Overweight and Breast reduction surgery: worth doing?

for a woman who is overweight...40+ pounds... is it a bad idea to get a breast reduction? will my weight cause them to enlargen again?

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9 answers to “Overweight and Breast reduction...”

A: Maybe

John P. Di Saia, MD

Hello, I advise my patients to have surgery when they are at the weight that they feel they can maintain realizing that losses or gains can change the result. The real question here is if you lose the weight will you keep it off? I am not a big fan of encouraging patients to lose weight just to have them gain... more

A: Temporary fix, but it may be just what you need....

Marshall T. Partington, MD

One of the most common complaints I hear is that "I can't loose this last 20-30 pounds"..."these breast are keeping me from exercising. They are heavy, painful ..." In response, I would include that the breast may or may not get smaller with weight loss.  It is important to... more

A: For the most part yes....

Vishal  Kapoor, MD

For any procedure, it's best to be at (or at least close to) your ideal body weight for many reasons - like decreasing your anesthesia risks, getting a better result, decreasing wound healing complications, etc. Having said that, many women who suffer from symptoms due to large breasts find they have... more

A: Definitely worth doing, regardless of your weight

George J. Beraka, MD

Having large, heavy, breasts that give you symptoms and being overweight are two completely separate problems. Since your large breasts are troubling to you, you will probably benefit by breast reduction surgery. Your weight will not cause your breasts to get large again. If you do lose weight, your breasts... more

A: Healthy, stable lifestyle changes before body contouring

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

Breast reduction is categorized as body-contouring. Obviously, there is some relationship between breast size/weight and body weight. However, small women can have large breasts and big womencan have relatively small breasts. First look at your lifestyle. Be as healthy and stable as you can. Determine why you... more

A: A potentially good choice

Steven Wallach, MD

If you are actively losing weight, then I would suggest holding off on the breast reduction until your wight loss is complete. The breasts will also deflate some with weight loss. However, many women find that their breasts are too large for them to be active, and sometimes breast reductions can help them get... more

A: Do the best you can, then call your plastic surgeon

Brent Moelleken, MD

Most doctors will suggest that patients make lifestyle changes that can be sustained, i.e. starting to exercise regularly, stop snacking, cut down on carbs, etc. However we live in a real world. If patients have truly done their best with respect to diet and exercise, it is simply unreasonable to insist... more

A: It's always best to be within 20 pounds of your ideal weight

Richard P. Rand, MD

Before considering having body contouring surgery, including a breast reduction, ideally you should be within 20 pounds of your goal weight. That way you won't develop loose skin if you were to lose weight after surgery. In addition, in reviewing patients who have breast reductions and weigh over 200 pounds... more

A: Reducing your breasts may allow you to exercise more effectively

David Shafer, MD

Breast reduction is a great surgery. Some of my happiest patients had breast reduction. As for when to have surgery (before or after weight loss) it is really up to you. In my view, once patients have breast reduction surgery, they are able to be more active and participate with their family and at work... more

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