Excess Flab on Sides After Breast Reduction

Thanks for your question -
It sounds as if you have some excess skin and fat at the end of the transverse part of your breast reduction scars. This can be more common in patients that have some excess tissue to begin with at the lateral aspects of your chest.
In many cases liposuction can improve this but in some cases additional incisions may be necessary to adequately correct this.
Discuss these issues with your previous plastic surgeon. Unfortunately insurance does not typically cover this.
I hope this helps.

It’s not unusual for women with breast enlargement to have a roll of skin and subcutaneous tissue that extends posteriorly from the breast. In many cases, this tissue extends all the way to the midline of the back. This tissue often lies beneath the bra strap and can be very noticeable.

Although every effort is made to address this issue during surgery, it’s not uncommon to have a residual roll of skin and fat in this area. Efforts to address this problem at the time of surgery can involve extending the incision posteriorly to remove excess skin and fat. In other cases, there may be excess fat with good skin tone. In this situation, liposuction might be the best option.

A secondary procedure is often indicated when the roll of excess tissue extends posteriorly to the midline of the back. This procedure can be done in the prone position to provide better access to the excess skin and fat in the back area. Although secondary procedures designed to correct these types of problems have high success rates, they are very rarely covered by insurance carriers. They are typically viewed as cosmetic and therefore not medically necessary.

For many patients, this excess tissue is not only unsightly, but also causes them difficulty wearing standard under garments. Correction of this problem is associated with high satisfaction rates. If you have concerns about this type of problem, consultation with your plastic surgeon would be appropriate.

This is a common problem among overweight women who have a breast reduction.  The lateral tissue is fat not breast tissue and the insurance companies will not pay to remove it.  Some patients have paid a fee to the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and OR facility to take care of the lateral fat at the same time as a cosmetic procedure.

This is a common associated complaint reported with breast reduction. The problem is to determine if this is localized breast tissue, fat and/or skin. Depending on the evaluation further breast reduction, liposuction, or dermolipectomy (removing skin and fat) may be indicated.

Lateral to the breast, a prominence may result after breast reduction.  If there is not surplus skin, liposuction of the area can fix the problem.  If skin is in excess, it will need to be excised.  This will require an extension of the breast reduction incision.

The excess tissue on the sides of your breast can be either excess skin, excess fat, or both. If it is mainly fat, liposuction alone will significantly help eliminate this. If it is skin, or a combination, then you would need surgical excision of the tissues. In most cases, insurance would look at this as a cosmetic procedure, and it would not be covered. Good luck!

Some patients will require liposuction of their armpit/lateral chest wall area during a breast reduction to get a great result. It's common for patients to have some breast tissue, or usually fatty tissue, in this area where the side of the breast "ends". If this is not addressed at the time of surgery with either direct excision or liposuction of the tissue, the final result may not be completely satisfying to the patient and some of this tissue may stick out from underneath the bra line.
Usually, the liposuction can be done at the same time as the breast reduction, but in some cases, the liposuction is performed at a later stage after the swelling has subsided.
Please discuss this with a board certified plastic surgeon prior to scheduling a breast reduction procedure.

Liposuction of the outer chest wall is a common need for breast reduction patients. Although this area certainly contributes to the overall shape and look of the breasts, it is not actually breast tissue. Therefore, this is considered cosmetic in nature most insurance companies usually will not pay for it.

Many women (particularly those who are overweight) have excess tissue that extends past the outside of the breasts under the arms as a fold of skin and fat. This typically lies under the bra strap.
Breast reduction is typically limited to the breast tissue itself and therefore does not involve removing the excess "flab" on the sides. However, this "flab" can become more noticeable after breast reduction and is a common complaint after surgery.
Improvement may occur with weight loss and/or time. Surgical correction may involve liposuction and/or excision of the "flab" which may involve additional scarring.
Surgical correction is not likely to be covered by insurance as it is basically a different issue from and unrelated to the enlarged breats that were corrected by the breast reduction surgery.
However, in your case, your insurance may cover an additional procedure since you apparently had some post-operative issues related to the reduction. Your plastic surgeon should be able to advise you in that regard.
Best Wishes!

Oftentimes with breast reduction surgery we combine liposuction at the time of surgery to help with the lateral (sides) which are full. It is also possible to the liposuction as a secondary procedure at a later time. Unfortunately, I doubt the insurance company will pay for the procedure now as a secondary case. The other option may be Smartlipo done in the office. it is all depends how much tissue needs to be removed. Good luck.