Why do my old bras still seem to fit two weeks after my breast reduction? Going from 34F/G to 34C. (photos)

Question

Some of my 'old' bras still fit two weeks post op. Is this typical? I have a fair amount of swelling, particularly under each breast where my breast and torso meet. My PS tells me the swelling is within normal range, will abate with time and as the breasts settle from their currently high position. All that said, I'm surprised that the girls aren't substantively smaller at this juncture. Is it too early to be concerned?

Wayne I. Yamahata, MD · Answer

Two weeks is very early in the recovery period and it is normal to have substantial swelling at this time. You can anticipate a significant volume reduction over the next few weeks. If you are curious as to your future bra size, your surgeon should have records of the weight of the tissue removed and may be able help you to roughly extrapolate this from the data.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your pictures and questions. The bottom line is that yes, it is too early to be concerned. At two weeks, you still have a significant amount of bruising and swelling and it will take at least three months for this to fully resolve. Try to be patient and keep in touch with your plastic surgeon. Best of luck!

Andre Levesque, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and the photos.
At two weeks after breast reduction you will still have quite a bit of swelling and it's too early to be concerned. Your early results look quite nice and rather than getting overly concerned over wearing a C cup but rather having matching body proportions which it appears you are approaching once the swelling resolves.  
Best Dr. L

Demetrius Evriviades, MS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

Hi, and thank you for your question. I would check with your surgeon - he or she will be able to tell you exactly how much breast tissue they removed which should reassure you. The recovery time from breast reduction surgery is between two to six weeks, however, swelling is unlikely to subside for a couple of months after the procedure. It is definitely too early to be concerned! I hope this helps to put your mind at rest. All the best.

Tracy Kayan, MD · Answer

2 weeks after surgery you will typically see quite a bit of continued swelling, and this will mostly abate by the 4-6 week mark after surgery. I do a lot of reductions, and often find that patients are wearing a bra that is much too small for them pre-operatively, so post-operatively they actually fit "properly" into a size they previously thought they fit. While this may not be the case for you, I would wait at least a few more weeks to see how much your swelling goes down.

Why do my old bras still seem to fit two weeks after my breast reduction? Going from 34F/G to 34C. (photos)

Answers (6)

Answer: Breast Reduction Swelling Postop

Answer: Breast Reduction Swelling Postop

Answer: Swelling after a breast reduction and pre-operative bra sizing

Answer: Swelling after a breast reduction and pre-operative bra sizing

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Why do my old bras still seem to fit two weeks after my breast reduction? Going from 34F/G to 34C. (photos)

Answers (6)

Answer: Breast Reduction Swelling Postop

Answer: Breast Reduction Swelling Postop

Answer: Swelling after a breast reduction and pre-operative bra sizing

Answer: Swelling after a breast reduction and pre-operative bra sizing

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Reduction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.