On July 1st, I had surgery that completely changed my life for the better- breast reduction by Dr. Julia MacRae. She did a truly magical job. I am SO glad to have found her. I am just so grateful and thankful for her incredible work. She as well as the staff were so kind and helpful. She took as much time with me as I needed, answered all of my questions, made sure I understood everything, was very thorough, and I did not feel rushed one bit. The staff are super helpful and get back to you very quickly. Everyone here just has great energy. I walked in so nervous, as this was my first time in a plastic surgeons office and had no idea what to expect. Everyone made me immediately feel super comfortable. I used to wake up in excruciating pain in my shoulders, back, neck, and br3asts. I had to sleep in a very specific position to not wake up literally in tears. I hated my body. I wore oversized t shirts 95% of the time. Looking in the mirror was awful... I didn't recognize myself. After having two kids, my body didn't belong to me anymore. I was extremely depressed and had zero self confidence, especially due to being in so much pain all the time. After having this surgery, I feel SO much better- in every single way. My depression is SO much better and my self confidence has sky rocketed. I'm able to wear things I've only dreamt of wearing! Clothes shopping used to be something I dreaded... I'd see so many things that were so cute and wanted to wear so badly, but couldn't. Now I'm excited to go clothes shopping! Trying on a crop top, and a backless shirt as an experiment had me crying from happiness. AND no need for a bra! I finally feel like a woman again! I have a waist that's been hiding under those giants! The pain... oh, the pain... the relief was instant. The day after surgery, I woke up and felt good for the first time in years. It is absolutely incredible. The stitches she used dissolve, the scars look fantastic and I'm only one month post op. They are nice and straight, just perfect. There were zero complications. The first day was a bit rough. But after that, I was just very sore for about 4 days. Then I woke up one day and felt 80% better. You can't really lift much at all, and driving was uncomfortable for about two weeks, but it was NOTHING like I thought it'd be. I'm telling you.. if you are in Delaware, this is the doctor you want for your breast reduction. She is just fantastic. She completely changed my life. I look great and feel great. I just can't believe this procedure has even helped my depression as well. Im a whole new woman. And that's another thing.. I actually FEEL like a woman! I have cried numerous times out of pure happiness from my results. GET. THE. SURGERY! My breasts are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I have a waist again!
Dr MacRae did my surgery in January 2018. She was thorough with explaining the process, open to answering all questions, and an all around professional. I remember coming in with a list of questions and she answered all of them. There was one at the bottom that I missed and she pointed it out and went about answering it for me. I can tell that she genuinely cares about her patients and improving their quality of life through her work. I’m very pleased with the outcome. My chest looks amazing and my back feels a lot better! I would certainly recommend her to anyone in DE looking for a breast reduction. I’d also like to note the friendliness and professionalism of the office personnel. They were also great with scheduling, help with insurance (explaining requirements and prior approval, etc.) and answering related questions as well.
Since having my children my breast have gotten bigger and have caused me to be uncomfortable in my own skin. I made a resolution to get my breast done amongst a few other things. I took the first step and had a consultation with Dr. MacRae. She was very nice explained the surgery and set expectations for the procedure. I was told that she could get around 500-600 cc from each breast. I was so excited and became very anxious while speaking with her. My insurance is through Aetna so my next step is to submit proof that I have had other ailments due to my large breast size. I was given forms for my PCP to recommend the surgery and I will be taking that to her within the next few weeks. I'm praying that Aetna approves this surgery and will keep you posted!! Updated on 19 Mar 2015: I thought I would add a few pictures to give an idea of my current size. Also, I have gotten records from my previous PCP and I am awaiting records from the Chiropractor. As soon as I get them I will take it to the PS for her to submit to Aetna. In the meantime I have been faithfully reading the journey's of others and becoming more excited to finally experience some relief! Updated on 27 Mar 2015: I called my PS office today and was told the received chart notes from my PCP and not a letter which was recommended. I then called my PCP office but they were closed early. I hope