You’re not alone if you’ve been battling with back pain and are thinking about getting breast reduction surgery. Over 300,000 women have breast reduction surgery each year in the US, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
You can remove the extra skin and fat from your breasts that might cause pain and discomfort with breast reduction surgery. Moreover, breast reductions can aid with posture correction and the relief of persistent neck or back pain that may be brought on by big breasts.
This blog post will go over how breast reduction surgery can benefit ladies who are thinking about having the treatment and how it can aid with back pain.
You can also read about spinal stenosis and breast reduction and breast reduction for back pain medicare.
Breast Reduction Surgery Because Of Back Pain
Chronic Back Pain? Maybe You Should Consider Breast Reduction
From childhood, girls see media images of large-breasted women being touted as “the” way to look if you want to be attractive. Maybe you’ve been complimented on the size of your breasts, or even told “You’re so lucky!” by women with smaller breasts.
Inside though, all you can think of are the drawbacks. Many women with larger-than-average breasts deal with severe back pain which, left untreated, can become debilitating. Estimates show that women with extremely large breasts number at least 1 million in the United States, and these women are more prone to chronic pain than their smaller-chested counterparts.
Large breasts can cause migraines, back pain, and even shortness of breath. Unfortunately, as we age, our shoulders naturally tend to roll forward more than they did when we were young, and this rolling is exacerbated by the extra weight of large breasts. This puts a lot of strain on your upper back, resulting in even more pain than you may have had when you were younger.
But you shouldn’t have to deal with chronic back pain for the rest of your life. Studies have shown that breast reduction surgery showed objective improvement in back pain. Breast reduction surgery for back pain eliminates the need to take anti-inflammatory and pain medication on a regular basis. It also improves your ability to exercise and mobility overall.
Instead of grabbing temporary pain relievers or taking another ibuprofen, consider a simple, routine breast reduction surgery as a long-term option for relief.
WHAT’S INVOLVED IN THE BREAST AUGMENTATION PROCESS?
A breast reduction can be scary if you don’t know the details. However, the minimally invasive surgical procedure can significantly improve your quality of life.
Here’s how the procedure works.
- During your surgery, the doctor will make discreet incisions into your breast tissue.
- He will then remove excess fatty tissue; how much depends on what you have discussed prior to surgery and how much smaller you would like your breasts to be.
- The doctor will then reposition your nipple higher up and remove excess skin. The finished product will be average-sized, firm and perky breasts.
- The average recovery time is 2-6 weeks. During the first week after your surgery, you’ll need to take time off from work. You also won’t be able to drive or operate any machinery if taking pain medication. After the first week, you’ll be able to return to most of your normal activities, with exercising and heavy lifting being the exception.
BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE: WHAT TO EXPECT
During your initial consultation with Dr. Proffer, he will explain the different types of breast reduction surgery so you can determine which one is right for you. He will also answer any questions you may have about the procedure.
If you are concerned about the financial cost, CareCredit could be an affordable option for you. CareCredit allows you to purchase your procedure and make payments overtime to cover the cost, rather than all at once. And that’s not the only good news. If you’re experiencing back pain, your insurance company may even cover part, or all, of your surgery costs. We’ll check with your insurance to determine if this could be the case for you.
THE DAY OF YOUR SURGERY: HOW TO PREPARE
The staff at Proffer Surgical will prescribe pre- and post-operative pain medication to manage any discomfort you may experience. Your breast reduction is completed as an outpatient procedure; but you might elect to spend the evening at the surgical center.
We recommend you wear loose-fitting, comfy clothes that are easy to get on and off for your surgery. Be sure you arrange to have someone drive you home from the procedure. It’s also a good idea to make sure someone is there for you the following evening, so you can get adequate and necessary rest.
AFTER THE SURGERY: ENJOY PAIN-FREE LIVING
After some recovery time, you should be feeling back to normal. No, scratch that. Better than normal!
Your new, smaller breasts won’t pull on your back and shoulder muscles, won’t cause shoulder dents where your bra straps sit, and won’t interfere with your posture. Most patients report a reduction or complete elimination of back pain post-surgery. Not only that, but running and aerobic exercise will also be easier, shopping for well-fitting clothes will be a breeze, and your self-image will be improved. It’s truly a “look better, feel better” scenario.
Spinal Stenosis And Breast Reduction
The Effects of Breast Reduction on Back Pain and Spine Measurements: A Systematic Review
Background:
The aim of this review article was to synthesize the literature on reduction mammaplasty and its effects on the spine. The particular focus was to find these few radiological studies and those investigating changes in spinal angles, posture, center of gravity, and back pain reduction.
Methods:
We performed a thorough review of the literature, searching the Medline database for all relevant published data studying reduction mammaplasty and the spine. The search yielded 107 articles of which 11 articles met our specific inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures of the studies and their respective results were tabulated, contrasted, and compared.
Results:
The 11 cohort studies included in this review cover the period from 2005 to 2015 and focus on breast hypertrophy and spine. According to these 11 quantitative studies, breast hypertrophy causes objective, quantitative, measurable disturbances to women living with this condition. Reduction mammaplasty produces an unmistakable improvement in signs, symptoms, and quantifiable measures. Although the majority of included articles in this review described postoperative improvement in spinal angles, there remain discrepancies of results between them.
The studies included in this review did offer a promising glimpse into the complex interaction between breast hypertrophy and the spine. However, future research initiatives can improve upon what these investigators have begun with more refined, objective, radiological evidence. More specifically, we aim to clarify some of the basic hypotheses in our center with the use of EOS.
