Hi There! Im Having a Breast Reduction Soon. Im Nervous That 700 Cc's out of Each Breast May Not Be Enough to Give Me Relief.

At size 36 or 38 DDD each 200 grams of tissue is 1 cup size change.  If 700 grams were removed, you would go down 3 ½ cup sizes to a size B.  However, this may look inappropriate on your frame.  The goal of breast reduction is to maintain attractive breasts while eliminating neck, back and shoulder pain.  A new technique called The Ultimate Breast Reduction transfers the weight of the breast to the underlying muscle, relieving pain without excessive reduction.  Your breast tissue is reshaped creating upper pole fullness, elevated higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage.  At the same time, the breast tissue is removed to produce an attractive anesthetic result.  This technique avoids the ugly vertical scars of the Wise pattern, maintains nipple sensation and the ability to breast feed.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Breast Reduction is a complicated procedure that is best done by those with the most training and experience. It is very difficult to determine the resultant cup size and shape based solely on the number of grams that are removed from your breast to best match your ideal breast image without an examination by a board certified plastic surgeon. Not just any board certified plastic surgeon, but one with many years of frequently performing breast reduction and lift surgeries, including different approaches, techniques and even fat transfer and implant choices if you are lacking superior breast fullness.This is because several measurements—not to mention breast characteristics such as density—are needed to determine how much and where to remove breast tissue to meet your goals. Without knowing your existing breast shape, dimensions, and the density of your breast tissue, it would be difficult to make this determination. For example, the same volume of breast tissue will weigh different amounts (measured in ounces or grams) in different people depending on its density. The existing base width of your breast and what you will ultimately want to look like will determine, in many cases, the maximal volume and weight that will need to be removed for the best result.Please click on the link below for more information!

Thank you for your question. It is quite natural for patients who have enlarged breasts to request a very aggressive reduction in order to get relief from their back, neck and shoulder pain.  The procedure is very effective in addressing these symptoms as well as improving body image and the fit of clothing.  The good news is that studies have shown that as little as 150 grams of tissue removal can give you symptomatic relief.  The density of breast tissue also has some impact.  It is important to discuss your concerns with your surgeon.  It is also important to know that the final result needs to be in proportion to your body and have a good shape.  Once breast tissue is removed, it cannot be replaced. Good luck with your procedure.

The amount of breast tissue removed is only an estimate.  Your plastic surgeon has two tasks, one to safely reduce the size of your breasts and second to meet your expectations for size and shape.  This can only come through good two way communication. 

An approximate weight removal is what can be said before surgery, but the actual amount will be determined in the operating room when the surgery is performed.  I look for final shape and approximate size as my endpoint.

700g from each breast is pretty sizable amount; I think that you will have relief from back pain/shoulder pain/neck pain.  Communication is obviously very important.  Let your plastic surgeon know what bra size you want to end up after your surgery.  See whether that size is feasible.  Depending on how your plastic surgeon is planning to perform breast reduction, he/she will want to leave certain amount of breast tissue in order to keep your nipple healthy.  Good luck to you.

I feel the best approach is to tell your plastic surgeon what size you would like to be when you are finished.  It is difficult to guarantee a volume these are typically just estimates of what the surgeon thinks he/she can remove.  Realize 700 cc is a pound and a half.  That is not insignificant.

Having done hundreds of breast reductions over 30 years I can tell you for sure no doctor kinows to the gram how much weight will be removed during a reduction, and no doctor stops doing a reduction at a specific weight. We do learn to make close estimates, but that is all. If you feel good about your doctor and his skills, relax. If you don't trust him, then you need to move on to another surgeon. There is a safety limit in doing reductions that has to do with soft tissue survival and sensory retention. Violate that safety limit and you get major complications that may not be able to be corrected.