Breast reduction/uplift

[WhiteRose]

Hi, I've always been a lurker on these threads but reading this thread caught my eye so felt the need to come and offer you my opinion as 18 months ago, I had a breast reduction and it was honestly the best decision ever. I was previously a 30H and am now roughly a 32DD/E, the difference is amazing. There may be other readers who have also had surgery but I'm happy to answer any questions??
Just to give you an idea of my journey, I too was fed up with the size of my boobs, visited my GP who referred me to the NHS surgeon. Now, I know I was extremely lucky as its really quite rare to get the op on the NHS however even had I not qualified for the surgery, it would still have been worth investing in getting he op done privately. My BMI was within the criteria, think I have a BMI of 23 and the limit is about 25/26. I didn't request a particular size but the consultant calculated how much he needed to remove and estimated that I would be reduced to a DD which may sound big but for my frame is just perfect. Your nipples are also made smaller and repositioned.
I know its classed as major surgery but my surgery went like a breeze, in 2 nights and then home to recover, I was off work for about 5 weeks, driving after 3, overall my recovery was brilliant.
Yes, they look bruised and swollen but honestly the feeling when you come out of surgery, its like been in awe of these pert little boobs. The pain was fine and manageable, i came home with drains but these were removed 2 days after coming home. Not all surgeons use drains but they are supposed to help reduce the amount of bruising as they drain the excess blood away.
I live on my own so obviously sleep on my own so I had no worries about anyone knocking elbows into me but I did use 2 pillows down my side to keep me in position on my back as you won't be able to sleep on your side for a good few weeks and you will need to wear a bra in bed for the first 12 months though I still wear one as I am paranoid about them getting droopy! Theres probably more I could tell you but one thing I can say is that its not a horrendous operation, yes surgery is probably about 5 hours (mine was only 2 and a half because I had 2 surgeons operating on me) but please don't let any nightmare experiences put you off, they will be few and far between.
Please feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[Gembo]

Hi all,

I saw the thread for things people would like to get done but hope it’s ok to start a separate thread here. I’m really seriously contemplating a breast reduction and/or uplift and would really like to know other peoples experiences, good and bad.

I’ve always been heavy chested but after some weight loss in my 30’s, while their size has reduced they have also dropped a bit. I’m around a bra size 32E now but I think at least one cup of that is from drooping. I wear a bra constantly because I hate the feel without one and am very jealous of all the women who can take theirs off at the end of the day. I don’t get back ache or anything like that but I feel like I need full support, I hate the feel of them moving so I’m always in a full cup underwired and it really restricts the clothes I can wear due to unsightly straps. I’ve tried strapless but find they just drop too much.

Ive always thought about getting them done but always in a kind of maybe one day way. Well I think one day is here I can afford it now and there’s nothing really holding me back except that non essential surgery terrifies me, I already have some anxiety about this but I think some of it is also excitement maybe too. So if anyone would be happy to share any of their experiences I would really appreciate that.

 

[Moodymargi]

Wow! That’s so incredible. Thank you for sharing your story! Do you mind sharing the clinic you went to? £2200 is actually very affordable compared to the UK

It was Nordsthetics - they have a really good FB page which shows peoples results and people share their experiences. Even if you decided to go elsewhere its still a really informative group, I'm always nosing on it

 

[Blue raspberry slush pupp]

If I had the money I’d be in for an uplift before the surgeon could say spaniels ears!!!

 

[Fanaff]

Hi guys! Bumping this up as I have an appointment with a consultation tonight for a breast lift. I had WLS in 2018, lost 8.5 stone and honestly, my breasts touch my waist line! Even when I was bigger I hated my boobs and considered a reduction but now I think a lift will do the job.
Anyway, I’m nervous! But will report back with how it goes!

 

[Scorpihoe]

I feel you. I’m 22 and a 34GG, my back hurts if I don’t wear a bra for more than 15 minutes and i start to feel very insecure in clothing. Even modest clothing looks very busty on me and looks too revealing

I went to see a doctor about it, but he told me that it’s likely I won’t be able to breastfeed in the future if I went through with it and my breasts will change a lot throughout pregnancy, so I decided to wait til after I had kids to get a reduction. He also told me it wasn’t straightforward, I have to be a normal BMI (I lost a stone and then got into the ‘normal’ category), and my case would be forwarded to a panel of experts who would decide if I could have it on the NHS

but, if I didn’t want to breastfeed in the future, I would get one tomorrow if I could. If it’s making you unhappy, do it!

