Breast reduction recommended if overweight?

The breast reduction procedure is beneficial to women who suffer from problems related to their large and heavy breasts. If you experience back pain, shoulder pain, muscle spasms or rashes under your breasts, your insurance provider may cover this procedure. In order to relieve pain and improve overall... more

The proper candidate for a breast reduction is simply one whose breasts are larger than they want. Reductions can come in large or small amounts. Enlarged breasts may also be causing symptoms and limiting exercise and clothing choices if they are large and heavy enough. These symptoms commonly include upper... more

There are no absolutes here. This is somewhat of a subjective determination. Ultimately, you need to decide if your breasts are too large and cause you significant discomfort. If you are asking if the insurance company will agree, that is entirely a different matter. Some companies, like Blue Cross, use... more

Breast reduction patients are the happiest plastic surgery patients. If you are bothered by breasts that are disproportionately larger than your body, back and neck pain and have difficulty exercising, then you may be a candidate for the surgery. Seeking out a board certified plastic surgeon for a consultation... more

Thanks for your question - Breast reduction is a procedure that can be covered by insurance.  It is designed to reduce the size of the breasts to help with back pain, intertrigo (severe rashes under the breasts), shoulder grooving from bra straps and appearance (though the insurance companies do not... more

When I analyze a candidate for breast reduction surgery I look for tell tale signs of overly large breasts.  Bra and cup size are a great place to start.  Patients with a bra and cup size that are too big for their frame may be candidates for breast reduction surgery. Problems associated with... more

Since the breast is composed of fat tissue as well as breast tissue, partients who are overweight often suffer from large breasts. Weight loss can often reduce the problems associated with large breasts. However, even normal weight patients can have overly large breasts. In either case, if the patient has... more

Losing weight prior to surgery will make the entire process easier for you. In particular,  the anesthetic-related co-morbidities (i.e. complications) are usually less frequent in patients you are closer to their ideal weight. When you lose weight, you will also lose volume in your breasts. However,... more

Many patients who have breast reduction loose additional weight after the procedure.  I discovered this in a study I did on my patients for presentation at the Southeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons several years ago.  When we asked the patients (who lost on average about 14 pounds after the... more