissue means your baby is practically suffocated against a bony chest in order to latch

I am tired of these responses I'm out of here

Well done ladies for another example of how not to answer a question

“I don’t even go swimming I’m so insecure”

Surely most women feel this way?!

I certainly do because of my disgusting stretch mark covered, saggy boobs which were ruined by pregnancy and breastfeeding! I hadn't thought of asking for surgery on the NHS but maybe I should because I absolutely hate them and cry about them a lot and I think any doctor seeing them would agree…

OP - AIBU?
everyone - yes
OP- how dare you say IABU

🫠

In some areas I would be however my trust doesn't seem to have the policies mentioned above

Looking at their broader policy they only cover breast cancer victims

And no word of a lie I've seen women with mastectomy with more breast then me

I have a clinical condition
I don't think I can face engaging in therapy to explain why this is an issue for me

I will be pursuing this privately

But this was a really shit and savage way to approach something that clearly struck a chord with you all

@nobreasts I'm sorry that so many people have been rude and unsympathetic. I have known 2 women in my life who literally had no breast tissue. I think many people just don't understand how distressing that is. And that it is a medical condition and you should be treated for it.

Right? I have lipoedema. I should get free lipo on the nhs. Oh and im insecure about wearing glasses all the time, was horribly bullied for it as a child .. free eye surgery?

It wouldn't annoy me at all that some of the tax I pay goes to fund someone whose mental health is badly affected by what is essentially a birth disfigurement.

There are lots of things classed as "cosmetic" that the NHS really should be able to fund. I know a few women with debilitating back pain that would be resolved with a breast reduction (one of them has breasts that hang below her waist) but they can't get funding. I know others with loose skin after dramatic weight loss that causes friction wounds (bad description, hopefully obvious what I mean though) from rubbing together, and severe discomfort. A family member did get funding for Poland syndrome a few years back but I think that's hit and miss now. I have lipodema which the NHS classes as cosmetic but for cases worse than mine it can cause all kinds of physical difficulties, not to mention the mental health side of things which I have suffered from since my early teens. I wish all of this could be funded.

None of this is to take away from your reasoning, OP. It's very different being a 34B and wishing you were a 34E and expecting the NHS to bankroll it, and having never developed any breast tissue at all. My lipodema-riddled legs sympathise with you. You have a functional pair of nipples that fed your children, I have a pair of legs that allow me to walk, but neither of us look like other people and never will without surgical intervention. It makes you feel very shit about yourself indeed

Here's the NHS page OP. As others have said, it implies it might be available on the NHS, but varies by area:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast-enlargement/

"You'll usually have to pay to have breast implants. There are some circumstances where you might be able to get breast enlargement on the NHS – for example, if you have very uneven breasts or no breasts. It often depends on the area you live in. Your GP should be able to tell you more about the rules in your area."

That’s your moral judgement.

Meanwhile, the OP is asking for NHS policy guidance.

OP, surely you know how financially pressured the NHS is. People wait over a year for surgery that they absolutely need. People suffer in pain whilst waiting.

Yes, it would be wonderful if the NHS could fund breast implants, tatoo removal, excess skin removal, hair transplant, IVF even when you have one child. All those things cause great distress for many people.

The money just isn't there. What you are funding via taxes is essential treatment. You might discover you are diabetic tomorrow and need drugs, devices, many appointments for life. That's what you pay for.

My advice to you would be to find support groups for women in your situation who want, or have had, breast augmentation. Find ladies who have started from your position (very little breast tissue) and see if they will share before/after pictures with you so you can avoid surgeons who will do too much and cause stretch marks etc.
This is definitely a case of finding a surgeon through recommendation not through price.
Good luck.
PS - Don't expect the augmentation to solve all your issues. It may solve some ... or bring others.

So where do you draw the line in an already broken system?

Some of these comments are very rude & sad however completely predictable. You’ve had some great advice though as well.

OP I sympathise and hope you can get the money together for decent private surgery.

@nobreasts It isn't down to your local trust whether they provide breast augmentation, which might be why you can't find a policy on their website - assuming you are in England, it's up to your local Integrated Care Board, they are the budget holders for care in your area and should have a published policy on their website (some examples were linked earlier in the thread). So if you Google "[your location] NHS ICB" and find their website, there should be a policy on there - unfortunately there is no standardised name for this type of policy, but try looking for 'Evidence Based Interventions', 'Procedures of Limited Clinical Value/Effectiveness' or 'Planned Procedures with Threshold' and see what that turns up. If you can't find it, email the ICB and ask for a copy, and that policy will tell you whether they will fund breast augmentation at all, and if they will, what criteria you would need to meet. As PPs have said, you can't just go to a different hospital for treatment as a hospital elsewhere will still be bound by what your local ICB is willing to fund - they won't treat you if they think they won't be paid for it.

I think you should look into treatment for you mental health and eating disorder first. These very likely impact on the size of your breasts,

@nobreasts I get it. I think. DD has body dysmorphia as a result of scoliosis. And an ED as a result of the dysmorphia. Her back will be straightened one day but It's a horrible thing. It's not just feeling a bit unhappy about your body. I don't like my knees very much but it doesn't affect my life. You're in a different category OP. Society as a whole thinks it talks about good game these days re mental health, but threads like this show how far we still need to go.
Good luck in your quest x

I would love a breast reduction, but I dont think I can get it on the NHS

to be honest OP, you wouldn’t want the NHS giving you this treatment.

There is a spectrum of skill when it comes to cosmetic surgery. People can have surgery that looks bad. Whether that’s poor scarring or other issues that makes the end result look not as anticipated. It’s not a one size fits all approach where it doesn’t matter who does your procedure or what their experience is…

NHS consultants won’t have much experience in cosmetic surgery, their goal isn’t making your scars heal well or giving you natural results. They will be inexperienced with that. You’re not going to get the same results as an £8000 private procedure. Unless you hit a goldmine with an NHS consultant who has extensive private cosmetic experience which isn’t guaranteed or likely.

My health region no longer does cosmetic surgery on breasts etc. Breast reconstruction is only done post-Cancer.

Other than that, you have to pay. 🤷‍♀️

I've had mine done privately and was a choice I have never regretted. You wouldn't know either , I just wanted breasts so they're by many peoples standards small. But the battle of bikinis , wearing a vest top are no longer there. Having no breasts no longer consumes my daily thoughts. No mental health therapy can change your body and the way you feel about your lack of something that are spoken about in puberty development , breast feeding and sexualized.
If you can do private I would do it, you could pay by credit card and slowly pay off and balance transfer.
We never understand problems fully unless you've experienced it, but if I were you I would do it