 

[MalletsMallet]

Following this thread with interest

Similar story. Had large boobs (damn both sides of the family and our bussom-y genetics!) since they started growing at 10-11. They just kind of went from nothing to C cup over night before settling on an F cup (34 F). I'm tall and hourglass figured (sometimes a little more chunkier than others!) so they don't look out of place on me but I absolutely hate them. Same as you guys- can't go without bra, fed up of those painful canyon dips on my shoulders from bra straps. I've worn bras to sleep in since I was 10 and the only time I go without is having a shower. I've got problems with my back and upper body that aren't caused by boobs but certainly are aggravated by them.if I don't wear a bra my nipples are literally purple from the weight of them being pulled down

I had a consultation in my early 20s where the consultant didn't want to do the surgery as he thought I was too young. I'd also only asked for an uplift and didn't want a reduction which he, rightly, said wouldn't give me the results I wanted. Fair enough. Much better to have someone honest than just take the money.

10 years later and various health problems I now can't take the pain of them anymore. I had a consultation in February this year. I looked carefully for a surgeon, looking in London and near where I am. As it happens, there's someone near me who is well respected in breast reconstruction and operative techniques. He was great, very honest and open about the realities and what could be achieved. I was going to have it done in march but another more serious health problem cropped up that has required none elective surgery so giving my body a rest (and aside from that but very importantly the hospital gave over it's private facilities to the NHS). ABSOLUTELY going to go ahead with it, though.

Hope to hear stories from anyone who has had it done! Thanks for setting up the thread

 

[Gembo]

Haven’t got experience myself but I am thinking about surgery too - “thinking” meaning 99.99% sure I want it done but need to do research and save more first. I’m a similar size and can relate to your struggles, I’m so jealous of women who can go braless

I’d recommend you do a lot of research first. Realself.com is good for finding out more about the available surgeons and many of them provide before and after photos of their patients so you can see their work and get an idea of what can be achieved. Obviously research the hell out of the surgeons you consider, go for multiple consultations and be wary of any that aren’t straightforward with you. Educate yourself on the risks and be prepared for anything. I recommend watching Nelly London’s video about how her surgery went wrong. Part of the issue apparently couldn’t have been prevented (her body rejected the stitches which caused them to heal poorly) so even with the best surgeon in the world things can go wrong

Sorry I can’t offer much advice but hopefully someone with experience will come along

Thank you, yep sounds like we’re at the same point, I keep feeling like I’d do it right now if I could but still very nervous. I’ve spent the past couple of months pretty much decided I want to go ahead, and just the past few days starting to look at surgeons. Feeling quite overwhelmed and emotional and going back and forth from definitely having it done to hmm well maybe. I think for me it’s 90% a vanity thing in that I can’t wear a lot of the tops and dresses I would like to and the other 10% is just what a pain in the ass they are and how uncomfortable they can be, especially in the hot weather where I hate even wearing a vest because I feel too busty so it’s always T-shirt’s.

Ive definitely been thinking about the risks and scarring and think I’ll know a lot more about that after having some consultations as well. I will keep this thread updated if people are interested.

Following this thread with interest

Similar story. Had large boobs (damn both sides of the family and our bussom-y genetics!) since they started growing at 10-11. They just kind of went from nothing to C cup over night before settling on an F cup (34 F). I'm tall and hourglass figured (sometimes a little more chunkier than others!) so they don't look out of place on me but I absolutely hate them. Same as you guys- can't go without bra, fed up of those painful canyon dips on my shoulders from bra straps. I've worn bras to sleep in since I was 10 and the only time I go without is having a shower. I've got problems with my back and upper body that aren't caused by boobs but certainly are aggravated by them.if I don't wear a bra my nipples are literally purple from the weight of them being pulled down

I had a consultation in my early 20s where the consultant didn't want to do the surgery as he thought I was too young. I'd also only asked for an uplift and didn't want a reduction which he, rightly, said wouldn't give me the results I wanted. Fair enough. Much better to have someone honest than just take the money.