when I finally reach someone he can write a letter and recommend the breast reduction surgery. Does anyone have AETNA and got approved without a letter? Updated on 13 Apr 2015: The coordinator at the PS office is impossible to reach. I have left numerous messages with her and she called me back almost a week later only to tell me she will be out of the office the following day and hadn't received the letter from my Gyn. I know I have been carrying these large breasts for over five years but I'm overly anxious to have the surgery and also to plan my vacation accordingly. On the bright side, I did spend the weekend shopping at Victoria Secret for their sports bras because I was told I would need to wear them for a month or two. I got a few mediums with a adjustable straps and a few smalls. Tomorrow I will call the ps office back to speak with my coordinator and make sure she has sent the paperwork to Aetna for approval. I will post again when I know she has done so. Updated on 16 Apr 2015: While running errands I got a call from my PS office with good news that I was APPROVED!!!! Those words were like music to my ears and to be booked this month was icing on the cake. My surgery is scheduled April 29th and I will be the first surgery of the day!!! I have to go get blood work early tomorrow morning and my pre-op appt. is next Wed. Words can't express how happy I am to have this load taking off of my back, literally. Some people just don't understand how big breasts affect your day to day activities and what restrictions come along with them. I want my boobs as small as I can possibly get them and next week I will find out!!! Are there any supplies or advice you can provide to help me be better prepared? Updated on 22 Apr 2015: Today was my preop appointment which was scheduled for 1:45 pm. I was seen by the Dr. at 1:55 pm which is unheard of these days. I've never had a long wait with her and I sure appreciate that my time is considered as well. Anyway, I will have the lollipop incision with stitches NO DRAINS!!!!! Dr. will take out as much as she can and is confident she can get me to a B cup. I will have an overnight stay at the hospital then be released the next morning no later than 10 am. I can shower 24 hours after surgery but should be very careful when washing. And should also wear the surgical garment or similar bras for the first month. The nurse from the hospital will call me on Friday to go over my medical history for the anesthesiologist and then I will be ready to rock and roll. I will do my next update post op. Updated on 30 Apr 2015: I arrived at the hospital at 6:30 am checked in and was prepped by 7:30am. The anesthesiologist was awesome and really helped calm my nerves, gave me my IV and told me she would see me in the operation room. My Dr arrived and marked me up then two nurses came in and brought my sister and kids in to give me hugs and kisses. My sister noticed how nervous I was and asked the nurse to give me something to ease my mind. Around 8:20 I was wheeled to the operation room, I remember along the way the nurse put something in my IV and I began to feel very tired. My last memory was laying on the table freezing cold and a warm blanket being put on me. I woke up in a little discomfort and was asking if I had the surgery. The nurse asked me my pain level every 30 minutes and gave me morphine to help. I was later taken to my room where I have been since. The nurse came in to change my bandages and I got to take a look and my smile hasn't left!!!! My boobs are small and perfect!!!! The pain I'm feeling is well worth it and I can't wait to heel up. As I'm typing this review I'm getting a little emotional because something I have wanted for so long has finally happened. Anyway, when I get my dressing changed today I will post some pics. Updated on 3 May 2015: Just a few things I wanted to mention about my recovery so far. *I've been showering since day 2 *I took Tylenol 3 in the hospital and day 1 post op. *I took Advil liquid gels on day 2-3 *I'm 4 days post op and I'm not taking any pain meds. * Sleeping is my new pastime and I use plenty of pillows. * my sister flew out to help for the first week. * I have not lifted a finger and am healing really well. (My sister is a nurse) * I only have sutures so I've leaked a little every day which is normal. * This is the most rest I've had in 8.5 years and it feels good!!! Updated on 4 May 2015: After my shower I was able to snap a pic. My breasts still very heavy on my stitches so I don't keep the bras off very long. I will have my boyfriend take a pic of the front this evening.
I have always struggled with large, heavy breasts that overpowered my frame completely and added at least 20 lbs to my overall appearance. In April of 2014 my primary doctor referred me to Dr. Jonathan Saunders for a much needed reduction, the receptionists at Omega Plastic Surgery recommended that I try Dr. Julia Wright Macrae instead since her wait was much shorter. If only I could turn back time...
