I'm 5 foot 3 inches, 127lbs, and will be getting a breast reduction soon. Not only do I find smaller boobs comfortable, but I like the look of a tomboyish figure. What would be the smallest I can do with this surgery?
Answer: Can you reduce your breasts from a 34DD to a 34B? Far more important than the technique is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let them explain why one technique may be better than another. See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for a BR Always insist on a board certified plastic surgeon.
Helpful
Answer: Can you reduce your breasts from a 34DD to a 34B? Far more important than the technique is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let them explain why one technique may be better than another. See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for a BR Always insist on a board certified plastic surgeon.
Helpful
February 13, 2017
Answer: Breast reduction From the sounds of it, you are the ideal a candidate for a a breast reduction. Not only will this improve your overall well being from reducing the weight on your back and shoulder, it will also give you aesthetically pleasing breasts. I like to reduce the breast size that matches your body and desires, so I believe you can achieve what you are looking for.
Helpful
February 13, 2017
Answer: Breast reduction From the sounds of it, you are the ideal a candidate for a a breast reduction. Not only will this improve your overall well being from reducing the weight on your back and shoulder, it will also give you aesthetically pleasing breasts. I like to reduce the breast size that matches your body and desires, so I believe you can achieve what you are looking for.
Helpful
February 10, 2017
Answer: Can I reduce my breasts from a 34DD to a 34B? Thank you for the question and congratulations on your decision to proceed with breast reduction surgery. You may be surprised to know that your goals/requests are not that unusual. I see several patients every year who wish to achieve as small of a breast appearance outcome, for a variety of personal reasons. Generally speaking, it is possible to reduce the breasts size very significantly. Based on the sophistication of your question, I think you may already understand that the concern with the amount of tissue removed is related to blood flow to the remaining tissue; if too much tissue is removed in one operation the blood flow to the remaining tissue (including nipple/areola) may be compromised. Part of the tissue that is left in place is called the “pedicle"; this segment of tissue is responsible for delivering the blood supply to the nipple/areola tissue. If the pedicle is made too small (in the effort to reduce the breasts as much as possible) then patient will likely have problems with tissue survival. I think that you are wise in understanding the importance of preoperative communication when it comes to achieving an outcome that you will be pleased with. In my opinion, successful outcomes with etc. surgery depend on: 1. Careful selection of plastic surgeon (and from the surgeon's standpoint, careful selection of patient). I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices concentrate on aesthetic surgery. ***Ask to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done. 2. Careful communication of goals ( which I will discuss further below). 3. Skillful execution of procedure ( preoperative, intraopererative, and postoperative patient management). In my practice, I would ask that you NOT communicate your goals, or evaluate the outcome of the procedure performed, based on cup sizes. There is simply too much variability when it comes to bra sizes between bra manufacturers and even store employees doing the bra fitting measurements. Generally speaking, for the benefit of patients undergoing breast reduction surgery: it will be very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon. Most patients wish to achieve a enough of a reduction to help with their symptoms while remaining proportionate with the remainder of their torso. Again, I suggest that you do not communicate your goals in terms of achieving a specific cup size. For example, a “B cup” may mean different things to different people and therefore may be a source of miscommunication. In my practice, I ask patients to communicate their goals with the help of computer imaging and/or goal photographs, as you have done here. Obviously, the outcome associated with the breast surgery will not necessarily match that of goal photographs perfectly, but they do serve as a better communication tool that subjective terms such as "natural", "proportionate", "flat"… Evaluating goal photographs also allows for a plastic surgeon to determine the consistency of the patient's goals and allows for a discussion of realistic expectations as well. ***Needless to say, when it comes to achieving patient satisfaction with the outcome of surgery, it is very important that a patient has consistent goals (fully decided on what she would like to achieve) and a good understanding of realistic expectations (what outcomes can and cannot be achieved). Best wishes with your decision making and for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.
