Breast Reduction Surgery

Often 400 mg's is the minimum amount of tissue required to be removed per side in a Breast Reduction Surgery by many insurance carriers. Remember there are 454 gms in a pound. Many consider 200 cc's or mgs to be one cup size. So, with a 800mg Breast Reduction you would be losing 1.76l bs or 3.88 Kg. Or, dropping TWO Cup Sizes.

Unfortunately, there are no real standards in the bra industry for cup size. To discuss this matter with your surgeon consider describing the bra you wear (i.e. Cross your Heart, Lady Form, etc.) and ask approximately what cup size they think you might be after surgery. Often surgeons will not want to give a patient a specific cup size & describe the post-operative breast size as proportional to body size or smaller than body size. We utilize pictures of our actual patients who have had the breast surgery the patient is considering to illustrate this point. You could also consider this option.

Hope this is of assistance.

Best,
Gary R Culbertson, MD, FACS

In my practice we use the Schnur scale and submit our calculation to the insurance company. The insurance company typically has the last say in the minimal amount of tissue that needs to be removed. If I decide to remove more tissue it is because it will make the breast proportional to the patient's frame. There are no financial incentives for removing more tissue. I am not sure why your plastic surgeon is stating that insurance will not cover the cost if 400 grams of breast tissue is not removed when the insurance company obviously requires less tissue to be removed for coverage of your procedure. Speak to that practice's insurance coordinator for a better explanation.

No plastic surgeon should promise nor predict cup size. There are no standard sizes, you try on three different brands that fit, they’ll be different! Your insurance company sets the criteria for the amount to be removed for coverage. What you list as the Schnur scale is about right. I am not sure where your surgeon’s estimate comes from but probably close. The best way to estimate how you may look after a reduction is to have the surgeon “ pinch” your tissue to simulate the reduction and see if you like the size. Don’t worry about the weight as long as it covers the insurance minimum. You being petite and a DDD, 400 Ms should still leave you a nice size. Discuss this in front of a mirror with your surgeon.

Thank you for this question - it is a great topic. Breast reduction surgery is life-changing for many women and can provide relief of annoying neck, back, and shoulder discomfort. There are a couple of separate discussions to have - one about what size and how you want your breasts to look and another one regarding what your insurance plan will cover. If you go the insurance coverage route, make sure you, your surgeon, and the insurance company are all on the same page. If you feel you will be too small with the amount of tissue removed for insurance coverage, your surgeon can discuss a smaller breast reduction with you but you would have to pay for it as a cosmetic surgery. Best wishes on achieving your desired look.