I remember the first time I went to Nordstrom and got fitted for a bra... I'd been stuffing myself into old bras that used to fit, including the bra I got from being fitted at Victoria's Secret: a 36D. My Nordstrom bra? A 34F. I was astounded at how much better everything felt, but the size has steadily creeped up, along with the accompanying issues. Cue graduating college, getting into a relationship, gaining weight, breaking up, and losing weight, I'm currently at a horrifying 32F. I didn't think I'd never really get approved for a breast reduction, but I recently started looking into, checking out the stories here, and decided that, since most consultations are free, it couldn't hurt to just try it. So I did. My doctor took my photos, my measurements, and estimated that she could remove about 500cc from one, 600 from the other. So, yeah, definitely uneven. Everyone in the office kept talking about how I'd likely need months and months of medical documentation of back pain, that I'd need to try going to a chiropractor or different pain medications, so by the time I left the office, I was feeling pretty hopeless. I'd just have to settle for saving up the money to pay out of pocket and get it done when I hit 30. And then I got a call from the office. They told me my authorization was approved. ... APPROVED?! I got the call in the break room at work and nearly burst into tears. While I had my fingers crossed, I never honestly expected that I would get the approval. And now my surgery is scheduled and I'm counting down the days that I can finally feel normal. I've never had any surgery before so I'm pretty nervous overall. Hence actually joining the site so that I could more closely interact with everyone and read more stories. I'm very, very excited. 50 days to go! Updated on 8 Aug 2013: Nipples pointing south... sigh. I don't ever remember having breasts that didn't look like this. Updated on 8 Aug 2013: Figured I ought to update a little about my consultation! I was the first appointment that morning at 8am. I arrived a little late because of some early morning traffic, but I didn't have to wait very long. I was taken back to the exam room where a nurse took my blood pressure (so far everyone was extremely pleasant). Waited a little longer while I looked at the framed photos and awards on the walls, all of which were for the main doctor at the office (not my doctor) which seemed a bit odd with two other doctors who worked there as well. Either way, Dr. MacRae came in and was just as nice as everyone else had been. We talked a bit about my issues, any pain or rashes I had, my size, pretty standard fare. She explained the surgery to me, then had me undress for pictures and measurements. Once I got my clothes back on, she estimated that about 500cc would need to be removed from breast, and 600cc from the other, which would probably bring me down to a D. Which is fine! I feel that, for the most part, I LOOK like a D, but it's only when I'm not wearing a bra that you can see that all that cup size I've got just comes from the length. She also said that I'd most likely need six months worth of documentation for insurance approval (disappointing!) but was very sympathetic about how annoying for insurance companies to drag their feet when women are legitimately having issues. Overall, I had a very good impression of her and felt pretty at ease. After the actual consultation, I spoke with one of the scheduling assistants who answered a few more of my questions and told me that they would try and submit my authorization to the insurance but that I should probably schedule an appointment with my GP to get the documentation part started, just in case. She was also super sweet to me. So far really pleased with everyone here! My consultation was July 23rd, and by August 2nd they called me to tell me that my insurance was approved. Scheduled my surgery the following Monday and now all I have to do is wait. 47 days to go! Updated on 9 Aug 2013: I'm starting to feel a little down about getting my surgery now. I've been getting some judgmental pushback about having an elective surgery since I don't really have any kind of debilitating back pain. Yes, my back hurts sometimes, but it's most likely just because I have abysmal posture. Yes, my arms and shoulders ache after my cardio kickboxing class because of all the jumping and hopping around, but I can go to a different class that doesn't have me moving around so much. Had my insurance not approved my authorization, I wouldn't have pursued the surgery since I wouldn't have had anything else to present besides the sigh of relief after taking a bra off at the end of the day or the occasional back spasm. But since I've been authorized, I'm going to go ahead with something that I know will make me so much happier. Why is this such an awful thing? I know that I shouldn't care about what other people think about what I'm doing, but it's getting a little tiring to hear people questioning my reasons. I've told quite a few people so far because I was just so ecstastic and wanted to share my joy, but now I think I'll be keeping my mouth shut about it. Lesson learned. :C Updated on 25 Aug 2013: By this time next month, I'll be 3 pounds lighter and several cup sizes smaller. Just counting down the days now! The hospital called me the other day to register me for the surgery. She was really pleasant--everyone I've spoken to so far has been really great. The