Breast Reduction Archives | La Jolla, San Diego

What Is the Connection Between Large Breasts and Back Pain?

Many people experience back pain at some point in their life. For some, it can stem from tension, poor posture, overexertion, excess weight, and many other factors. One factor that largely contributes to back pain for many women is large breasts.

How Large Breasts Cause Back Pain

D-cup breasts can weigh between 16 and 24 pounds. Breasts that size can exert unnecessary force on the chest, which requires a counterbalance on the neck, shoulders, and back. All of these factors can lead to muscle strain and chronic pain. The extra weight can also contribute to issues with posture, as the muscles begin to tire from fighting to stay straight and the upper back begins to curve forward.

Other contributing factors can include women who might feel self-conscious about their large breasts may adjust their posture to hide or minimize the appearance of their breasts by hunching or rolling their shoulders in. These posture adjustments can lead to severe back and shoulder pain. They may also find themselves unable to find a bra that fits, leading to discomfort from the straps digging into the shoulders and shifting the body’s balance in an unhelpful way.

Lastly, large breasts can also lead to women being incapable of performing physical activities that could possibly strengthen their backs and torsos and improve their overall flexibility. Large breasts can make many activities awkward, difficult, or nearly impossible, and also incredibly uncomfortable. This is due to the pressure the breasts place on the chest cavity, which can make it challenging to take a deep breath.

How To Address Breast-Related Back Pain

Back pain related to large breasts can be remedied in a few different ways. Here are a few methods you can try to address back pain if you have large breasts.

Find A Bra That Fits: Shop around for bras that aren’t too tight and have wide shoulder straps to help support and distribute the weight. Customized bras and sports bras can support the weight of your breasts and make movements more comfortable. This might seem like an obvious piece of advice, but two-thirds to three-quarters of all women wear bras with the wrong cup, band, and shoulder strap size.
Keep A Healthy Weight: When women gain weight, the breasts are often affected. The extra fat can also add weight to the abdomen, forcing the back to work harder to keep the body in balance. If you’re carrying around some excess weight, losing it with a healthy diet and exercise plan may help resolve back issues.

Consider A Breast Reduction

If you’ve done everything to try to support or reduce your large breasts, but the issues with back pain continue to persist, you might consider breast reduction surgery. This procedure can have cosmetic and medical benefits and may be the only method to permanently resolve chronic pain. Breast reduction surgery can give you the look you want and allow you more opportunities for a more active lifestyle. If large breasts contribute to your back, neck, or shoulder pain, reducing their size could help resolve the chronic pain you’ve been experiencing.

Learn More About Breast Reduction Surgery in Newport Beach, CA

Double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Tim Sayed has been practicing cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for over 13 years. His impeccable skill, attention to detail, and commitment to patient happiness and well-being are second to none.

If you are interested to see how Dr. Sayed can help you through cosmetic breast surgery, your next step is to schedule a friendly and informative consultation with Dr. Sayed. Contact our practice today at (858) 247-2933 or through our website to reserve your spot today.

What Breast Surgery is Right for You?

Breast surgery is by far the most commonly performed category of plastic surgery. Breast surgeries generally include breast implant removal, breast augmentation, revision breast surgery after prior augmentation, breast reduction, and breast lifts. The most popular of these is breast augmentation with implants, with over 320,000 procedures performed each year in the U.S.

Increasingly, there are more women seeking nipple surgery as well. But with so many breast surgery options to choose from, which one is right for you?

Here, Dr. Tim Sayed of Tim Sayed Plastic Surgery in La Jolla and Newport Beach, CA, looks at the differences between each breast surgery and how you can choose the appropriate procedure for your goals and desires.

Breast Implant Removal and Revision

First time breast augmentation (see below) remains incredibly popular, but a new trend has been growing in the last few years, with more and more patients looking to revise their prior breast augmentation. Sometimes this means the patient will consider new implants, but in others, patients have decided that breast implants are no longer for them. This may occur if the patient develops a capsular contracture (a phenomenon where scar tissue encasing the implant begins to distort the shape or feel of the device), or if an implant has leaked, or if the patient has a recalled device (Allergan textured implants, which are no longer on the market), or increasingly, if the patient is concerned about health issues and wishes to explore if her body will feel better without implants. There are various tradeoffs when exploring whether implants are for you, or whether you would prefer to go “implant free.” These tradeoffs include concerns about health, cosmetic appearance of the breasts, and recovery processes. Dr. Sayed is known for providing very detailed and informative consultations to help you navigate some of these challenging decisions.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation was the poster procedure of plastic surgery during the ‘80s and ‘90s. With celebrities and pop icons going for the procedure, the public quickly followed.

