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This is the page where you can review questions and stories from patients, view the opinions of lay persons, and see answers from Dr. Bermant and other physicians. Do you want to ask a question, post an answer, or make a comment? Information E-mailed to me will be considered for posting.
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Important Information About Breast Reduction - Introduction and site map
Mastopexy Breast Lift Without Reduction Cost and Prices for Breast Reduction Patient Photographs Before and After Breast Reduction Surgery
PlasticWeb
Find Books written for the public about Breasts and Breast Surgery Breast Lift Surgery Introduction to the problem - Larger deformity operations Short scar breast lift options - Drawings Breast lift without breast implant - patient photographs
Mastopexy short scar - patient pictures before and after surgery
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Subj: Re: breast reduction I am 31 yrs old and have two beautiful boys that have left me extremely top heavy. I have been suffering for the last year with muscle spasms in my neck and migrane headaches. I am 5" 1' and weigh 130 pounds, I am currently wearing a 38 DD but I could go up to an E. I am scheduled for a breast reduction in Dec 97. Do you think this surgery will help and what is a good size to go down to? This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. This is really a good question for your operating surgeon. Migraine headaches are usually not relieved with breast reduction. Neck pain related to heavy breasts is relieved. Pain not due to breast weight is not improved. When you go into a pool deep enough to cover the breasts, the breast tend to float taking some of the weight off the neck. If you get some relief when the weight of your breast is lessened, that usually gives you an idea what surgery may offer. Unfortunately the pool test gives buoyancy to other parts of the body and therefore is not completely reliable. Without an examination and evaluation I cannot comment what value surgery would be for you nor what size would be best. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: re: Breast reduction I have a breast reduction a few years back in Madison Wi and I am very happy with the results, a friend of mine also had one done a few weeks ago and says that hers are not shaped like breasts, (maybe some swelling?????????) I really can not remember what they looked like after, but could it be there is some swelling? If I remember correctly it took some time for them to shape. My friend is kind of scared of their shape right now, and I would like to console her. This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. There is some swelling after breast reduction. Depending on the type reconstruction, breast shape can evolve after surgery. Breast shape can also be a function of the skill of the surgeon and the degree of the problem. Your friend should ask these questions of her doctor. I know I would want my patients asking me if they had concerns. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: breast surgery Hi. My name is E, and I am a college student. I am 19 years old and I am very uncomfortable with my breasts, and I have been thinking about getting breast reduction for a long time now. I am a size 36C. I havent told anyone that I have been thinking of this surgery because I am afraid of what they will sa. I am so uphappy about my breasts and I have such a low self esteem about myself, like everytime I go shopping, there are some clothes, shirts, that I would like to wear but could never, and I have been gaining weight, I have a stomach so that makes me more un- comfortable. I dont know what to do. I dont want to tell anyone, but i am scared of what might happen and everything. I dont know and I dont know how much it will cost. I know I want this. It seems like everyone around me has smaller breasts than me and they look good and i just want to look like that. Please write me back when you get a chance, Thanks E This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. You are not alone. Many women suffer similar problems and concerns. Breast reduction offers smaller breasts, lighter weight on the chest, less neck / back pain if from heavy breasts, and greater ability to fit into reasonable clothing. The self esteem problem sometimes needs some more help than surgery alone. General weight gain will not help the problem but will only make it worse. Breast reduction does not solve weight gain issues. Breast reduction as a component of a more comprehensive approach to the underlying issues can be very useful. You can start with the education process that a consultation and evaluation would bring. This is where my patients learn what their options are. My fee for Breast Reduction Surgery depends on the problem to be treated and technique(s) required. Jane is my office manager and can better discuss prices. She can normally be reached at our office by phone Monday - Friday 9-5 Eastern Time at (804) 748-7737. I hope this information proves of some use. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: Breast Reduction (Liposucsion) My doctor recomended a procedure using Liposucsion instead of the usually method done for a breast reduction. I am a 38DDD and am worried about sagging and if this procedure is a good one. Could you give me any knowledge you have on this subject, and if it is a successful one. D This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Liposuction is usually good for localized fat collections. Breast reduction is usually a problem of both skin, fat, and breast tissue. That is why the reductions are usually of all three components which liposuction cannot deliver. It depends on what the problem is and what needs to be done. Your surgeon has the advantage of an evaluation. Without a similar consultation, I cannot comment on your specific case. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: Breast Reduction Dear Dr. Mike! Thank you for responding to my question on scaring and the newest method. I have since contacted a doctor (Dr. E) in the ... area who will be learning the new procedure shortly. For myself I feel it should be a package deal, being not just the size involved, because after the size is adjusted the radical scaring is there forever. As I only have a pound to be removed from each breast, one factor (scaring) out weighs the other. To me this is my only option even if I must wait 6 mos. Perhaps someday more doctors will be interested in developing a process for less traumatic scar. Thanks again This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Most good doctors ARE concerned about the best scar. We have been working on shorter breast reduction scars for years. As my last E-mail stated, we do have short scar methods but the problem is sometimes the breast. The breast reduction is a 3 dimensional problem and shorter incisions do not always give the latitude to build a reasonably looking breast. It depends on the individual breast. From your description there may be several short scar options. Remember the newest is not always the greatest. The better surgeon always strives to learn new tools and evaluate their effectiveness compared to what we currently have. Good luck on your surgery. