Many women who struggle with large breasts are also overweight or obese. Even women who are at a healthy body weight would like to lose a few pounds from certain parts of their body, breasts included. At Bose Plastic Surgery in Valparaiso, IN, we help women of all shapes, sizes and aesthetic goals. However, despite all their differences, most of our clients ask us the same question: will a breast reduction help me lose weight. This may come as a surprise to you, but the answer is a resounding yes.
What Is a Breast Reduction?
A breast reduction, also known as a reduction mammoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure performed by a plastic surgeon that is used to reduce the size of breasts by removing excess fat via liposuction. This procedure is performed to provide a more manageable bust as well as re-establishing contours which are more proportionate to the waist and hips. What many people don’t know, however, is this can also be considered a medical procedure and may help you lose weight.
When Is It Considered a Medical Procedure?
Most women pay out-of-pocket for their breast reduction, even when they have health insurance. This is because most health insurance providers deem such a procedure to be purely cosmetic. However, if you have at least half of your breast volume removed, it is considered medically necessary. Thus, your health insurance provider may cover the cost of the procedure, as well as associated fees and prescriptions, if you have met your deductible for the year.
Alternatively, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for your procedure and then be reimbursed less any co-pays required on prescription medications. During your initial consultation, we will provide you with a full schedule of estimated costs so you can call your health insurance provider and find out how much, if any, of that cost they are willing to pay.
How Will Reduction Mammoplasty Help Me Lose Weight?
There are several ways reduction mammoplasty will help you lose weight. First, disproportionately large breasts cause chronic back pain. The result of this chronic back pain is poor posture. Poor posture causes your back muscles to atrophy and hurt even more.
A vicious cycle occurs until you struggle to complete the minimum recommended activity for the week. Reduction mammoplasty allows you to relieve back pain and improve your posture so you can start to increase your level of physical fitness and lose weight.
Reduction Mammoplasty Increases Your Ability to Exercise
Large breasts create a physical roadblock to exercise. Depending on the size of your breasts, you may be unable to run, jump, swim, join a rock-climbing club or ride horses with your girlfriends on the weekend. While diet accounts for 90% of your success or failure on your weight loss journey, an active lifestyle accounts for 10% of your success. More importantly, it’s essential to your health.
Can Reduction Mammoplasty Help Men Lose Weight?
Reduction mammoplasty can absolutely help men lose weight. Men suffering from gynecomastia (enlarged male breast tissue) face many of the same problems as women with excess breast tissue. For example, they have to fight through mental roadblocks to work out. They may feel too self-conscious to take off their shirt to swim. They may be too embarrassed to play a few rounds of pick-up basketball.
And running and jumping can still hurt their breast tissue. The difference is men can’t wedge their breasts into high-compression bras and a compression top after applying deodorant beneath their breast creases to prevent chafing. Liposuction for the treatment of gynecomastia, or some other male breast reduction procedure or treatment, can give men back the confidence to play their favorite sports.
Increasing your activity, combined with a healthy diet, will result in weight loss. You may even fall in love with a sport that you never had the confidence or physical ability to try due to the size of your breasts.
Which Removal Technique Is Right for Me?
The ideal removal technique for you will depend on the size of your breasts as well as how much breast tissue you want removed. The most popular breast removal method is known as French vertical mammoplasty, making use of “lollipop” incisions. These incisions are extremely discreet and result in a natural-looking, rounded breast. Even better, this method leaves more breast tissue attached beneath the nipple than the traditional “anchor” method of reduction mammoplasty.
Why Does Anyone Have the Anchor Method Used?
Despite all its advantages, the lollipop technique is not right for every case. For example, it is inadequate for the removal of significant breast volume. If your reduction mammoplasty is a medical necessity for pain relief so you can lose weight, you will need to have the anchor method used. However, if you need a smaller breast volume reduced but your nipples are too sensitive, this may also be the technique for you. The less breast tissue you have attached under the nipple, the less sensitive your nipples will be.
Achieve Your Dream Aesthetic Today
To learn more about what to expect from the results of a breast reduction, contact the dedicated medical experts at Bose Plastic Surgery in Valparaiso, IN today to schedule your initial consultation. We are passionate about helping you love the way you look and feel. We can’t wait to meet you and help you achieve the aesthetic of your dreams.