Breast augmentation increases the size of the breast by introducing implants, or in some cases, the patient’s own fat, obtained through liposuction. There is a broad spectrum for how large or small implants can be, whereas fat grafting may have more limited availability in thinner patients.

If your goal is simply larger breasts, then breast augmentation is likely the procedure for you.

Breast Reduction

For some women, overly large breasts cause health problems and aesthetic concerns. Breasts that are too large can cause severe back pain, shoulder and neck problems, issues with posture, and discomfort during exercise and daily life.

If naturally large breasts are a concern for you, then breast reduction surgery is the procedure. Expert plastic surgeons such as Dr Sayed can remove tissue from the breasts that make the breasts smaller but enhance the shape and position of the breast to be very aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.

Of note is if your breasts feel too large due to breast augmentation in the past, plastic surgeons can successfully remove implants with implant removal surgery. In most cases following implant removal, however, women require a breast lift.

Breast lift

Breast lift surgery is rapidly growing in popularity. Over 110,000 breast lifts are performed yearly and for a good reason.

Often, mothers of women experiencing aging desire a more youthful appearance to their breasts but don’t necessarily want larger breasts. A breast lift is perfect in this instance. A staple procedure in a mommy makeover, a breast lift removes excess skin above and around the breasts, which pulls the breasts higher on the chest, creating a younger, firmer, more pleasing appearance.

If you want to enhance how your breasts look and feel, but don’t want to make them any bigger or have implants used, then a breast lift is the way to go.

Breast Surgery in Newport Beach, CA

No matter what your concern is with your breasts, there is a procedure that can solve your problems. All you need to do is consult with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Tim Sayed. Reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA by calling 858 247 2933 or via this online form to arrange a consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

3 Ways to Prepare for Your Breast Reduction

While 320,000 opt for breast augmentation via implants each year, around 45,000 women go the other way and choose to make their breasts smaller with Breast reduction, an increasingly popular aesthetic procedure in the U.S.

Overly large breasts can cause an array of health issues and severely impact one’s quality of life. Breast reduction surgery can be a life-changing procedure for anyone struggling with these issues.

Adequately preparing for breast reduction surgery is the best way to ensure that you get the best results possible. If you are considering breast reduction surgery, or have already booked your appointment, do these three things to make sure your recovery and results are as good as you deserve.

1. Find the Size You Want

Overly large breasts can cause back problems, postural issues, impact shoulder health, and can also affect lifestyle, as more rigorous activity can be hindered by large breasts.

Once you decide to get breast reduction surgery, you must choose a size that is aesthetically pleasing to you and will enable you to lead the type of lifestyle you desire.

The best way to do this is to find women with a body shape and bone structure similar to your own, who lead the kind of lifestyle you wish to lead and have a breast size you would like to emulate.

Doing this helps you visualize how you will look after breast reduction surgery in Newport Beach, CA, and massively contributes towards you being satisfied with the results of your breast reduction procedure.

2. Clear Your Social and Professional Calendars

Completely recovering from breast reduction surgery requires between six to eight weeks. However, the first two weeks are the most critical time.

Patients will need to wear a compression garment all the time for the first four days after surgery and will need to do as little physical activity as possible.

This means staying at home in a comfortable, relaxing environment. As such, it is vital you schedule time off work and have no social engagements during the first week after your breast reduction.

During the second week, patients can return to stationary jobs and start participating in non-stressful social meetings; however, physical activity must be kept to a minimum.

3. Find Out if Insurance will Cover your Breast Reduction

Insurance almost never covers breast augmentation because it is viewed as a “non-compulsory” procedure.

On the other hand, overly large breasts can have considerable consequences on a patient’s quality of life. As such, with the correct medical evidence and recommendations, you may be able to find an insurer who will help cover the costs of your breast reduction surgery. While Dr. Sayed does not participate with insurance plans, many of our patients have been able to recoup some of their surgical fees from their insurance carrier by filing a claim.

This will depend on the symptoms you experience due to your large breasts and is at the discretion of the insurers. The best you can do is seek medical advice and talk with an array of insurers.

Ready to Learn More?

As you consider breast reduction in La Jolla or Newport Beach, CA, reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed at 858 247 2933 or fill out his online form to arrange a consultation and start preparing for your successful breast reduction surgery now.