anesthesiologist is going to call me the same day of my pre-op appointment, which is the day I go get my blood work done, so the 11th is going to be a really busy day for me! I also called my insurance to get a better idea of what my cost is going to be. They'll pay the hospital charges at 100%, but the surgeon and anesthesiologist's charges are only covered at 85%. So that might be a little bit rough, but it's certainly better than paying the whole thing out of pocket! I consider it worth the money I'll save on bras in the future. I'm going to be trying really hard to drop at least 10 pounds before the surgery. I'd like to get down as close as possible to my goal weight so that there won't be a lot of change to my breasts if I lose more weight afterwards. I think most of weight is in my thighs so I doubt my breasts will be affected too much, but we'll try anyway. :P I've also added new pictures. I look at my breasts now and I'm torn between crying at how horrible they are and laughing with joy because they'll be gone soon. I know WebMD-self-diagnosing is horrible, but I've also begun to wonder if I may have hyperlordosis of my lower back, and if that's something that's been exacerbated by my breasts. My lower back hurts if I try to stand up straight, so I slouch to alleviate that pain, but the heavy breasts just make the slouching worse... it's this weird chicken-egg scenario that's a bit too much for me to deal with on my own! I figure that after the surgery, I'll check out a chiropractor, since from what I've read, hyperlordosis needs actual physical therapy to repair. Anyway... 30 more days! Updated on 11 Sep 2013: How did it get so close so quickly! I had my pre-op appointment today and had the huge list of questions I had answered. Happy to say that I won't have drains and that I will have dissolvable stitches, so that's a couple of hassles I won't have to deal with. I brought pictures of other people's results that I'd be happy with and things that I definitely didn't want, but my doctor seemed pretty insistent that it would be hard to control that sort of thing, but when marking me, she'd try and work the nipple placement to my preference. I can't ever remember having perky breasts, so I have no idea where my natural nipple placement actually is. I guess we'll see after the fact! Also, I'll find out in my FMLA is approved by the end of the week, so that I'll know if I only get a week off from work or the full two weeks I originally requested. I guess at this point I'd better start getting some things together! I already know about getting surgical bras and vitamin E treatments for the scars, and getting food that is easily prepared without reaching, but what else do you guys suggest I pick up? Two weeks is going to fly by, so I want to make sure that I'm well-prepared. Updated on 15 Sep 2013: Getting closer and closer now... less than two weeks away. I went to Walmart and Target and picked up some things today. I tried on a couple of Fruit of the Loom bras at Walmart. The 38 fit me pretty well, almost too comfortably, to the point where I was worried that it would fit too loosely post-op. I got a couple of 36s as well, just in case. I also got some antibacterial body wash, vitamin E oil for the scars, some gauze pads, and a thermometer, to check for fever in case of an infection (fingers crossed). I also got some button down pajamas from Target. Next step is to start deep-cleaning my apartment and getting some food together. I think I might make a few meals with my crock pot and freeze them. I've only used it once since I got so I guess this is a good opportunity to finally break it in! My FMLA was approved as well, so at this point all I've got left to do is wait. 10 days to go! Updated on 24 Sep 2013: So the surgery is tomorrow morning and I feel like a complete mess. I'm so nervous, my stomach is in knots... it's hard to believe how quickly the date of surgery has come. This time tomorrow, the surgery will be done and over with. Can't say I'll miss them, though. I was checking them out in the mirror earlier and noticed how much different they are in size. I always knew that the nipples pointed in slightly different directions (one pointing downward more than the other) but I didn't notice that there's almost an inch difference in length. If I was doubting permanently altering my body (I have tattoos, but they're a little different than surgery :P) realizing that pretty much killed my doubt. Still, doesn't help my mess of nerves now... my next post will be post-surgery. Fingers crossed that my nipples don't fall off! Updated on 26 Sep 2013: The surgery is finished! I got a little peek at my new breasts and they look amazeballs! So glad that I took my surgeon's advice about the nipple placement because, at least when I was sitting up slightly, they look like they're in just the right place. So here's how it happened... I slept pretty easily the night before. Got up at 5:30, took a shower, got ready, and left for the hospital. At this point I was really starting to get nervous, but thankfully I had my parents with me and cuddled against my dad (definite daddy's girl) until they called me back for prep. When I back to give a urine sample, my mom had snuck in... that was really nice because my eyes had decided to leak a little bit when I hugged them. After I was all changed, I walked up to the prep area while they asked all their questions and got my bracelets on. The IV was the