Can I breastfeed after breast reduction?
The ability to breastfeed after breast reduction cannot be predicted because many of the milk glands are removed during surgery and scar tissue may also impair the ability of the breast ducts to transport the milk to the nipple. However, many women do successively breastfeed after breast reduction and ultimately, the decision of whether to have breast reduction before you are finished having children is a personal choice that you will need to make with this information in hand.
Does insurance pay for breast reduction surgery?
In many cases, medical insurance will cover most of the cost of breast reduction. However, individual insurance plans vary and most of them will require a recommendation from your primary care physician and a trial of "conservative" therapy, such as exercise or weight loss, before they will approve breast reduction. If your insurance does not cover breast reduction, we will work with you to develop an affordable payment plan.
What are the risks of breast reduction?
Complications resulting from breast reduction are uncommon but they do occasionally occur and they must be considered before you have surgery. There are two categories of risks for breast reduction: the general risks associated with all surgical procedures and the risks that are specific to breast reduction.
The general risks include to the risks associated with a general anesthesia, bleeding, infection, and scar formation. The risks specific to breast augmentation include but are not limited to loss of feeling or sensation of the nipple and skin of the breast, delays in healing, and the very rare complication of loss of circulation to the nipple.
Be sure that your plastic surgeon is willing to have an open discussion of these risks. If your plastic surgeon claims that he does not have complications, he either is not being very forthright or he has not done many breast reductions.
Am I too old for breast reduction?
The oldest patient in my practice who has had a breast augmentation was 75 years old, and she has been one of my happiest patients. Not everyone in their sixties or seventies are candidates for this procedure but many women in this age group are in excellent health and would be good candidates. It is an unfortunate fact that many women suffer entirely too long with back, neck, and shoulder pain before they consider breast reduction. The most common comment that we hear after surgery is 'Why did I wait so long?' You can find out if breast reduction would be right for you only through a consultation. Women in their forties and fifties have routinely undergone breast reduction and been even more satisfied than my younger patients.
What cup size will I be after breast reduction?
Most women who undergo breast reduction will end up as either a large C or a small D cup. Some women have expressed that they would like to be smaller than this size and such requests can be accommodated. However, it has been my experience that reducing the breasts to a large C to Small D is enough of a reduction to relieve them of their symptoms. Also, the build and weight of the average breast reduction patient is such that anything smaller than a large C cup would not be proportional. When you come in for a consultation, be sure to express your wishes and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
Please contact Renaissance Plastic Surgery online or call 317-575-9152 to discuss your questions and concerns about breast reduction with Indianapolis Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph Fata today.