Breast hypertrophy is responsible for a broad array of patients’ signs and symptoms ranging from mild to debilitating in nature. The most common physical complaints include neck and upper back pain, headache, aching shoulders, painful shoulder grooves, low back pain, intertrigo of the inframammary crease, mastalgia, poor posture, difficulty exercising, and difficulty working a job without absenteeism.1–3 General back pain is known to be the most expensive disease regarding work absenteeism/disability representing up to 1.75% of the gross national product of some countries and 20.6% of National Health Insurance Survey (NHIS) respondents reporting lower back pain.4,56 Breast hypertrophy patients are no exception to these statistics. The mass of hypertrophied breast glands imposes downward traction on the musculofascial sling surrounding the shoulders and neck, namely the trapezius, levator scapula, and rhomboid.67 There is also increased pressure on the greater occipital nerve, lesser occipital nerve, and dorsal occipital nerves. This was confirmed by Mosser et al.8 There is also increased pressure on the greater occipital nerve, lesser occipital nerve, and dorsal occipital nerves. This was confirmed by Mosser et al.8 in a cadaver study of 20 heads from patients with an unknown history of migraine headaches.
The most effective treatment for breast hypertrophy and its accompanying signs and symptoms is bilateral breast reduction surgery: vertical or horizontal techniques. According to satisfaction survey questionnaires and meta-analysis studies, it has been repeatedly proven to be a surgical procedure with a very high patient satisfaction rate.9,10 In a study by Brown et al.,11 a satisfaction rate of 89% was demonstrated. It is hypothesized that the center of gravity reverts to its more neutral position posteroinferiorly. The spine returns to a more neutral curvature, allowing the paraspinal muscles to relax. As such, pain is alleviated.12 Until relatively recently, the scientific documentation was not totally adequate with the exception of validated satisfaction questionnaires such as the Breast-Q satisfaction outcomes.12–15 In addition to the physical disturbances, macromastia has a significant negative impact socially, personally, and as it relates to self-esteem and health-related quality of life of patients.16
The aim of this review article was to synthesize the literature on reduction mammaplasty and its effects on the spine before and after surgery. The particular focus was to find all radiological studies and those investigating changes in spinal angles, posture, center of gravity, and the relation to pain reduction.
The spine attempts to stay in balance using the least amount of energy possible and preferably in a neutral position. The excessive weight of hypertrophic breasts acts as a lever to disrupt stabilizing forces of the neck and back. The center of gravity of the body is altered moving superiorly and anteriorly during daily activities. This results in an altered curvature of the spine resulting in increased lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), and cervical lordosis (CL) (J. Ouellet, Personal Communication, 2018).12 There is an ensuing compensatory contraction of the paraspinal muscles. This constant muscle contraction can cause significant and persistent pain requiring chronic pain control medication around the clock in many patients just to get through the day.12
METHODS
Inclusion criteria were English and French language publications, human subjects, bilateral reduction mammaplasty, extractable outcomes, and full-text availability. Our aim was to find the studies in the literature studying the effects of breast hypertrophy on the spine. PubMed was used to search all relevant published data studying reduction mammaplasty and the spine from the Medline database of the US National Library of Medicine. The searches were conducted in July 2017. Using PubMed, the search strategy combined combinations of keywords “breast reduction,” “reduction mammaplasty,” “spine,” “spinal,” “vertebral,” “posture,” “back,” and “skeletal.” The resultant articles were assessed, and their references were inspected for further articles pertinent to this review. The search yielded a total of 107 citations. Ninety-seven of the articles did not match our inclusion criteria because they did not combine analyses of both breast and spine interaction. One article found in the references of an included paper was subsequently added as it met our inclusion criteria. The remaining 11 articles met our inclusion criteria and were suitable for analysis (See Fig. 1). The selected studies were graded using the University of Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine Levels of Evidence (See Fig. 2). The data from the selected articles are presented in Table 1. The primary outcome measures of the articles and their respective results are displayed. Initially, a meta-analysis of the studies was contemplated. However, this was deemed unfeasible as the outcome measures and methodology differed too drastically even between those few studies, suggesting the need to study this subject in better depth.
Breast Reduction For Back Pain Medicare
Many patients get coverage for breast reduction through Medicare in Australia using the popular Medicare item number 45523. The procedure must be seen as a medical necessity by your surgeon and Medicare. It essentially means that you are getting the surgery due to an underlying medical condition. If your surgery is due to purely cosmetic reasons only, Medicare won’t pay for it.
PLEASE NOTE – Dr Turner does not offer FREE Breast Reduction surgery. Medicare and/or your Private Health Insurer may offer a PARTIAL SUBSIDY for a procedure to be done in a private plastic surgery practice like Dr Turner’s. There will still be a SIGNIFICANT GAP PAYMENT for your surgery that you have to pay for.
FREE plastic surgery MAY be available in some public hospitals for some procedures but there is a significant waiting period – sometimes many years spent waiting for elective surgery. If you want your surgery sooner than that and can’t afford it – please consider other funding options.
Dr Scott Turner is an experienced Plastic Surgeon and Breast Reduction expert – find out more about his Breast Reduction Surgery and look at his Breast Reduction before and after results.
What are the criteria for getting Breast Reduction Medicare?
There are several health concerns that can help qualify you for Breast Reduction Surgery and make it medically necessary including:
- Chronic skin infections due to larger breasts. The common one is intertrigo.
- Relief from body pain; back pain, neck pain or shoulder pain
- To remedy other health conditions that affect your quality of life
Quick Facts about Medicare Cover for Breast Reduction
- Medicare only covers breast reduction surgery if it is medically necessary.
- Medicare does not cover elective cosmetic breast reduction.