Breast reduction surgery - anyone done it?

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For years and years I’ve contemplated breast reduction surgery! I can’t afford it yet, but am thinking ahead.

I have chronic back pain from my F cup breasts, which are big on my small frame (I am 5’1) and they’re saggy and generally uncomfortable. I can’t find the ideal bra, I’m not sure it exists (!) and my posture is terrible.

I have keloid scar tissue on my c-section scar, so I worry about that. But honestly, I don’t care what they look like (to an extent!) as they’re not exactly gorgeous right now anyway

Has anyone done it? How was the pain? And the recovery? Are you happy with the result?

And are you now able to go bra-less? How long did that take? If you had back pain, did the surgery resolve it and / or posture issues?

Hi yes I did. Best thing I ever did and wish I'd done it years before.

The scarring is not insignificant but my surgeon was known for her neat work. I used scar reduction strips to minimise the look of them.

I rarely wear underwired bras now and usually just wear a crop top type bra or a non underwired soft bra every day. Only wear underwire if I want a particular look under a dress.

It's done wonders fir my confidence.

I was a slim 34gg. I now wear a 34d and they seem the perfect size for my frame now.

Sorry forgot to mention the recovery. You need a good two weeks doing absolutely nothing. I also wasn't allowed to drive for almost four weeks.

The surgery is not very painful afterwards. Getting over the anaesthesia is hard and then it's the annoyance of having to sleep on your back for weeks and having to wear a post surgery corset ( that was the worse part for me )

Oh and I had awful shoulder pain before ( had previously had surgery on one shoulder and then the other one started to get bad ) but it's fine since the reduction.

That’s so good to know! Thank you!

How long did you have to wear the corset for? Were the 2 weeks after difficult?

I think I wore the corset for two weeks before I told the surgeon I couldn't cope with it anymore.

The two weeks after were just me sitting on the sofa watching Netflix and taking round the clock pain relief and anti biotics. I was under strict instructions not to lift my arms at all so had to get DH to wash and dry my hair. I was allowed to make myself a cup of tea but that was all. Night time was the worse time. There were a few nights when I struggled to sleep because of the discomfort of the corset and the overwhelming urge to sleep on my side which was not possible. Often had to sleep propped up with lots of pillows. I bought one of those v shaped ones which helped.

You need to buy lots of button down shirts for ease of getting dressed and some high necked ones to cover up the corset which comes up to your chin almost!

I had primary aged kids at the time but my eldest was sensible enough to heat up ready meals for him and DD and DH sorted himself out for food when he got home from work.

I could'nt have had the op when my kids were younger as I'd have had no one to take the kids to school or look after getting while I was recovering.

My sister popped in once and did some housework for me to keep things ticking over.

That’s useful - my youngest is 4 and quite physical! So maybe better to wait a few years. Although, conversely, we’re all working from home at the moment so there’s no better time in that sense!

Did you go privately or NHS? Sorry for all the questions!

I have heard it’s quite hard to convince the NHS. Not sure if my back and shoulder pain would count enough!

A friend of mine did it OP and felt so positive about it. She got hers on the NHS, about ten years back. It made a big difference to her

I went private and it cost £5600 four years ago. I wouldn't have been able to cope with trying to persuade the NHS to do it for me.

In non Covid times you can get a free no obligation mini consultation at Spire Wellesley hospitals ( I'm sure other hospitals must do it do it too)

I knew the name of the surgeon I wanted and waited until it was her day for the free consultations and booked in. It was in fact quite a thorough examination and was really helpful in helping me decide to go ahead. No hard sell or pushing.

I spoke to the NHS who were not interested or helpful at all, so paid to do it privately and really do wish I'd done it much, much earlier. Went from a size 36L to 36C, lost half a stone on the table and was in so much less shoulder and neck pain afterwards. I did pick the surgeon and hospital very carefully and interviewed a few before choosing one.

No corset, just dressings and a sports bra. As pp said, uncomfortable and not painful (and I had the radical reconstruction version of the surgery I was so big), the worst bit is sleeping on your back until it heals. You do need to completely clear those two weeks to recover. My biggest worry was the scarring and he did an amazing job, its faded to very little, plus the shape change and weight change wholly make up for any concerns there. I frequently bless the surgeon when I pick up a pretty bra off the shelf instead of my old basket hangers bought at ghastly expense from specialist shops.

I had one two years ago. To be honest, cosmetically I’m a mess and I’m in dispute now with my surgeon and the hospital. But I do look fine with clothes on. I’m still quite large (32G from 32K) BUT having them in the right place, as a reduction always includes a lift, makes a vast difference. It is pretty miraculous not to be suffocated by your boobs every time you lie down and I feel much better with them gone. I found the recovery fine, was almost pain free (stingy and itchy but not painful after the first day). No corset and not sure why you would even need one - surgical bra which I found very comfortable. I wasn’t told to sleep on my back. Was allowed to shower the following day. I wouldn’t have liked to have been looking after small children for a couple of weeks, but otherwise could do most things other than vacuuming.

Sorry I used the word corset as I couldn't remember what it was called when I posted but I think it's known as a surgical compression bra - I found it extremely uncomfortable to wear.

I did! I went from a 34g to a 34d and it was the best thing I ever did! I had a reduction and lift, my nipples were removed and replaced. It was 3 years ago now and I don't really have any scars apart from faint white lines! Go for it Op! You won't regret it! My clothes fit better, my frame looks smaller etc

Yes! Best thing I ever did. It cost £4000 but that was 16 years ago now. The scars aren't visible now, but that took about 3-4 years. Honestly, they were just a thin red line before that though, and that's literally the only downside. Go for it!