In this guide, we review How much is 500 grams in breast reduction, how many grams of breast tissue per cup size, minimum size for breast reduction, and how much does 500 grams of breast tissue weigh.
Beccy Bingham, 37, is a graphic and web designer in Utah, who recently underwent breast reduction surgery. After her surgery, she learned her breast reduction was not what she requested. She shared her story with TODAY.
For almost 20 years, I have dreamed of having a breast reduction. That might sound odd, but my breasts were so large they caused me incredible back pain. I struggled to find bras that fit me, but if I had to guess I likely wore an H- or I-cup bra. I visited a chiropractor and massage therapist weekly to try to lessen the pain. My chiropractor once quipped that my back felt like “bricks” from supporting the weight of my chest.
Nothing seemed to reduce my pain and my quality of life suffered. I couldn’t eat dinner with my family because I struggled to sit or stand for long periods of time and I felt forced to lay down to find some relief. Something like folding laundry caused such intense agony that I couldn’t do it. It felt difficult to miss out on time with my children because of pain. During a session with my chiropractor, he mentioned the name of a surgeon who performed breast reductions for a few of his acquaintances. So I reached out and felt lucky I could get an appointment — so many doctors had long waiting lists.
My husband joined me for my first appointment with the doctor. Having a consultation for breast reduction surgery feels a little weird. It’s not often that I stand topless while someone moves my breasts and thoroughly looks at them. I remember he asked what size brassiere I wore, which struck me as an odd word. But I chalked that up to his age.
After the exam, he said he believed that health insurance would cover my breast reduction because my tissue was dense. Then we talked about size and I said I’d love to be a B or C cup and he nodded. He explained the procedure and said he’d remove 1,200 grams per breast, showed me where the incisions would be and explained how much recovery time I would need. Before I left he took before pictures and assured me that he and his staff would assemble a packet of information to send to the insurance company for pre-approval. My surgery was set for July 5, 2020.
When the doctor marked me up for surgery, he again asked what bra size I’d like to be and I told him I’d be thrilled with a B or a C cup. I wanted him to understand that I wanted my chest to be much, much smaller. He just nodded in response.
As soon as I woke from surgery, I asked how much tissue was removed. The nurse informed me he removed 800 grams from one and 600 grams from the other (medical records obtained by TODAY detail that 864 grams were removed from one breast and 776 from the other breast, totaling 1,640 grams) — the difference between the two sides would give me symmetry. That was 1,400 grams total, which is 1,000 grams less than I thought would be removed. I forgot to bring a button up shirt to the hospital to wear home, but felt pleasantly surprised when I could button up my husband’s shirt.
When I looked up online how much he removed when I went home, it still seemed like he removed a lot of weight — about 3 pounds. I would have rather had the doctor remove more like 5 pounds, but I knew healing would take a long time and I wouldn’t truly see how much smaller my bust was for months.
My mom went with me to my follow-up visit in the doctor’s office where the nurses removed the drains from the surgery. The doctor popped in and made a strange remark, saying, “I thought your husband was really mad me.”
I paused and said my husband completely supported my breast reduction.
My mom and I thought his comment was weird but wondered if that was a joke he makes with many patients. When I returned for my two-week appointment to have my stitches removed, he stopped in to see how I was progressing. I told him how happy I was. The nipples seemed to be placed in the right spot, the shape was nice and they were really symmetrical. That’s when he told me I was going to be a D cup and added, “I felt like your husband was really mad at me.”
I was shocked that he mentioned my husband twice. It sounded like he made a choice about my larger breast size based on my husband’s possible preference. It was gross to think that a doctor decided how I would look based on what he thought my husband wanted. When I got to the car, I started sobbing. (TODAY spoke with Bingham’s husband and he said he did not speak to his wife’s surgeon about the size of her breast reduction.)
I reached out to the health care system that he worked for to share my experience. They told me that he was joking and he was a good doctor. They asked what they could do and I asked them to hire a female-owned company for sensitivity training for its staff. I hoped that such training would help others understand why such comments were wrong. And I also asked to be compensated for the surgery. Insurance covered about 80% so I did owe about $500, which they waived.
The administrator at the health care company said he spoke with the doctor about how his comments weren’t OK, but it doesn’t sound like they’re going to offer any additional training. I don’t think they understand how harmful comments like this are and how badly I feel.
I wanted to share my story to help other people who face doctors who make careless, misogynistic jokes and make them feel unsafe. I hope to empower people to speak up. But I also hope that this health care group and others consider sensitivity training to avoid such experiences.
I am frustrated. I have waited since I was 18 to have the surgery and the reduction wasn’t as significant as I requested. I’m not sure that I could undergo another surgery to become smaller. Yes, he made my bust smaller, but he made a sexist joke that made me question his intentions. Perhaps to him it was just an offhanded comment, but I’m haunted by it.
TODAY reached out to Bingham’s health care provider for a comment. Here is their full statement: We see well over 1.2 million patient visits a year, and our goal is to provide the best experience with the best outcomes possible. We pride ourselves on providing high quality, affordable care to more than patients throughout Utah.
We are sorry when any patient feels we have not met their specific needs or expectations. We welcome feedback and try to work with all of our patients to make sure their concerns are addressed. Even with a patient’s consent, however, we are not able to make public comments about their treatment.
