Breast Reduction from 36DD to an A?

My 29-yr-old daughter is a 36DD and wants to have reduction down to an A cup. Is that feasible? She would rather have a double mastectomy than have breasts larger than A. She has been planning on this surgery for many years.

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17 Doctor Answers | Asked by WonderingMom in gainesville, FL

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Not a Good Idea!

This magnitude of a change is drastic and would probably not be proportional to her body. She should consider being reduced to a size that is in proportion to her body and maybe slightly smaller. This will alleviate her symptoms and make her look much better. Pondering mastectomies instead of being larger than an A cup is alarming. There may be some issues here that need to be explored!

Breast Reduction and Small Cup Size Result?

Thank you for the question. It is possible to reduce the breasts size very significantly. Sometimes when patients want “almost nothing left” the reduction should be done in 2 stages. The concern with the amount of tissue removed is related to blood flow to the remaining tissue; if too much tissue is removed in one operation the blood flow to the remaining tissue (including nipple/areola) may be compromised. Part of the tissue that... more

Large cup size change after breast reduction surgery

A large change in your cup size is possible after a breast reduction surgery you should proceed with a great deal of caution. When discussing your concerns and your post reduction goals with your plastic surgeon, keep in mind that you will want a balanced appearance after surgery. Make sure that the final cup size you select will be balanced with your hips and waist to create a pleasing figure. Also keep in mind that the larger reduction may require more extensive incisions... more

Breast reduction

The goals to make an "A" cup from a D or DD cup size really is not realistic. You are basically asking for a mastectomy and the final result will doubftully look like a breast.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

It really couldn't be done

You really couldn't make a DD an A. Why? Because a DD breast has a very wide diameter. The base diameter of a breast gets narrowed somewhat in a reduction, but it can't be narrowed enough such that an A bra cup would fit, even if you reduced the volume enough so that there were almost no projection, it would still be so wide that pracdtically speaking it would require a larger bra. The best thing an augmentation patient can do for herself is to leave the concept of bra sizes at the door... more

I wouldn't try to go that small for breast reduction

Hello, Extreme breast reduction, like a mastectomy, is kind of a "one way street." I would recommend to preserve the sensation and the shape of the breast and reduce it within those parameters via a conventional breast reduction operation. The choice she is considering is not one she may be able to easily reverse later should she desire to do so.

Extreme breast reduction

Thanks for your question - Such a dramatic change is possible but not without consequences that would make most plastic surgeons defer to treat her. A breast reduction from a DD to an A cup is unlikely to leave enough tissue to keep the nipple/areola complex alive. This means the nipple and areola would need to be removed and put on as a skin graft. This would mean that they would be insensate, the patient would not be able to breast feed and some patients can experience depigmentation... more

Breast reduction to an A cup is not likely

Many who seek breast reduction would like to be as small as possible and I frequently hear from patients who would like to be a B-cup, or perhaps a small C-cup. The key to reduction of the breast is preservation of the circulation and sensation within the nipple as the breast is reduced, and preserving the shape or aesthetics of the breast. Shape is very important and after reduction the breast should be pretty to look at. The skin remaining after reduction will only contract to a certain... more

Drastic change

It isn't that women who have breast reductions are all by and large very happy with their change we try to keep some proportion. I would recommend that she pick a local board-certified plastic surgeon to have a consultation with to review her options. When a women comes in to see me basically stating that they want mastectomies, this is a concern and she may want to seek some counselling prior to any surgery. This doesn't mean that she could be a good candidate for breast reduction but... more

Probably not in her best interests...

Hi there- One of the primary considerations in breast reduction surgery is maintenance of the blood flow to the remaining breast tissue and nipple. With greater tissue removal, there is a greater risk of losing blood supply and therefore losing the remaining breast tissue and nipple to necrosis. The alternative of removing the nipple and replacing it as a free skin graft at the conclusion of the procedure exists, but I would never recommend this to a young woman, as all nipple sensation and... more