I Am 17 Years Old. I Am a Size 32J in Bras, 5'5 and 150lbs. Am I Eligible for a Breast Reduction? (photo)

         Not only do you have
large breasts at an early age, but you’re already suffering significant
symptoms. I generally prefer to wait until the breast have stopped growing
before proceeding with breast reduction, but in your case, early intervention
may be appropriate because of your symptoms.

 

         I recommend
consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. Obviously your parents
need to be involved in the process as well. Breast reduction has significant
benefits and patients who undergo the procedure at an early age experience the
benefits over a lifetime. There are downsides as well. These include the
potential inability to breast feed, prolonged healing, decreased nipple
sensation and scarring. In my experience, patients who undergo breast reduction
at an early age not only experience relief of these symptoms, but also an
improved quality of life. 

Great question. More and more, we are operating and doing breast reductions on patients who are still teenagers like yourself, because it has such a positive impact on the patient's quality of life and improves back pain. For many women, it is very hard to be active, do exercise, etc. when breasts are so large. Ideally, it is good to wait until the breast size is stable for at least a year, and the patient is done growing and maturing. If those criteria are met, then it's perfectly safe to undergo a breast reduction, and only a small percentage of those patients will require a secondary reduction years down the road. Insurance is also covering reductions for patients your age, especially with large breasts such as yours. The key thing for this age group to understand is that there is a chance it could impact the patient's ability to breast feed down the road, and most patients are ok with that tradeoff of slightly higher risk.
-Dr. David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group