Answers to Your Breast Reduction Surgery Questions

Have you been considering breast reduction surgery? There are several reasons why a woman would choose to have breast reduction surgery, for both cosmetic and medical reasons. Large breasts often cause a great deal of back pain as the spine struggles to compensate for the large, heavy breasts. This is the most common reason. Breast reduction surgery is also done to remove implants and when a woman simply feels she is carrying too much up front.

There is a belief that breast reduction surgery can cause cancer. This is wholly untrue — this type of surgery does not affect your risk of contracting cancer of any type. It doesn’t interfere with any treatments that might later be needed for any type of disease and will actually improve a woman’s experience when having a mammogram procedure done.

The tissue removed in reduction surgery is later examined under a microscope to see if there is any indication of cancer or other problems. Studies show that there is a slight decrease in the risk of other types of cancer in women who have had breast reduction surgery.

You will want to discuss the financial side of your decision with your doctor. Check with your insurance to see if you can get any kind of help that way. If it is medically necessary because of strain on the spine, the procedure is much more likely to be covered.

If your breasts are fully developed, there is no chance they will grow back to their former size after reduction surgery, although they can increase with pregnancy or weight gain. You may need to supplement breastfeeding with formula if you have a child following reduction surgery.