I Have a 38F Breast Size and am Overweight, How Much Should Be Taken From My Breasts?

Question

I am 24 and am 5'⁴" tall i weigh between 185-200. I have a bust size of 38F. If i wanted surgery, what would be the ammount that would be taken out of my breasts? And with a chest size of 38F what would be a healthy weight? I don't want to be skinny or anything , I want to be healthy, because I do not have insurance I cannot afford the surgery. So in that case I just want to be healthy enough to be able to keep up with my 5 year old daughter.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Congratulations on your decision to proceed with breast reduction surgery; it is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform.

	As you know, it will be in your best interest to get as close as possible to your long-term stable weight prior to undergoing surgery.

	Unfortunately, there is no direct correlation between the amount of tissue removed and the ultimate cup size that a patient will wear after breast reduction surgery. I'm sure your plastic surgeon also informed you that the weights to be removed on each side are only estimations.

	Before undergoing the breast reduction procedure it will be very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon.  In my practice, the use of photographs of &ldquo;goal&rdquo; pictures (and breasts that are too big or too small) is very helpful. I have found that the use of words such as &ldquo;natural&rdquo; or &ldquo;C cup&rdquo; etc. means different things to different people and therefore prove unhelpful.  Also, as you know, cup size varies depending on who makes the bra; therefore, discussing desired cup  size may also be inaccurate.

	Generally, I advise patients undergoing breast reduction surgery to go small enough to alleviate symptoms related to breast hypertrophy as much as possible while retaining as much breast tissue as necessary to maintain proportionality between the upper and lower torso.

	Best wishes.

Scott L. Replogle, MD (retired) · Answer

In my opinion and experience, the proper way to approach this is to choose the size of the breast to remain after the reduction and then find out how much the tissue weighed at the time of the procedure. This is far from exact but in general, if the breast is reduced to a C cup size it will not be too big or cause functional problems. The size of the breast is affected unpredictably by weight gain or loss so that being within 10 lbs of the weight you expect to stay is optimal for setting the size of the breast to end up with. 

	If you don't go through insurance coverage you will be able to choose the place, the surgeon, and the size you end up with and not have to worry about the weight of the tissue removed. Today such procedures can be done under local anesthesia with IV sedation in a cosmetic surgical setting. This would be the least costly way to get the procedure done if you are paying for it yourself.

I Have a 38F Breast Size and am Overweight, How Much Should Be Taken From My Breasts?

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