Breast Reduction Advice for a 15-year-old?

IF you have reached a stable weight and growth curve, then this may be an option for you. At your age, you may have a higher likelihood of recurrent hypertrophy and may need another reduction. Also consider that this may effect your ability to nurse if and when you have children.

Thank you for your question!  I hope that these answers help in making your decision.  You suffer from juvenile hypertrophy of the breasts, which is typically treated by breast reduction.  It is not uncommon to have the symptoms that you describe such as neck/back/shoulder pain as well as infections/rashes and shoulder grooving, especially in teenagers once her breasts begin to fully develop.  The decision will ultimately be yours.Once one begins to have the symptoms that you state above, consideration for a surgical procedure to ameliorate your symptoms, assist with self esteem, and allow you to get back to physical activities in your youth should be done.  Given your symptoms,  you would be an ideal candidate.  You must first discuss with your parents and pediatrician, and then consulting with a plastic surgeon for evaluation and examination to assist you in deciding if this would be the right thing for you.  Your surgeon will also go over what to expect as well as the risks and benefits of the procedure.  Overall, your symptoms should be ameliorated almost immediately and hopefully give you more self confidence and an increased activity level.  Your breasts may still continue to grow over the next several years, but it is certainly reasonable to consider this at this age with the issues that you are having.  I hope that this helps!  Good luck with your decision!

When patients have significant breast enlargement with associated symptoms, quality of life can be adversely impacted.  Under these circumstances I don’t feel that breast reduction surgery should be denied because of an arbitrary age cut off.  In your case you have large breasts with severe disabling symptoms.   Your problem has reached a point where it’s causing you psychosocial difficulties.  In your case, it would be reasonable to proceed with breast reduction to alleviate your symptoms.
Before proceeding with surgery there are several issues that require consideration.  One of these is continued breast growth.  I typically prefer breast growth to be stable for at least six months before proceeding with surgery.  I do make exceptions for patients with severe symptoms that cause disruption of life.  Another issue is age of consent.  Because of this, parents should be involved in every step of the decision making process.
Breast reduction has some of the highest satisfaction rates seen in plastic surgery.  Younger patients may experience benefits that may not occur in older patients.  These include less teasing about their breast size at a time when their self image is developing, and improved athletic performance at a time when participating in sports is important.  Early breast reduction also corrects many health problems before they become chronic.
Finally, early intervention allows patients to benefit from the procedure over a lifetime.  Older patients who undergo breast reduction often comment that they wished they had done it earlier.  Many of them feel that by waiting to undergo this procedure, they may have permanently damaged their health and suffered needlessly.

With the size of your breasts and the physical and emotional problems that they are causing you I think you should see a board certified Plastic Surgeon.  This is one of the most gratifying procedures that we perform because the patients are so satisfied following this surgery.  Although you may need revisions in the future I would have the initial surgery now to relieve your symptoms.

Breast reduction is a fantastic procedure starting at 13 to 14 years of age. It is remarkable how breast reduction can help to alleviate the pain in the neck and shoulders as long as the pain isn't being caused by something else such as arthritis. The procedure can be done as an outpatient and it's very well tolerated. Being 15, you may need a repeat procedure later on in life if your breasts continue to grow. But for now, a reduction seems warrented in you. Good luck!

Believe it or not, breast reduction in teenagers if fairly common. Your parents will accept ultimate responsibility, but in this age of athletic activity for young women, many large breasted girls want the huge appendages out of the way.
Breast reduction does demand some incisions that are unsightly in the short term. Usually after a period of time (months) they fade and become acceptable. You can see examples of women at various stages of convalescence on my website listed below.
If you have given the operation thorough consideration I'm certain you will be pleased with the result.

Reductions can be done at 15 with parental consent, and the proper medical clearances and after the breast growth has stopped. Insurance coverage is a hit or miss depending on the carrier.  Usually having symptoms related to breast size is necessary for insurance coverage. Getting it covered though is very difficult. Insurance companies wont tell anyone how much tissue needs to be removed to qualify for coverage. Then if the surgeon is 1gram off they deny coverage after the fact. Insurance companies make money by denying coverage. For that reason most plastic surgeon will likely ask for payment up front.  Breast reductions are the most gratifying operations because years of neck, back and shoulder pain are gone within days.  The final size result depends on your starting size. If you start larger then you will likely end larger. It is not possible to choose a size with any real accuracy. The main reason is that the procedure removes breast tissue but leaves enough tissue to preserve the blood supply to the nipple and areola. Thus more tissue needs to be left behind to ensure nipple viability. The nipple and areola is constantly being accessed during the operation. See a board certified plastic surgeon for specifics on your treatment.

There is not an age limit for breast reduction surgery. It is best to wait at least 1 year from the time that your breast finishes growing. This will allow for optimal correction, and minimizes the possibility that you need a 2nd surgery soon afterwards. In addition to being a candidate, you will need to be able to have parental consent and provide informed consent (or have your parent's provide informed consent on your behalf). When you are ready, consult in person with 3 experienced and expert board certified plastic surgeons to understand your options.

It sounds like you are dealing with juvenile breast hypertrophy along with the physical and psychosocial consequences of this diagnosis. In other words, the breasts are too large for the frame causing  both physical and psychological distress.

It sounds like you have done your homework and understand the potential risk and consultations associated with breast reduction surgery. You also understand that further surgery may be necessary in the future (for example if the breasts were to grow in size again).

On the other hand, breast reduction surgery is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform and I think that for the right teenager (enough symptoms) it may be an excellent option (regardless of the age).

I would suggest an in-person consultation with a well-trained/experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. Best wishes.

I do quite a few breast reductions on teeenagers. My only requirement is that your bra size has not changed in the last year. If your breasts are still growing when you have the procedure done, you may need a second reduction a few years later.