10 years later and various health problems I now can't take the pain of them anymore. I had a consultation in February this year. I looked carefully for a surgeon, looking in London and near where I am. As it happens, there's someone near me who is well respected in breast reconstruction and operative techniques. He was great, very honest and open about the realities and what could be achieved. I was going to have it done in march but another more serious health problem cropped up that has required none elective surgery so giving my body a rest (and aside from that but very importantly the hospital gave over it's private facilities to the NHS). ABSOLUTELY going to go ahead with it, though.

Hope to hear stories from anyone who has had it done! Thanks for setting up the thread

Ah we sound so similar, it’s nice in a way to know I’m not alone and others know what it’s like, it’s not something I ever really talk about and it feels like you’re the only woman on the planet wearing an underwired bra to bed! I only take my bra off to shower too and I hate every moment of it they feel so heavy!

Its really positive to hear that you plan to still go ahead when you’re feeling ready, I hope whatever was wrong is now better. Maybe we can keep each other posted. I’m not too far from London (in that I’m not on the outskirts or anything but where I am is a driveable distance there and back in a day) so have thought about looking for surgeons there but ideally would like to stick closer to where I am. I’ve found someone who looks good but is only doing zoom consultations at the moment, there’s something about the prospect of maybe having to flash my boobs at a webcam that’s making me feel like he should be paying me

 

[Utterlyshocked]

Hey, I very rarely post on here but felt I needed to reply to this. I had a breast reduction done via the NHS (crippling back problems) when I was 21 (18 years ago) and honestly it’s the best thing I ever did. They were a 32FF on a size 10 frame, and incredibly painful! I would absolutely recommend going for it, it only for physical health but for mental health - my inability to wear any clothes (if they were Lycra I’d be deemed as showing them off or I’d have to buy a size 20 to fit over them). Best decision I made

 

[MalletsMallet]

Hi, I've always been a lurker on these threads but reading this thread caught my eye so felt the need to come and offer you my opinion as 18 months ago, I had a breast reduction and it was honestly the best decision ever. I was previously a 30H and am now roughly a 32DD/E, the difference is amazing. There may be other readers who have also had surgery but I'm happy to answer any questions??
Just to give you an idea of my journey, I too was fed up with the size of my boobs, visited my GP who referred me to the NHS surgeon. Now, I know I was extremely lucky as its really quite rare to get the op on the NHS however even had I not qualified for the surgery, it would still have been worth investing in getting he op done privately. My BMI was within the criteria, think I have a BMI of 23 and the limit is about 25/26. I didn't request a particular size but the consultant calculated how much he needed to remove and estimated that I would be reduced to a DD which may sound big but for my frame is just perfect. Your nipples are also made smaller and repositioned.
I know its classed as major surgery but my surgery went like a breeze, in 2 nights and then home to recover, I was off work for about 5 weeks, driving after 3, overall my recovery was brilliant.
Yes, they look bruised and swollen but honestly the feeling when you come out of surgery, its like been in awe of these pert little boobs. The pain was fine and manageable, i came home with drains but these were removed 2 days after coming home. Not all surgeons use drains but they are supposed to help reduce the amount of bruising as they drain the excess blood away.
I live on my own so obviously sleep on my own so I had no worries about anyone knocking elbows into me but I did use 2 pillows down my side to keep me in position on my back as you won't be able to sleep on your side for a good few weeks and you will need to wear a bra in bed for the first 12 months though I still wear one as I am paranoid about them getting droopy! Theres probably more I could tell you but one thing I can say is that its not a horrendous operation, yes surgery is probably about 5 hours (mine was only 2 and a half because I had 2 surgeons operating on me) but please don't let any nightmare experiences put you off, they will be few and far between.
Please feel free to ask me any questions.

Hey!
Thanks so much for taking time to post that. So, so glad to hear that you had such a positive experience.

Just a couple of questions if you don't mind

You said you had 5 weeks off work. I work from home in a desk based role so I'm hoping it would be quicker. But do you feel like you needed the full 5? Just best to be prepared.

