So, you’ve been looking in the mirror at your larger-than-you’d-like-them-to-be breasts and dreaming of a day when you could go to Target to buy a bra or wear a cute strapless dress or just a day without back and shoulder pain. You’re starting to think that maybe a breast reduction is for you. If you’re having that thought, you’re not alone! At least 50,000 women in the United States have a breast reduction each year and in 2022 breast reduction surgery accounted for almost half of my surgical patients!
Here are the 5 things I believe you should know about breast reduction surgery:
- The relief from back, neck and shoulder pain can be appreciated immediately after surgery. It doesn’t take days, weeks, or months to tell that the surgery is going to improve the symptoms. The analogy I like to use is that it’s like taking a heavy purse off your shoulder at the end of the day and the “ahhh” feeling relief from the pressure being lifted.
- Breast reduction surgery doesn’t hurt that much. Most patients have the sensation of burning along the incision line the first day and describe the pain after surgery as “tightness and soreness.” It is very common for patients to tell us that the recovery was much easier than they expected it to be.
- Other people are probably not going to know that you had a breast reduction. Most casual acquaintances may notice something is different about you but will probably attribute your new shape to weight loss. Smaller breasts make you look like a smaller person. When you’re complimented with a question such has “Have you lost weight?” feel free to just say “Yes” and leave it at that (unless you want them to know where and how you lost that weight!).
- The breasts do not grow back after breast reduction. While there can be changes in any woman’s breasts with weight gain or loss, if you maintain your weight after breast reduction surgery it is very unlikely that your breasts will become significantly larger over time.
- Breast reduction patients, in general, are VERY happy people. This operation can be life-changing. It certainly physically changes a woman’s body, but it can also make a huge improvement in self-esteem and emotional well-being.
If you are interested in scheduling your consultation with Dr. Peters, please call us at 708-524-1400 or fill out our contact form today.
