Will losing weight after surgery ruin my results, or will I maintain breast volume because I was chesty even when I was thin?

Thank you for your question which is a common query. The breast has a variable percentage of fat in it and the amount of volume you will lose depends on this aspect. In general if your breast size changed preoperatively with your weight it is likely to do so post op. I find that most patients having a reduction have a very glandular breast which will not be affected so much by fluctuations in weight.

Hello and thank you for your question.
Gaining or loosing weight may change the outcome from your surgery, but it doesn't always. It is best to be at a stable weight prior to your procedure. Best of luck!

Dear mlensch1,
Thank you for your question!

How your breasts fluctuate with weight loss or gain depends on their overall composition. Breasts that consist of more fatty tissues are will be susceptible to weight changes, while those that are less fatty will remain relatively stable. 
Significant weight loss may lead to changes in breast size or positioning regardless, but this can vary a lot from patient to patient. 
I recommend you get as close as possible to your goal weight before surgery and consult with your board-certified plastic surgeon before proceeding to discuss your concerns. Your surgeon is more familiar with your breasts and can provide a more accurate prediction of what you can expect after your procedure. Best of luck to you!

Thank you for your question. For best results, I would advise you to be at a stable weight at the time of surgery. Hope this information helps!

At 5’10 and 200 lbs, your BMI is 28.5.  A portion of your breasts are fat but the other portion is parenchyma.  If you lose weight your parenchyma stays the same but your fat may decrease.  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.  Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

My recommendation would have been to lose the weight prior to the BR.  Composed of breast tissue and fat, the breast will become smaller if you lose weight.  During a BR, the skin is tightened; if you lose weight, the skin needs to shrink and tighten to a smaller size. If it cannot, your breast will droop.  How much it loosens and droops varies based on how much weight is lost, the laxity of your skin, etc.Losing more than 20 lbs tends to affect the results in a detrimental fashion.  This has some variability as a 20 lb weight loss in a 200 lb woman may have less of an effect than a 20 lb weight loss in a 120 lb woman.

Dear mlensch1,
 Generally speaking, you want to reach your goal weight before you consider a breast reduction, otherwise your results will be suboptimal if you continue to lose weight after the surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD

The optimal candidate for surgery has reached a healthy stable weight at which they are content (preferably with a BMI < 30).Weight loss post operatively can compromise your result. However, there is no way to predict with any certainty thus the importance of stability.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS)Donovan Rosas MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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There are multiple techniques available for breast reduction, some of which provide a longer lasting lift. There are multiple factors affecting how weight loss will impact the appearance of your breasts, including composition of breast tissue, skin integrity, amount of weight lost, etc. If you are considering major weight loss, we do recommend you wait to get surgery until after your weight loss. However, with minimal weight loss we typically do not see a drastic impact on results. 

great questionif you have found that your breasts are prone to change size with overall weight gain / weightloss, then these changes will also tend occur after breast reduction surgery.  It sounds like you are one of these.....so if you have your breast reduction, are happy with it and then go and lose 50lb you will likely find that you are less happy with it!  Diet to a weight that you can realistically maintain and THEN have the breast reduction!