The chest drains interest me. I had three rounds of upper body surgery that required chest drains. I wasn't allowed out of hospital until they'd drained completely and have had some lasting damage from one not draining completely BUT I think that my other upper body surgery was more 'fiddly' so I'm not too worried but probably something I should bring up with the surgeon. Just thinking out loud!

Very interesting that you had it done through the NHS. The problems that come with larger chests cannot be overestimated so I definitely think it's justified. And well done to your GP for being so open to refering you. I don't think my health board would cover it but, like you said, it's definitely something I'd do even if it was twice the price of having it done privately (please dot let it actually double in price!!)

Thanks again for replying. So useful having someone to chat to.

 

[Fanaff]

Good luck! Yes please do let me know how you get on, I have my consultation next week! Is yours in person? Mine is virtual x

Mine is virtual too! Just sat waiting for them to let me into the meeting, feeling very shakey!x

 

[Fanaff]

It went really well! He was really kind and reassuring! My wls surgeon was nice but a little odd but this guy was very well spoken and very factual. I’m going to book a face to face consultation with him and go from there! Thank you for the good lucks

 

[chocolate choux]

Haven’t got experience myself but I am thinking about surgery too - “thinking” meaning 99.99% sure I want it done but need to do research and save more first. I’m a similar size and can relate to your struggles, I’m so jealous of women who can go braless

I’d recommend you do a lot of research first. Realself.com is good for finding out more about the available surgeons and many of them provide before and after photos of their patients so you can see their work and get an idea of what can be achieved. Obviously research the hell out of the surgeons you consider, go for multiple consultations and be wary of any that aren’t straightforward with you. Educate yourself on the risks and be prepared for anything. I recommend watching Nelly London’s video about how her surgery went wrong. Part of the issue apparently couldn’t have been prevented (her body rejected the stitches which caused them to heal poorly) so even with the best surgeon in the world things can go wrong

Sorry I can’t offer much advice but hopefully someone with experience will come along

 

[Scorpihoe]

Mine is virtual too! Just sat waiting for them to let me into the meeting, feeling very shakey!x

Good luck! You’ll feel much better knowing it’s getting sorted Let us know how you get on

 

[Chandler Bing]

I know someone who had this done in her early 20's (yes, they were that big! And painful!) She is now in her 30's with 2 kids and hasn't regretted her decision once. I can't relate, I hardly need to even wear a bra but just wanted to share a positive experience that I know of.

 

[WhiteRose]

Hi everyone, for some reason it won't let me reply direct to each post ?
Amyway, in answer to your questions:
Gambo- My boobs were originally a 30H and I had one boob that was considerably bigger than the other, the surgeon calculated that there was a 20% difference. I haven't advertised the fact that Ive had a reduction but for those of my friends who I told, everyone of them said, they had never noticed the size of my boobs but thats because I was so good at disgusting them. However I was always really self conscious, blouses always gaping, not being able to wear anything clingy, always having to wear a bra and them being quite droopy, I had permanent indentations in my shoulders from the weight of them along with neck/back ache.
I think most surgeons will be considering how much in weight they can remove, I think I had just less than a kilo, about 480g from the bigger boob and about 350g from the other. I was never bothered about being a particular size as long as I still had some boobs left and my surgeon was great in that being a breast cancer specialist, he was quite in tune with keeping woman, womanly, if that makes sense? He was great in describing exactly how the operation is performed, one of my questions was the size of my nipples but he reassured me that these would be in proportion to my new boobs so basically (please look away if sightly squeamish!) they make an anchor incision (cut down from he nipple then along the base of the boob) lift the nipple off but keep it attached to some of the skin, take away the breast tissue then the excess skin is folded over and your nipple sewn back but is reduced in size.
As for scarring, yes, you do come home looking a bit like frankensteins monster BUT these do eventually fade. At about 8 weeks, when they are much less tender, you start to massage the scars using a natural oil, like Rosehip and massage the scars daily. I still do this even now and 18 months down the line, my scars are really faint. I know that the lighter the skin, the easier they are to fade so for Asian/Afro Carribean ladies, there is a higher chance of them remaining raised but not always.

