What steps do I have to go through to get a breast reduction?

What steps you have to go through depends on whether you want insurance to cover your surgery. If this is the case, the first step is to ensure that this procedure is covered under your insurance policy. You can find this out by calling your insurance company. If this is a covered procedure, the next step is seeing your primary care physician or OB so that they can start documenting your symptoms. Insurance companies require that you have tried non-surgical treatments for your symptoms, which may include medications, weight loss (if applicable), or physical therapy. Your doctor will also ensure that there is nothing else that could be causing the pain. Once this is done, the final step is to see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area who takes your insurance. The plastic surgeon will perform and exam and estimate how much tissue can be removed before submitting to your insurance company for pre-approval.Of course, if you plan on simply paying for the surgery out of pocket, then you can skip all of the above and schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon.Best of luck to you!

Thank you for the question. Based on your description, you may be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery. “Official” recommendations of course would necessitate in-person consultation.
Breast reduction surgery is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform. By removing “excess” breast tissue, adipose tissue, and breast skin this operation reduces AND lifts the breasts to a higher position on the chest wall (in other words, the breasts are "automatically" lifted when a breast reduction is performed). By doing so, patients often find improvement in neck, back, and shoulder discomfort and find it easier to form their activities of daily living and exercise. Sometimes breast reduction surgery is covered through health insurance. The best way to obtain insurance coverage for breast reduction surgery involves some “hoops” to jump through. The more documentation you have (for example, from your primary care doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor etc.) the better when it comes to obtaining insurance “authorization” for the procedure.
This documentation and letter/pictures from your plastic surgeon will help you obtain authorization.
When the time is right, seek consultation with well-trained/experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. Ask to see lots of examples of their work and communicate your goals clearly. Best NOT to communicate your goals in terms of achieving a specific cup size; this type of communication can be a source of miscommunication. In my practice, I prefer the use of goal pictures during this communication phase; many patients wish to remove enough breast tissue to improve/alleviate symptoms while maintaining upper/lower body proportionality.
I hope this, and the attached link (dedicated to breast reduction surgery concerns), helps.

Most carriers will cover breast reduction for individuals that have symptoms such as upper back pain, shoulder and neck pain, rashes, etc.  However, not all plans will cover breast reduction, and they often require that non-surgical management has been attempted for a period of time before they will cover it.  I would check with your insurance carrier to see if it is covered in your plan.  Non-operative management that they may require can include over-the-counter pain medications, supportive bras, physical therapy, etc.  They will also require that a certain amount of breast tissue be removed during surgery and this amount vaires with different plans.  It sounds as if you have the symptoms, so I would suggest seeing a plastic surgeon that may help you jump through the hoops.  You will be very happy you did!