Come and tell me about your breast reduction experience..

[ThreeBecameFour]

I am having surgery next week! I'm a size 12 with 34G bust and back problems, surgeon says I'll lose about half the weight - woo hoo! But I am feeling nervous. Eek! I have researched my surgeon carefully so do feel I am in good hands. But it is a big op...
Please tell me all your experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly... what is recovery like? Are you pleased with the results? I am mainly worried about recovery with a 4 and 2 year old at home, but DH will be helping out and has taken time off work...
Tell me your stories please!

So here I am after a couple of days post surgery. Generally I feel fine taking only paracetamol and ibuprofen in the day and Tramadol at night. It doesn't hurt so much as just sore.

In answer to your questions:

I am not sure about the nipple sensitivity yet as I am under strict instructions not to peek or look at anything until Friday when I go back for the first post op appointment. Of course I have had a tiny peek! They seem pink and ok! But from what I can feel they seem v sensitive. The nipple bit was what put me off too, horror stories of them going black, numb etc but if you don't smoke, have a good surgeon and take care risks are low.

I haven't had implants, with a reduction you get a lift. They remove a section, put the nipple higher and shift everything up :) I don't think I have ever had norks that are this pert! My main concern is the scarring and taking care not to lift my arms above shoulder level, not push/pull for the next couple of weeks. I had a bi-lateral reduction with anchor incisions. The norks are currently are swollen and bruised - this will go down and I'll get a more natural shape after that.

There is indeed a risk that once I am healed that they can get bigger again but if you don't have dramatic weight gain it is low. Hormones play a part in this too. I knew the risks before the op, and I am prepared to take care of my body afterwards to try to minimize this.

It cost just under £7k with all the pre and after care. It isn't an op to undertake lightly in terms of body or purse!!! You can get the op on the NHS, so if you feel you are a good candidate do go to your GP and start the process. I went privately for personal reasons.

But I can tell you my back pain left the moment I woke up in recovery, nothing in my neck, upper back or between shoulder blades. It is amazing. I have had constant pain in that area for years! I feel so much lighter and I actually have a waist!

I am obviously very pleased so far, but there is still a long recovery to go. Let me know if you have more q's. I'll update later as well.

Watching with interest as a 32f, but not sure if that is big enough to reduce! I have some shoulder pain, and find my self tipping forward at times.

Following with interest too. I had implants years ago, but have put weight on since then, and it's gone heavily on my boobs (currently at least an H cup). Not sure what if anything a surgeon could do - I'd probably need new, smaller, implants?

Also watching with interest. I'm a 30H on a size 10 frame. My upper back and shoulders are permanently in knots and I find it hard to sit up straight. They don't look all that massive but they're just so bloody heavy!

I had a reduction 10 years ago when I was 18. I have since had 3 children and they are back to the same size they were.

I had mine done 15 years ago. Best decision I ever made. I do have scarring underneath but that's faded over time.
There has been a small increase in size over time but they are still pert and the reduction gives you an uplift.
The size of my boobs stopped me going on holidays and exercising.

The best thing to stop scarring is to wear a tight bra and no lifting. It's worth it!

Glad it went well.

I am now 6 weeks post op. Everything has been ok on the healing front other than a couple of stitch knots trying to push themselves out in my incision lines, under the breast. No real issues with the joint incisions. The first two weeks were sore, post of constipation was awful, then it wasn't so bad, then my period turned up and it hurt! swelling was very sore! But all settled now. I am now wearing post op non wired bras, and much more comfy. Worst bit was having two small kids to look after and a husband who was exhausted looking after us all.

I can now gently begin to get back into doing sports etc. Honestly, it was the best thing I have done, back ache is minimal and I am using Kelo Cote on the scars. The scars aren't that bad but I am conscious of them. I am hoping they will fade over time. I would ask those of you who have had it done how long that takes, but I know we are all different. I am now a 36C. It is revelation. From a superficial level clothes fit better, I have gone down 1-2 clothing sizes on top. My bras are no longer so huge they fit on my head! I have more of a selection of bras and clothing to choose from! From a medical point of view my back/neck pain is so much better, posture better and much more comfortable in my own skin. I went to a Christmas party 2 weeks post op and had lots of compliments on my figure and weight loss. I didn't say I'd lost a kilo from my boobs!

I will say my breasts looked like they had been in some kind of accident for the first 4 weeks. They pretty much had. It is quite a major op. Then things started to settle. Weird shaped nipples started to look normal, I guess the internal stitches softened and healed etc. They still look a bit boxy but the shape is changing. Left hand side is number than right, but that is changing slowly. The wound care nurser at the clinic has been fantastic and I couldn't have asked for more. I am really looking forward to seeing the full results in a few months.

If you are considering doing it, do your research for a good surgeon,
but I can honestly say it has been life changing :)

Threebecamefour thanks really useful post. Glad you are able to see the positive aspects of the operation already. Still considering but trying low carb boot amp to lose some weight before booking a consultation.