Helpful
February 10, 2017
Answer: Can I reduce my breasts from a 34DD to a 34B? Thank you for the question and congratulations on your decision to proceed with breast reduction surgery. You may be surprised to know that your goals/requests are not that unusual. I see several patients every year who wish to achieve as small of a breast appearance outcome, for a variety of personal reasons. Generally speaking, it is possible to reduce the breasts size very significantly. Based on the sophistication of your question, I think you may already understand that the concern with the amount of tissue removed is related to blood flow to the remaining tissue; if too much tissue is removed in one operation the blood flow to the remaining tissue (including nipple/areola) may be compromised. Part of the tissue that is left in place is called the “pedicle"; this segment of tissue is responsible for delivering the blood supply to the nipple/areola tissue. If the pedicle is made too small (in the effort to reduce the breasts as much as possible) then patient will likely have problems with tissue survival. I think that you are wise in understanding the importance of preoperative communication when it comes to achieving an outcome that you will be pleased with. In my opinion, successful outcomes with etc. surgery depend on: 1. Careful selection of plastic surgeon (and from the surgeon's standpoint, careful selection of patient). I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices concentrate on aesthetic surgery. ***Ask to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done. 2. Careful communication of goals ( which I will discuss further below). 3. Skillful execution of procedure ( preoperative, intraopererative, and postoperative patient management). In my practice, I would ask that you NOT communicate your goals, or evaluate the outcome of the procedure performed, based on cup sizes. There is simply too much variability when it comes to bra sizes between bra manufacturers and even store employees doing the bra fitting measurements. Generally speaking, for the benefit of patients undergoing breast reduction surgery: it will be very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon. Most patients wish to achieve a enough of a reduction to help with their symptoms while remaining proportionate with the remainder of their torso. Again, I suggest that you do not communicate your goals in terms of achieving a specific cup size. For example, a “B cup” may mean different things to different people and therefore may be a source of miscommunication. In my practice, I ask patients to communicate their goals with the help of computer imaging and/or goal photographs, as you have done here. Obviously, the outcome associated with the breast surgery will not necessarily match that of goal photographs perfectly, but they do serve as a better communication tool that subjective terms such as "natural", "proportionate", "flat"… Evaluating goal photographs also allows for a plastic surgeon to determine the consistency of the patient's goals and allows for a discussion of realistic expectations as well. ***Needless to say, when it comes to achieving patient satisfaction with the outcome of surgery, it is very important that a patient has consistent goals (fully decided on what she would like to achieve) and a good understanding of realistic expectations (what outcomes can and cannot be achieved). Best wishes with your decision making and for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.
Helpful
February 13, 2017
Answer: How much can breasts be reduced? That is an excellent question. I find that we can usually go pretty much as small as the patient wants unless you are starting out huge, or have a really broad chest, however this can require more extensive scars to get rid of enough skin so that they aren't droopy. It is difficult to say without at a least a photo! Also, we would have you bring in, or pick out, photos of what you mean when you say a B cup, as there are no standards in women's sizing. The photos and discussion are used to figure out exactly what you want in terms of shape, size, and proportion to your body. The amount of reduction is limited by the need to leave enough tissue and blood supply to keep the tissues alive. Good luck!
Helpful
February 13, 2017
Answer: How much can breasts be reduced? That is an excellent question. I find that we can usually go pretty much as small as the patient wants unless you are starting out huge, or have a really broad chest, however this can require more extensive scars to get rid of enough skin so that they aren't droopy. It is difficult to say without at a least a photo! Also, we would have you bring in, or pick out, photos of what you mean when you say a B cup, as there are no standards in women's sizing. The photos and discussion are used to figure out exactly what you want in terms of shape, size, and proportion to your body. The amount of reduction is limited by the need to leave enough tissue and blood supply to keep the tissues alive. Good luck!
Helpful
February 12, 2017
Answer: When you want the smallest results from reductions, you MUST let your surgeon know that you want the most aggressive reduction he/she does. In my hands, that would be a B cup and would require anchor scars and possibly a nipple graft (lose sensation and half the height of your nipple). Otherwise routine reduction usually end up C+ cup or more. So if a very small cup is your goal, you should anticipate needing revisions and you should find out what your surgeon's policy is on revisions.
Helpful
February 12, 2017
Answer: When you want the smallest results from reductions, you MUST let your surgeon know that you want the most aggressive reduction he/she does. In my hands, that would be a B cup and would require anchor scars and possibly a nipple graft (lose sensation and half the height of your nipple). Otherwise routine reduction usually end up C+ cup or more. So if a very small cup is your goal, you should anticipate needing revisions and you should find out what your surgeon's policy is on revisions.
Helpful