Breast Reduction Surgery at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center

The condition of having disproportionately large breasts in women is called macromastia. I recently came across a blog written by a woman with extremely large breasts. She was very honest and pained about the size of her breasts and revealed that she also had breast cancer in the past. There is controversy about whether overly large breasts have been linked with breast cancer, and what the precise relationship might be. Some researchers hypothesize the higher risk factor is due to the fact that many women with large breasts are overweight, and obesity contributes to cancer. An argument has been made that adipose tissue (fat) holds carcinogens that accumulate there and are then slowly released into the body. This can become a circular problem because women with overly large breasts may have trouble exercising in order to keep their weight down. Other researchers think the higher risk factor may be due to more glandular tissue. Yet other researchers suspect that it is harder palpating for lumps in larger breasted women and therefore cancer may be detected later. Fortunately, breast size was not a factor in the prognosis of cancer caught early on.  So I recommend keeping up with recommended regular mammograms.

Ask any well-endowed woman, and she will tell you about back pain, neck and shoulder pain, chafing, and possibly headaches as well. Sometimes chronic nerve damage can occur causing numbness in the hands and arms. I have heard large breasted women complain about everything from indentations from bra straps to having trouble with seatbelt and shoulder straps across their chests. Not to mention fitting into clothing. Many women with disproportionately large breasts were teased as teenagers and this affected their self-esteem and body image. In our society, there are myths and jokes about large-breasted women which I happen to find very offensive. These only contribute to the emotional and social problems some women face. Although one study found ” fully 70% of women were not satisfied with some aspect of their breasts,” overtly large breasts come with their own set of problems. You can click this link to see the study called The Barbie Mystique.

Many women with back, neck, and shoulder problems from overly large breasts are opting for breast reduction surgery. Breast reduction surgery removes excess fat, skin, and glandular tissue from the breasts. Insurance companies will often pay for breast reduction surgery if their medical criteria are met. To get an idea of the kinds of criteria an insurance company looks for, here is United Healthcare‘s criteria, but of course, you will have to check with your own insurance company for their specific requirements. As for large breasted women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, there is a new method of oncoplastic surgery that includes combining surgery for cancer, such as lumpectomy, and breast reduction surgery.

Potential Little Rock, Arkansas breast reduction patients might ask themselves these questions. Do I have pain caused by the size of my breasts? Am I overweight? Would I feel like exercising more if I had smaller breasts? Would I have a better self-image if I had smaller breasts? You will find that breast reduction surgery is much like a breast lift here at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center. A woman can have a breast lift with a reduction or a breast augmentation. You can come talk to me, a double board certified cosmetic surgeon, to find out if you are an appropriate candidate for breast reduction surgery or a breast lift in a consultation with me.

Call Melinda at the front desk to set up your consultation with me. 501-277-0707