Having larger breasts isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Those few extra kilograms can cause an array of issues, including back and neck pain, rashes and excessive sweating.
Breast reduction surgery is designed to increase your comfort levels and improve your quality of life by removing some of the unnecessary breast tissue. Not being able to wear the clothes you want to or do the things you love can be disheartening over the long term, so if you feel that having larger breasts is holding you back, it may be time to consider breast reduction surgery.
Making the decision to pursue breast reduction surgery is not a process that should be rushed – these are the things you need to consider first.
What to Consider Before a Breast Reduction
1. Your Choice of Surgeon
Choosing the right surgeon is the first major decision you will need to make. In fact, it is one of the most important parts of this process. Doing your homework is essential and you should ideally meet with at least two surgeons before you make a final call. Your surgeon should be fully qualified and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. It’s also important to choose a plastic surgeon such as Dr. Benjamin Norris who actually specialises in breast reductions if you want the best results.
2. Future Family Plans
Timing is everything and your future family plans will also need to be taken into consideration before you schedule your surgery. While not everyone will be able to breastfeed anyway, it’s still important to remember that breast reduction surgery may limit your ability to do so even more. If having larger breasts is causing you major physical discomfort and you aren’t planning to have children over the next 5 years, breast reduction surgery is the ideal option. Obviously, wanting children shouldn’t prevent you from having the surgery, it’s just something to consider.
3. Your Weight
Unfortunately, if you are overweight, it increases your chances of developing complications, including wound infections and breakdown as well as problems with anaesthetic. If possible, it’s always better to reach a more stable weight before you consider breast reduction surgery.
4. Time Off Work
Depending on the type of work you do, you will need to take at least 3 weeks off work, something you will need to plan for. It’s also important that you have physical and emotional support after your surgery to accelerate your healing. The more time you can take to carefully plan every aspect of your surgery, the better it will go.
5. Health Insurance
Finally, even though having private health insurance is not essential, it is preferable. Before you consider breast reduction surgery, take a look through your health insurance documents to find out whether this is something they will cover. There may be some terms and conditions such as waiting periods that you may need to consider before you’ll be able to schedule your procedure, so don’t rush into anything just yet.