I am 18 years old and I want breast reduction but not sure if my doctor would approve?

Based on your photos and complaints, if your breasts bigger than you want to you will be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery. This surgery will help to reshape your breast and you will be able to move comfortably as your proporion will improve. To start the process, you should contact a Board Certified Surgeon. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for you question,            The Bellesoma Method is a current technique to lift and/or reduce breasts without using implants or the ugly vertical scars.  The incisions are hidden around the areola and in the inframammary crease. The vertical incision has been completely eliminated. The areola incision heals almost invisibly due to the fact that there is hardly any tension on the closure. With this particular technique, ducts are preserved along with nerve supply maintaining nipple sensation and the ability to breast feed. Because the breast is reshaped internally and is secured to your chest muscles, upper pole fullness is possible without an implant. Attached is a patient who underwent The Bellesoma Method. Please note that her tissue was used to create upper pole fullness and cleavage without any foreign materials (mesh, implants, etc).  Unfortunately, we do not accept insurance for breast reductions.  Dr. Horndeski does not remove enough breast tissue to meet insurance criteria.  Instead, he utilizes the breast tissue to reshape the breast.  It is a proprietary technique that only surgeons that have been trained by me can perform. I hope this helps. Best wishes and kind regards, Dr. Gary Horndeski

Dear mikela12,many women have overdevelopment of breast tissue and require reductions.  Some of the questions you need to ask yourself are if you are willing to have scars from the surgery, take the risk of losing nipple sensation and other complications in addition to possible problems breast feeding if you plan to have children in the future. I would meet with a plastic surgeon to go over all of these risks and benefits to see if you would be a good candidate for surgery.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

It is difficult to tell in your case without photos or a description of your physical symptoms.   Insurance approval depends on multiple factors.  These include the patient's breast size compared to their height and weight, the plastic surgeons estimate in terms of breast tissue weight to be removed, the extent of the patient's symptoms and physical limitations as they relate to her breasts and whether the patient has sought conservative treatment for their symptoms such a s chiropractic care or physical therapy.  Unfortunately every insurance companies requirements are different.  I recommend consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who can better evaluate your situation and write a letter of preauthorization to your insurance company. 

Hard to say without pictures. Many young women do have breast reduction at age 18 and are very pleased. You should seek a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who will be able to tell you if you are a good candidate and will also explain the incisions and resulting scars. Some insurance companies do cover breast reduction but have certain criteria you need to meet to qualify. When you see a plastic surgeon, you will find out if you are a candidate and the surgeon can help you apply for per-authorization. Good luck!

Criteria for breast reduction are based mostly on your symptoms: back and neck pain, bra strap grooving, inability to exercise due to breast size.  As to how much breast tissue must be removed for insurance to cover it, that is specific to different carriers but in general follows the Schnur scale.  The Schnur scale takes into account a patient's body surface area and correlates how many grams would be reasonable to be removed. As to whether your "doctor would approve," I'm not sure what you mean by that.  Without photos or an examination, it's impossible to tell whether you're a candidate, but if you're suffering, a board certified plastic surgeon is there to help.  Best of luck to you!  

You do not state specifically why you are concerned that your doctor would not approve, but because you mention that you are 18, I am assuming that you are concerned that you are too young to have a breast reduction. My decision on breast reduction for symptoms of macromastia (back pain, neck pain etc.) is based on the severity of symptoms and signs of macromastia and not on a patients age. In other words, if you are significantly symptomatic, you are a candidate. I have performed breast reductions on patients in their mid teens if they are significantly symptomatic. I would suggest you consult with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon. Good Luck.

.  Breast reduction are commonly done on 18-year-old patients that have very large breasts.  My recommendation would be to see a plastic surgeon so that they can estimate the amount of tissue to be removed, which is what your insurance will require for precertification.

Hard to tell whether you would be a good candidate without in-person evaluation or viewing photographs.In my practice, timing of breast reduction surgery is determined on a case-by-case basis. It is certainly not too early to do your homework and learn as much as possible about breast reduction surgery and the potential risks and complications associated with the procedure. 
It will be important that you learn about the potential risks/complications associated with breast reduction surgery. Unsatisfactory scarring is one of the potential complications. Make sure you also understands that further surgery may be necessary in the future (for example if the breasts were to grow in size again).
Some of the risks/potential complications associated with breast reduction surgery include: infection, bleeding, seroma, hematoma, wound healing problems, abnormal scarring ( hypertrophic or keloid), loss of sensation, inability to breast-feed, breast asymmetry, necrosis of tissue or skin, unsatisfactory cosmetic results, unpredictability of exact cup size postoperatively, recurrence of the breast hypertrophy, and the potential for further surgery. other risks related to surgery in general include deep venous thrombosis (clots), pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and even death.
Fortunately, the vast majority of patients who undergo this procedure by well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons and board certified anesthesiologists do very well and complications tend to be relatively minor and treatable. The severe complications are rare.
On the other hand, breast reduction surgery is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform and I think that for the right teenager (enough symptoms) it may be an excellent option (regardless of the age).
  When the time is right, seek consultation with well-trained/experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. Ask to see lots of examples of his/her work achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.Best to check directly with your insurance company to see whether breast reduction surgery is a “covered” benefit with your specific policy. Then, given that every insurance company has different “criteria”, best to identify exactly what your specific insurance company considers criteria for approval. Generally, the more documentation you have (for example, from your primary care doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor etc.) the better when it comes to obtaining insurance “authorization” for the procedure. 
This documentation and letter/pictures from your plastic surgeon will help you obtain authorization. Keep in mind, as you work towards your goals breast reduction surgery is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform. Also, prepare to be persistent when dealing with health insurance companies. 
I hope this helps. Best wishes.

In select teens, breast reduction is a perfectly appropriate procedure.  Patients who suffer physical discomfort, social distress, or who have aesthetic concerns all attributable to breast size may be considered for a reduction mammoplasty, and you should know that that procedure has a very high rate of patient satisfaction.  But there are risks of surgery that you need to consider, such as scarring as well as possible impact on nipple sensation and the future ability to nurse.  Consider a formal consultation with a BCPS for a discussion of your concerns and your goals, as well as physical exam to assess your breast shape and size.  An experienced practitioner will also be able to educate you on the specific requirements outlined by your insurance policy.  Best of luck as you consider your options.