next part I was nervous about... and apparently I have small veins so they had trouble finding a good one. Once she found one though, she used some numbing solution and it slid in with no problem. My doctor came in and marked me up... I'd already told her about my reservations about the nipple placement, but she did her marks and was saying how perfect everything was, so I decided to go ahead and trust her. Glad I did! Once she finished the marks and I laid back down, I was so nervous I was shaking, so they put some happy little drug in my IV and I was pretty good from there. Then they wheeled me up the OR and I shifted from the bed to the operating table which they got me ready. I don't recall them asking me to count down or talking to me; the last thing I remember is having the mask over my face and looking up at the ceiling and then I was waking up with all of these people around me. They asked me what my pain level was... I think I remember it being like a 7, so they pumped something into my IV that started working pretty quickly. My surgery was at 8:30 and it was about 11:30 or so when they took me up to my room. It was a semi-private room, but they never put anybody in the bed next to me so it was basically just like having a private room the whole night I was there. Going to the bathroom that first time was interesting! I was really dizzy still from the anesthesia so the nurse had to help me up. Peeing was bizarre... I had to bear down really hard to get anything out even though I knew my bladder was full. After that movement, I got another pain injection and then pretty much passed out on and off for the next few hours. My IV was hurting after a while, all the way down my arm, so they switched it over to my other arm in my forearm. No numbing, so that one hurt a bit. Otherwise though, every nurse I ran into was super sweet and friendly. My mom, being the socialite she is, went out to the nurse's stations to chat with them late last night, and I was feeling good enough where I walked out there too and joined in the conversation. Almost everyone could relate something--they'd either had a reduction already themselves, wanted one, or knew someone who wanted or already had one. Everyone was all "you're gonna feel so much better!" and was amazed at how big I was. Went back to bed after I'd been talking with them for a while, and they then took my vitals every 4 hours so I didn't get much sleep. In the morning, they brought my breakfast and I was told I could go home whenever I was sure I could hold food down, which I hadn't once had an issue with. I was very slightly nauseous right after the surgery, but I never threw up and it never got worse. The RN had to change my bandages, and that's where things kind of got bad. It suddenly got really hard for me to breathe, which my nurses was saying was just anxiety and had me breathe slowly. Got nauseous too, which she also said was just part of the anxiety. I don't know why I was so anxious! I was looking forward to getting a peak but I wasn't frightened or anything, so responding that way was really weird for me. Anyway, once the bandages were all off, I snapped a picture for posterity-- I really wanted to take a picture of my markings before surgery, but I didn't have my phone with me at the time. The nurse and mom both said they looked great and the stitches and everything already look good. Very little bleeding and discharge, too, so I have high hopes for the whole healing process. Got buckled back into the (new! surgical bra--the nurse ordered a second one for me, so that was cool) but I was still having some trouble with suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseous and whatnot, so I took getting dressed really slowly. It took forever for them to get a wheelchair up to the room--so long that they ended up bringing me lunch. Of course, I had a few bites before the wheelchair finally came. Packed myself up, got into the chair, had my pillow against my chest in the car and got chauffeured home. Now I'm just kind of laying around and taking it easy. So, so, so sore, but very happy. :] Updated on 28 Sep 2013: So it's day 3 after surgery and I feel amazing. I haven't had to take any painkillers since the night I came home from the hospital. Except for an occasional zinger or soreness, I haven't been in any pain or discomfort. The worst part is just that I haven't had a BM since the day before the surgery, but I drank a cup of Smooth Move tea so hopefully that'll change by the morning. I took my first shower today too, and that happened without incident. The most difficult part was the same lightheadedness and difficulty breathing I had the first time I had my bandages changed. Since I've been taped up again though, all good. I haven't had a chance to get a really good look at my new breasts but the only thing that bugs me is that the nipple are kind of oblong instead of round, but it's not a huge deal to me. They're so much smaller than I expected, though! I'm not disappointed or regretful, but after having my old breasts for so long it's so odd to look at these new things and realize that they're actually mine now. It's interesting, but I'm sure it'll feel a lot less weird once I get the opportunity to buy some new clothes. So far, so great! Updated on 13 Oct 2013: Been a while since my last update! Not too much going on, everything is going pretty well. I had my 1 week post-op on the 2nd, and my doctor pretty much