Women who come to see me about bilateral breast reduction (BBR) surgery often have the same things in common – they have been suffering with symptoms for a long time and have been thinking about having a BBR for a long time!
Having large breasts that impact upon your daily function, exercise performance and psychological wellbeing are the commonest reasons women seek BBR surgery, so I thought I’d share some of the more common stories I hear in my consulting room:
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Pain: Women often complain of neck/mid-back pain that gets worse as the day goes on. They have difficulties wearing conventional bras because they are not supportive enough and cause the straps to cut into their shoulders. Posture is also affected – women try to compensate for the larger weight they carry on their chest by arching their back. This can often be a subconscious adaptation but in the long term can lead to lower back problems also.
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Skin irritation: particularly common in hotter weather and can lead to breakdown of the skin and, in extreme cases, skin infection. Excess sweating can also be difficult to manage and many find themselves having to towel off or change clothes several times a day.
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Exercise performance: there is often a vicious cycle between large breasts and the ability to exercise effectively. Gaining weight leads to further increases in breast size and BBR surgery can be very effective at breaking that cycle.
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Psychological wellbeing: women often complain that they cannot wear the underwear or clothes they want to wear and often end up choosing clothes that hide their silhouette. This is backed up by data from published studies that show that quality-of-life is impacted significantly in women with very large breasts.
BBR surgery is a more functional procedure than an aesthetic one and can break the cycle of pain, skin care, exercise performance and psychological well being. The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and takes 2-3 hours. Patients often stay in hospital for 1-night and drains are not routinely used. The wounds are usually healed by 2-weeks. Patients often return to work by 2-weeks, to driving by 4-weeks and to full exercise by 6-weeks.
To book a consultation about BBR surgery contact [email protected].
