What size will I be after breast reduction?

The question "What size will I be after breast reduction?" is clearly one of those questions that is going to be at the top or near the top of your list when you talk to a doctor about breast reduction.

Most women have a good understanding that this is a more complicated question than it might appear at first thought. Any woman who has bought a bra in recent years will know that cup size can vary significantly from brand to brand .When you are fitted by a different person they will often tell you that you are different cup size than the previous person . Many women considering this procedure are not convinced they have ever been able to get a correctly fitting bra in their living memory.

What is the value of being told you are a EE cup and given a bra that you believe doesn't fit you comfortably? Does this mean you are a EE or is it misleading?

The key concept in consideration breast reduction is that the surgeon and yourself are working together to restore proportion. The goal is to reduce your breasts so that they occupy the true footprint of where your breast should be on your chest wall not sagging down below the breast fold and spilling off the sides of your chest towards your arm. If after a breast reduction procedure your breasts sit over your chest wall footprint and are not spilling out everywhere else proportion has been restored. This is the goal of breast reduction. Once this is achieved you can be measured for a properly fitting bra (possibly for the first time in living memory) and the cup size will be what is measured- whatever that may be.

What is possible to achieve is very dependent on what we start with. We are restoring proportion so what your body proportions are when we start will dictate the outcome.

If your body is at it's ideal proportion when we start (this usually means if you are at your ideal body weight) then the opportunity to get the best possible size and shape match exists. If you are over your ideal body weight then your potential result is a compromise. You may be happy with a compromise outcome as many women are, but if you are after a particular outcome your best chance of achieving that is to be at your ideal body weight before proceeding to surgery.

For further information about breast reduction, plastic surgery or to make an appointment contact Dr James Burt - Plastic Surgeon at The Breast Reduction Clinic in Malvern, Melbourne.