Can I get a breast reduction from a 40C to an A cup? (Photos)

The best way to determine what your breast size can be with respect to your anatomy and give true advice would be an in-person exam with a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of breast procedures annually. Not only does proportion depend upon the aesthetic balance of your breasts with your shoulders, waist, hips, and buttocks, but also upon your objectives, active lifestyle, soft tissue quality, muscular anatomy, and long-term concerns. There is also a limit to how small you can go due to tissue that needs to be retained for the nipple/areola to maintain a good blood and sensory nerve supply.
The surgery will also help to reshape and recontour your breasts. Very large breasts have the natural tendency to sag or hang low, so breast reduction surgery will lift them up and help them look perkier under tight clothing. The gram amount is dependent upon the density of the breast tissue and the volume removed. No direct correlation exists with cup sizes. 

Hello and thank you for your question.
You may be a good candidate for this surgery. Check with your Insurance carrier to see if this is a covered benefit. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Best wishes!

You need a formal evaluation by a licensed plastic surgeon and expert in breast reductions to determine what is best for you and your goals.Breast reduction is one of my favorite surgeries as it allows me to dramatically improve a woman’s breast appearance as well as alleviate many physical symptoms of large breasts, such as back, neck and shoulder pain, bra strap grooving, and rashes under the breasts. When I perform breast reduction surgery, I generally use a superomedial pedicle to provide blood supply to the nipple while maintaining fullness in the upper and inner breast. Excess lower and outer breast tissue are removed. Breasts are often asymmetrical, so I remove more tissue from the larger breast. The final scar pattern is a circle around the areola, down the breast, and possibly under the breast, depending on the degree of skin excess.
For me, breast reduction is not a one-size-fits-all surgery. The size and shape of the breasts are customized to each patient depending on her goals and desires. Some women want a significant amount of tissue removed while others prefer to have a more limited reduction. Regardless of the amount of tissue removal, I perform the maximum safe amount of lifting and tightening for each patient.
I suggest consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon and expert in Breast Reductions. - Dr. Cohen

The technique I recommend is a reduction using 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.

A breast reduction is often a balance between the patient goals and the limits of anatomy. Your surgeon will know what is necessary with regards to weight resection. Anatomic limits are non-negotiable as a certain amount of tissue must be preserved in order to maintain vascular supply to the nipple areolar complex. This amount tends to rise with the distance the nipple must travel from where it is to its planned destination. Technically speaking, the larger breast (and greater the ptosis) the more tissue that will need to be preserved in order to maintain vascular supply to the nipple areolar complex. Ultimately, you do play a role in the decision making process. The anatomic restrictions are, on the other hand, more rigid.
With regards to your specific question, it is difficult to predict the size of safe reduction. However, as stated above, there will be limits based on anatomy. With a larger pre-op cup size it is often unrealistic to expect a significantly smaller cup post op. I generally recommend that very large patients temper their expectations along these lines.
It is also important to remember that we deal in weight and volume (which are standardized) whereas "cup size" goals can be extremely variable (depending upon the manufacturer). There is no correlation between cup and grams resected. Much like in augmentation, focus not on the cup but on the look and resolution of symptoms.That being said, an A cup is difficult to achieve regardless of pre-op size.
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
RealSelf Verified Member
RealSelf Top 100
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Dear Destiney47,
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

Hi and
welcome to our forum!
From your photographs, the distance from the top of the breast bone to the nipple is increased. The distance from the nipple to the bottom of the breast is relatively normal.  If you wish a B cup, this could be accomplished with a short scar breast reduction. If an A cup is desired, a full pattern breast reduction would be required.
Breast
reduction is both cosmetic and functional, as the procedure often alleviates
neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, bra strap grooving, and chronic
rashes beneath the breasts due to their added weight. In minimal-moderate
reductions, the nipple areola is maintained in a "stalk"
(pedicle) of breast tissue to provide blood flow. 
The breasts can be reduced to any size, but the
reduction is most often performed to regain proper body proportion.Without examination, I cannot determine if there is enough tissue present to achieve insurance coverage, but from a surgical standpoint, you should obtain an excellent result as the reduction also includes a lift which will elevate your nipple-areolar complexes into normal position and restore the conical shape of the breasts.
Seek an in-person
consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation and discussion.
Best
wishes...

Yes, it is possible to go as small as you desire with a breast reduction.  I have done this in the past, although it is an unusual request.  I suggest that you carefully plan your new size in  consultation with a plastic surgeon, to help you refine your decision and be sure that this is what you really want.  Also, if you are still growing in size every year, then maybe you want to wait until the process ends, otherwise it will change again after surgery!
Good luck!

I know it seems that reducing your breast dramatically to an A cup will be the solution you are looking for.  I would caution you on going that small.  The size reduction, and the lifting of the breast tissue both play a role in relieving the symptoms of back/neck/shoulder pain as well as the skin rashes.  It's important to maintain symmetry and balance with your frame when determining the ideal breast size.  An A cup may leave you too small, especially when you've lived your life with large breasts to this point.  I recommend having a frank discussion with your plastic surgeon before surgery to be sure you have all of your questions answered and your expectations are met.  Breast reductions are typically my happiest patients. 

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on the photos provided you would be a great candidate for a breast reduction. A breast reduction is usually done via an (anchor) incision this involves a surgical incision in a ring around the areola, vertically down from the areola to the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease. With this reduction you may be able to reach a small B cup but not an "A” cup. It is best that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon for further assessment. Only after thorough examination you can get proper recommendation and advice.