Breast Reduction Help with Costochondritis and Weigth Loss?

If you are only a size 38 D, I doubt an insurance carrier will authorize a breast reduction.  You will not meet the volume requirement.  They usually require approximately 500 grams removed, which would take you down to a size B or smaller and will look disproportionate.  There are new techniques called The Ultimate Breast Lift and The Ultimate Breast Reduction.  The advantage of these techniques are no vertical scars, the breast is repositioned to increase the upper pole fullness and cleavage and weight is transferred to the underlying muscle to eliminate your symptoms.  Weight loss is always a value to a patient but is difficult to achieve.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Thank you for the question.

I think you will be best off doing your best to achieve a long-term stable weight prior to undergoing breast reduction surgery. Proceeding in this fashion will minimize  the chances that additional surgery will become necessary, in the event of weight loss that occurs after breast reduction surgery.  You are wise to seek help from physicians who specialize in this area, personal trainers, and/or nutritionists.  You are also correct in that,  after breast reduction surgery, you may find that it is easier to exercise and otherwise perform your activities of daily living.  This operation tends to be one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform.

 Best wishes.

If your weight is so large that you are likely to have complications from surgery, it is important to lose weight ahead of your procedure to stay safe.  If the extra weight is not so much, there are different approaches.  I have had many patients that were unable to achieve their weight loss goal, had breast reduction surgery and then were spurred on to shed pounds afterwards.  They seemed to feel better about their bodies and that helped to jump start exercise and dieting. When I have a patient that is successfully losing I recommend they continue with the weight loss program, before surgery.  For those that have plateaued in their dieting, there is no need to punish themselves by not having the breast reduction, unless, of course the extra weight is just too risky for surgery.

I have performed breast reductions on patients with costochondritis. And, in my experience, the resolution of costochondritis appears to be patient dependent. The cause of the rib pain is multifactorial. Heavy breasts can certainly contribute to inflammation in the costochondral joints. Generally, patients with much larger breasts than D cups, have a better response to surgery.

Poor physical fitness and general weight gain seem to be major factors, as well. With that said, optimizing the resolution of the problem should focus on exercise, a healthy diet, weight loss, anti-inflammatory medications. However, if you feel that your breast size is interfering with an exercise routine and weight loss, breast reduction surgery can definitely make these activities easier!

Thank you for your question. Best of luck!

 

Gregory C. Park, M.D.