How much is 500 grams in breast reduction
Various factors, including breast size, density, and the intended result of the surgery, can dramatically affect the amount of breast tissue removed during a breast reduction treatment. Rather than weight in grams, the extent of breast tissue removal during breast reduction operations is commonly quantified.
Although it can be challenging to translate grams into breast reduction outcomes, it is generally accepted that each breast cup size (for example, from D to C or from C to B) may need the removal of between 150 and 200 grams of breast tissue. But this can change based on things like breast density, body proportions, and the type of surgery performed.
A skilled plastic surgeon will assess your unique situation during a consultation, taking into account your breast size, desired result, and general health. They will offer a thorough evaluation and talk about how much breast tissue would need to be removed to meet your objectives.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that breast reduction surgery is a complicated process that includes not just shrinking the breasts but also reshaping and raising them to get a more proportional and aesthetically acceptable result. The main objective is to find a size and form that is harmonious with your physique, comfortable, and that eliminates any physical or psychological pain brought on by bigger breasts.
The cost of a breast reduction treatment may also differ based on the surgeon’s experience, the location of the surgery, the degree of intricacy of the procedure, and additional costs for anesthesia, facility utilization, and post-operative care. It is essential to speak with a plastic surgeon to get a tailored assessment and price quote depending on your particular situation and desired result. They can provide you more precise information about your particular situation’s expenditures and the weight of tissue removal.
how many grams of breast tissue per cup size
Breasts come in every shape and size. But for some people with large breasts, they can be a nuisance. Large breasts might contribute to back pain and inhibit certain lifestyle goals. Breast reductions reduce the size of your breasts. Here are some of your top breast reduction questions answered.
How Does the Breast Reduction Procedure Work?
The surgeon will remove excess skin and a certain amount of breast tissue from the breast. They will then reshape the existing breast and lift it so that the breast is smaller and has the correct proportions to the body. If the surgeon didn’t lift the tissue, the breasts might sag.
Who is a Candidate for Breast Reduction?
If you live a healthy lifestyle and know that you want smaller breasts, you qualify. Realistic expectations are key. Cosmetic surgery might not be able to achieve everything you want, but your surgeon can talk about how to get the closest results.
These are some reasons that you might choose to have your breasts reduced:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Breast Reduction
Will Health Insurance Cover Breast Reduction?
Your health insurance coverage typically depends on your reason for choosing breast reduction. If you are experiencing physical symptoms like pain and discomfort, that qualifies the surgery as a medical necessity. In this case, many insurance plans will cover at least part of it. But if you’re only getting a reduction for aesthetic purposes, that is considered a cosmetic procedure that will not be covered.
Before booking your surgery, you should find out what kind of coverage your health insurance offers. There is a good chance that you will need to document the hardship that your physical symptoms cause you. You will also need to prove that there are no non-surgical alternatives that can help with the problem.
Different insurance plans also cover different amounts of tissue removal. You need to reach a certain threshold of tissue removal if you want the surgery to be covered as a reduction. The minimum tends to be about 200 grams, but some insurance policies will only cover surgeries that remove 800 grams per breast.
How Dramatic is the Reduction?
Different people will have different amounts of tissue removed. These will depend on what your original breast size is, along with the ratio of fat to blood supply. Your surgeon’s goal is to remove fatty tissue without removing too much blood.
You can’t plan for a certain cup size; a lot depends on how your breasts heal. With that said, most people go down a cup size for every 200 grams or so of breast tissue that is removed from the chest.
minimum size for breast reduction
Breast deformity can cause extreme social and psychological issues for young women and men. We make every effort to be considerate of this vulnerable time in their lives and to find solutions for them. Reconstructive surgery focuses on creating a natural, proportionate breast appearance.
To learn more about treatment options for children with breast deformities (abnormal breast development), request a consultation online or call us at (469) 375-3838 to schedule a time to meet with our skilled team.
Male Gynecomastia
For young men with excessive breast tissue, if the breasts have not started to diminish in size after one year and no etiology has been found, surgical removal of the excess tissue may be indicated. The daunting challenge in these cases is trying to minimize visible scarring on the chest.
The fatty portion of the breast can generally be removed with liposuction techniques. However, the residual glandular stroma often requires direct excision. In most cases, an incision that completely or partially encircles the areola can remove the stroma, occasionally doing so while also reducing its diameter. When the skin of the breast has been stretched excessively, a skin reduction may also be required. This may be done in stages to avoid devascularization of the nipple and to minimize the visible scars.
Female Enlargement
In terms of female enlargement, we must first establish that female enlargement has exceeded the norm. In general, the normal female breast will weigh between 300 and 500 grams. Insurance companies have picked up on this and have made assumptions that, if the breasts double in size (300-500 grams need to be removed), then overdevelopment has occurred and the patient will have physical benefit from the surgery. Now, more sophisticated calculations based on age, height, and weight can be used to determine if the enlargement is weight-related.
Obviously, we like to see these young women in their normal weight range and with stabilized breast growth before treating breast enlargement. Sometimes weight gain and breast development continue after the surgery which can compromise the outcome.
Surgery is generally not recommended until breast size has stabilized for over a year or two. The primary drawback associated with breast reduction is the resultant scars. In addition, these young women must consider the fact that they may eventually have children and that breast reduction could compromise the ability to breastfeed. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also cause recurrent sagging and enlargement. Visit Dr. Byrd’s Web site to learn more about breast reduction surgery.