Mallets: My role is also desk based and to be honest, I think by about 4 weeks, I could if pushed gone back but I get full sick pay so I took advantage of that and didn't rush back! I would say though that I did under estimate the affects of having a big operation and whilst I was up baking cakes a week after my op ( not recommended, I was bored!) I have never slept as much in my life. The anaesthetic can take a good 2/3 weeks to wear off, I slept like a baby at night, would lounge on the sofa, but then keep dropping off for a couple of hours during the day. I live on my own and I know that some people warned me that i wouldn't even be able to lift a kettle so I was slightly apprehensive however when I told my surgeon this, he looked at me like I had 2 heads! He encouraged me to keep my arms and upper body moving, nothing obviously strenuous but enough to stop my arms seizing up. As for the drains, there was one in either side and as I was still draining blood, they discharged me home with them and a district nurse came to check the levels of blood and after 2 days, she removed them.

Apologies for war and peace but hand on heart, for anyone seriously contemplating having it done, I could not recommend having the procedure enough and Ive never once regretted it. My life, confidence and health have greatly improved along with my self esteem xx

Edit- I meant to add that I have lost no sensation in my nipples at all!

Sorry, i keep thinking of things as I go along. When you have a BR, the boobs are automatically lifted so that they look perfectly pert. I find it great now that I can wear off the shoulder bardot tops and no bra. Never in a million years could I have imagined not being able to go braless without running the risk of tripping over my boobs.

 

[chocolate choux]

Thank you, yep sounds like we’re at the same point, I keep feeling like I’d do it right now if I could but still very nervous. I’ve spent the past couple of months pretty much decided I want to go ahead, and just the past few days starting to look at surgeons. Feeling quite overwhelmed and emotional and going back and forth from definitely having it done to hmm well maybe. I think for me it’s 90% a vanity thing in that I can’t wear a lot of the tops and dresses I would like to and the other 10% is just what a pain in the ass they are and how uncomfortable they can be, especially in the hot weather where I hate even wearing a vest because I feel too busty so it’s always T-shirt’s.

Ive definitely been thinking about the risks and scarring and think I’ll know a lot more about that after having some consultations as well. I will keep this thread updated if people are interested.

The emotional back and forth sounds natural and is probably a good thing as you’re really thinking things through. I think vanity is a completely valid reason as it’s obviously affecting your life and even those minor issues can have a big impact on your mental health - I sometimes get quite down with not being able to dress how I want, too. You sound really level headed. While researching I also read that you should talk it over with your GP even though you’re going private so they might be able to offer some support as well

Please do keep the thread updated, I’m still a long way off actually taking the plunge so would be interested in following your journey

 

[Penelope Strawberry]

My very petite mum had FF-cup boobs that gave her terrible back and neck pain. She finally took the leap and had a reduction to a C-cup and a lift in her 40s.

She said that the only thing she regrets is not having the surgery earlier!

She's in her 60s now and has perkier boobs than me!

 

[Gembo]

It went really well! He was really kind and reassuring! My wls surgeon was nice but a little odd but this guy was very well spoken and very factual. I’m going to book a face to face consultation with him and go from there! Thank you for the good lucks

Excellent so happy to hear that! I will report back next week after I have my consultation. I suspect if I want to go ahead after that it will be a face to face appointment.

Would anyone be able to share insight on how much a lift costs on average in the UK/London? It's hard to tell on websites without actually booking a consultation and I obviously don't want to just book a consultation with the first surgeon I come across without researching several, I would just like to know a realistic number to plan out my savings and a realistic time frame when I can seriously consider having it done, I have around £7k saved currently

I’ve not had my consultation yet but my expectation is around 6-7k from things I’ve seen online.

 

[Gembo]

Hi guys! Bumping this up as I have an appointment with a consultation tonight for a breast lift. I had WLS in 2018, lost 8.5 stone and honestly, my breasts touch my waist line! Even when I was bigger I hated my boobs and considered a reduction but now I think a lift will do the job.
Anyway, I’m nervous! But will report back with how it goes!

Good luck! Yes please do let me know how you get on, I have my consultation next week! Is yours in person? Mine is virtual x