cleared me to do whatever I want. She even said that I could bra-less if I wanted to, which I did while I went to TJ Maxx to pick up some comfort and sports bras. While it was nice to have the option, I'm not sure if it's something I want to do too often in the future! It felt very weird to not be supported... that and my nipples are ridiculously sensitive, almost painfully so. I also found it kind of weird that my doctor said I didn't have to wear any kind of bra if I wanted to, when so many others are told by the doctors to wear even the surgical bra 24/7 for the first month. My post-op also felt like it went by very quickly. She checked things out, asked how I was doing, if I felt any better, and basically let me go. I wasn't prepared for this like I was for my pre-op, I guess because I thought I'd be given more information without having to ask for it. My next appointment isn't for 2 months now so I guess that's just how confident she is in the results... and they do look great so far. My first day back to work was this past Thursday, and it was the first time I'd really felt sore since the first few days of the surgery. I have a desk job, but I also get up a lot to go to other cubicles to answer questions, so I guess even at my sedentary job it was more exercise than I've gotten in a while. Overall, the healing is going very nicely. The right breast still seems to be a little swollen and oddly shaped, but I'm hoping that's going to go down eventually. There's a lot spot on the underside of my left breast where a scab has peeled off, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that won't separate or do anything crazy. The only part that bothers me is my cleavage, which looks really oddly wrinkled--I assume it's from my stretchmarks being bunched up in the area. Disappointing, but I'm so pleased otherwise that it's not that big of a deal. Looking forward to waiting a few more weeks and being professional sized! It was really refreshing even going to TJ Maxx and buying several bras for half the cost of one of my old ones. Other than the bills for the surgery starting to come in, I'm very, very happy. Updated on 5 Nov 2013: I'll post a more in-depth update later... Right now I just want to mention this spot I have that I'm very concerned about. On Saturday, the scab I had in the T-junction of my left breast fell off. It left kind of a deep hole, so I put some neosporin on, and this other little spot I had further up that looked a bit off too, and covered it up with a pad. I've been reapplying the neosporin and pads, and while the hole has already closed up nicely, this new hole has formed where the weird spot was. It keeps bleeding and has opened enough that I can see the white inside of it. I'm really freaked out at this point! I'm going to keep putting the neosporin on it and covering it up... Really hoping that this doesn't turn into something horrible. :-(
Usually all of the stretch marks below the belly button are removed. The ones above the belly button get moved down to below the belly button.
You sound like you'd be a great candidate for a breast reduction. It would definitely reduce or eliminated your back and neck pain. I'd recommend you consult a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss the specifics of how small you can get safely, that's something that needs to be decided after a physical examination. As for cost, it can usually be covered by insurance when you're that big. You'll be able to return to classes/studying after a week or so. Good luck!
Your plastic surgeon should be able to submit for you with supporting documents of medical necessity. You can ask your PCP/GYN or other doctor to write a letter to include in that packet. It should describe the symptoms (like back pain and shoulder grooving) and what conservative therapies have failed (like chiropractic or medications). With the right documentation, it usually isn't too difficult to get covered.
I would definitely give it some more time (at least 6-8 mos) before considering more surgery. At only one month, your scar tissue will still be forming, causing the firmness and density. Those scars will remodel and soften up at 4-6 months post-op. Also, it is normal for the breasts to be wider at first, especially on the sides - they will "round up" and drop with time.If after 6 months, you are still unhappy with the appearance, consult some other plastic surgeons to get other opinions on whether further surgery can improve this. Having a copy of the original operative report will help any surgeon doing revisional surgery on you. As for whether it will be covered by your insurance, that depends upon the plan. The plastic surgeon planning to do the operation can help you submit for pre-authorization to see whether it will be covered, or what the fees would be if not.
Good for you for considering breast reduction surgery. It will certainly help relieve your symptoms including back pain. As for what size you can get down to, it will depend somewhat on your breast shape/size pre-operatively. In your consultation with your board certified plastic surgeon, together you can decide what is an appropriate post-op size. We are limited by having to save the tissue below the nipple, which provides blood and sensation (nerves) to the nipple. Sometimes that means that we cannot go below a certain size safely. But even if you end up a "C" cup, your symptoms will be vastly improved if not completely eliminated.
