Cup size 36-I / 36-DDD. Am I a good candidate for either breast reduction or breast lift, retaining nipple function? (photos)

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. You are a good candidate for breast reduction. This is typically covered by insurance, will alleviate your symptoms and lift up the nipple position, however there is a small risk of losing the ability to breast feed when you remove breast tissues/glands with this surgery. The breast lift without reduction will not help your pain symptoms. I hope this helps.

Thanks for your question! I definitely think you would be a candidate for breast reduction. There is always a risk of losing sensitivity to the nipple. This surgery is all about weighing the pros and cons and then deciding what is right for you. Good luck!

The technique I recommend is The Bellesoma Method. This will reduce and reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. The weight of the breast is transferred to the underlying pectoralis major muscle resulting in pain relief without excessive reduction. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. This technique is not covered by insurance.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

You should be able to have your surgery covered by insurance. As far as nipple sensation there is always a risk of diminished nipple sensation and there will be significant scars as well. Depending on the technique you may it may not be able to breast feed. But you do need the operation done. Otherwise it will give you serious back problems over time.

Dear pardeepxkaur,
breast reduction is best suited for women who wish to decrease the size of their breasts. While there are different techniques used to perform this surgery, I prefer the vertical incision (lollipop pattern) breast reduction technique instead of the anchor scar pattern, which reduces more noticeable scarring than usual. I also use a SAFE liposuction technique to reduce additional fat around the stubborn axilla area and bra line. This way, my patients are achieving beautiful results with minimal incisions which reduces downtime and delivers an overall better breast shape long term.If you are considering breast reduction surgery, you should consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options and make sure your surgeon understands your goals. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for sharing your photos! You sound like you are a good candidate for a breast reduction. Large breasts may not only interfere with your physical ability to function in daily activities but can be emotionally burdensome as well. Although it is difficult to say without a personal examination, you may be a candidate for a breast reduction. Breast reduction surgery removes excess breast tissue and reshapes the contour of the breasts so that they are smaller and perkier. It is possible to do a breast reduction with a minimal scar technique and can also be done as an outpatient procedure under twilight sedation. I suggest you make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon who will examine you and go over your surgical options in detail.

These are common questions for most people desiring a breast reduction. Each insurance companies will have different requirements to get approved. Most require a minimum volume removed based on Schnur scale and secondary qualifications like rashes, specialty bra purchasing, and history of physical therapy for back/shoulder pain. Regarding scars, the scars will be around the areola and down the center of the breasts, and the length of the horizontal scar is dependent of the amount of skin that needs to be removed between the nipple and the lower fold of the breast (most skin= longer scar). Also, as more breast volume is removed there is more skin that needs to be removed. Typically patients are very happy with there reduction and note a significant reduction in back/neck/shoulder pain.

Yes you are an excellent candidate for a breast reduction with a lift. i like the inferior pedicle wise pattern technique with lipo suction of the axilla. i will sometimes use mesh to create a nice scaffold to hold the breasts up over time but not always necessary. The surgery is one of my favorite to do and takes 4 hours to do under general anesthesia. Insurance usually will cover if you remove about 500 grams or more and you seem to have that much but depends on your insurance plan . All are different. You should maintain nipple sensation with an experienced surgeon who is board certified and does a lot of breast reduction surgeries.

Good luck ! You should do very well.

Andrew Cohen, MD

From your photos it appears you are a good candidate for a breast reduction. Certain criteria need to be met in order for insurance companies to cover the procedure. These criteria vary by policy but often involve a minimum amount of tissue to be removed. The incisions for this procedure go around the areola, down the center of the breast and within the fold of the breast. Because breast tissue is removed there is a possibility that your ability to breast feed could be impacted. The nipple typically is not removed during this procedure (just the skin around it) and generally women maintain nipple sensitivity. I encourage you to visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

Your requests for normal N/A use is not realistic if doing a breast lift/reduction by any known techniques for surgical correction. Best you finish with child rearing then consider this surgery.