Women considering breast reduction surgery often have questions about the procedure. These questions range from whether breasts can grow back after the surgery to whether insurance covers breast reduction. At our practice near Phoenix and Scottsdale, I answer many of these common questions and want to share them with you in this blog post.
What about breast volume? Do breasts sag after breast reduction?
The answer to this question is partially based on each patient’s goals and skin laxity. Some patients want to look fuller than others, so postoperative breast volume is largely based on how much of a reduction each patient wants. That being said, most patients with breast reduction have a lot of drooping. The breast reduction involves a full breast lift, so even when the breasts are smaller, the lift moves the tissue into a higher position, giving the appearance of more fullness in the upper chest, which is a more youthful, perky shape.
You can read more about the steps of the breast reduction procedure on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ website.
Can your breasts grow back after a reduction?
Since there is still residual fat and glandular tissue after surgery, there is always a possibility that the breasts can grow larger in the future with a major weight gain or hormonal change. It is also possible for the breast tissue and fat to shrink with weight loss or different hormonal changes. For most patients, however, the size of the breasts will remain stable over time.
Additionally, breasts will re-droop to some degree over the years, but most will maintain the majority of the improvement the lift created. If these problems occur, touch-up surgery is an option to further reduce or lift the breasts. Thankfully, re-operating on breast reduction patients is a pretty rare event.
Can a breast reduction be medically necessary? Will insurance cover it?
Every insurance company is different, however, most will require notes stating that breast reduction is necessary to reduce physical symptoms (neck and back pain, etc.). These notes are usually needed from your primary care doctor, a plastic surgeon, and often a physical therapist that has tried to treat your pain non-surgically.
If you are approved for surgery, there generally needs to be 400 to 500 grams of tissue removed from each side, which is fine for some patients but too much for others. We discuss this more in a related blog post.
I don’t like following insurance guidelines because breast reduction is not a cookie-cutter procedure, and the amount of tissue removal required by insurance companies is not right for everyone. For my patients, since I’m not on any insurance plans, I generally provide copies of preop, intraop, and postop photos, office notes, operative notes, and whatever else they need. They can submit all this data to their insurance company, and whatever they get toward surgery and OR costs is theirs to keep.
Can I make my areola smaller?
Breast reduction involves repositioning the areolas in the center of each breast (without detaching them). As part of this process, an incision is made around the edge of each areola. Many patients needing breast reduction have oversized areolas, so when they are repositioned, I also reduce their size and create a symmetrical and circular shape.
For most patients, there is a “normal” areola size I shoot for, but if patients specifically want somewhat smaller or larger areolas, I can accommodate these goals. You can see the difference in some of my patients’ areola size in their before-and-after photos.
Can I lose weight after breast reduction?
Weight loss and breast reduction go hand in hand. For many patients, large breasts get in the way of effective exercise. Once the breasts are lifted and reduced, patients can exercise better and lose weight. This is a great side benefit of breast reduction.
With general weight loss, the breasts will usually shrink a little in a proportionate fashion but still match up nicely to the body. In patients planning significant weight loss after surgery, I will often leave the breasts on the larger side to account for future shrinking. In very rare cases, a large amount of weight loss can lead to excess volume depletion and/or loosening of the breast skin. In these cases, touch-up surgery such as retightening the skin, or adding volume via fat grafting or implants would be a possible option.
For many of my patients, reducing the size of their breasts is such a relief, allowing them to participate in activities that were once uncomfortable. If you feel your breasts overwhelm your shape or impede your daily life, let’s talk about your best options. Our plastic surgeons in Phoenix, Arizona, are happy to consult with you about your specific needs. You can request a consultation at our practice using our online contact form, or call us at (480) 423-1973.
Published April 2017; Updated August 2021
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