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: breast reduction I have a size 44ddd breast. I'm wondering how much a breast reduction would cost and what the procedure is. I have bad back problems because of them. Can you help? p This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Very heavy breasts can be a real annoyance. Back neck and shoulder pain can result from massive tissue on the chest wall. There are other causes for neck pain. Breasts tend to float somewhat in water, I advise my patients to see what it might be like to get some of that weight off their chests by getting into a pool. Most tell me that they get a feeling what contribution the heavy breast have to their discomfort. Breast reduction is a name for a series of operations that removes part of the woman's breasts. Skin, fat, and gland are usually removed. The discussion about breast reduction is too extensive for an E-mail response and is better explained during a consultation. My fees for breast reduction surgery vary depending on the problem to be treated and what needs to be done. Jane is my office manager and can better discuss costs and charges. She can normally be reached at our office by phone Monday - Friday 9-5 Eastern Time at (804) 748-7737. There are additional costs for the hospital and anesthesia. Some insurance policies have coverage for breast reduction surgery, unfortunately others do not. I hope this helps, Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: uneven breast I was wondering how much the procedure would cost only for one side of my breast. My left side is extremely large compared to the right side. Is there anything I can do about this problem? Thanks This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Uneven breasts can be a problem. The question is how uneven is uneven. There are different surgical options for the different problems. The larger breast can be reduced in size. The type of surgery depends on the three dimensional solution to that reduction. Smaller reductions involve scars around the areola. Larger reductions extend the scar from around the areola towards under the breast. Even larger reductions extend that scar even further under the breasts near the chest wall. Breast Reduction and Lift cost is based on the type of surgery, and yes single breast reduction is less expensive than double breast reduction). You will need an examination and evaluation to start your education process to find out what options are available for your problem. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD Subj: Re: breasts & back pain I have some questions concerning the viability of particular cosmetic surgery being covered by insurance, as well as some information on alternatives to surgery. I am 21 years and suffer from severe back pain. I have a very small frame; I am 5'4" 105lbs with a 30" rib cage, but my cup size is double D. A few years ago I looked into breast reduction, but the doctor I saw told me that my case was not extreme enough to be covered by insurance and he did not recommend the surgery for me. At such a young age, I did not want to risk the loss of feeling in the nipples or having scars that would make me even more uncomfortable with my body. Since then, a good amount of sagging has taken place, and the pain has increased dramatically. I have trouble sleeping, and though the doctor recommended that I excersize frequently, that is painful as well. I would like still like to avoid breast reduction if possible, and was wondering what my options might be. Are there cases where a breast lift is covered by insurance? If not, what would this cost? Would physical therapy help, and if so, could you give me some information on physical therapy which would be covered by insurance? Any suggestions you can make would be very helpful. This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Large breasts can be very uncomfortable for a person's frame to support. The weight tends to drag on the neck and shoulders when upright. When on ones back, they can drag on the skin of the chest and shoulder. There are other sources for pain in these regions, breast reduction is not always the solution. I advise my patients to check out what water buoyancy does to their discomfort. Breasts tend to float. Does getting into neck high water relieve some of the discomfort? Is there relief only after the breasts are emerged? Breast reduction is an operation where the extra glands, fat, and skin are removed and the breasts restored to a more natural proportion. Wound shortening techniques try to limit the length and severity of scars. Supportive bras have some value with wide straps that distribute the weight across the shoulders. I am not certain how exercise will help the problem. Some insurance companies recognize the short person as having different limits as the larger woman for breast reduction qualifications. Others have set what no reasonable person would call anything but outrageous requirements that nobody is large enough to be paid for by that plan. Some patients have taken their insurance companies to court winning payment for unjustly withheld treatment payment. Others give up the fight and live with the pain. Others work with their surgeons and try to come up with as reasonable a rate for the surgery outside the insurance plans. Remember not all pain and discomfort that could be exacerbated by large breasts are caused by the larger breasts. You may want to get another opinion by another plastic surgeon. If your insurance company is one of the outrageous ones denying care for those who need care, you might consider getting another company. I hope this information proves of some use. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. We can be reached at: (804) 748-7737. My staff and I try to ensure the comfort of our out of town guests during their consultations and procedures. Michael Bermant, MD I just wanted to let you know that I had a Breast reduction done
and WOW, it was great after the little pain, that did not really matter
to me after carrying 44triple d"s. Dr. Bermant responds: Your reaction is very common for someone who needed breast reduction surgery. Glad it went well. Michael Bermant, MD This is just to let someone who is considering breast reduction...that my experience was excellent...I had no problems. I am 4'11" and weigh 138, I went from a 38 DDD to a 38 C and am completely satisfied. It was well worth it, and to me was relatively pain free. Large breasts can be very uncomfortable. Thank you for your post. Michael Bermant, MD |
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