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Breast Reduction Surgery Can Improve Your Health and Your Life

July 15 is World Plastic Surgery Day

7/15/2024

Thomas Howard, MD, Aspirus Plastic Surgeon

Did you know, if you suffer from chronic back, neck and shoulder pain due to large breasts, you might be an ideal candidate for breast reduction surgery? According to the American Society of Plastics Surgeons, breast reduction surgery entails the removal of skin and tissue from the breast, followed by reshaping and elevating the breast to create a smaller, more proportionate bust size. After recovery, patients report a greater ability to increase physical activities and many share they have a better self-image.

 

"Breast reduction surgery offers an array of benefits that go far beyond enhancing appearance,” says Thomas Howard, MD, Aspirus Plastic Surgeon. “Many women with disproportionately large breasts experience daily discomfort, physical limitations and emotional distress. By reducing breast size, we aim to provide patients with relief from pain, improved mobility and a heightened sense of self-confidence."

 

Ideal candidates for breast reduction include those individuals:

 

  • Bothered by the feeling that their breasts are too large
  • Struggling with physical activity due to the size of their breasts
  • Experiencing back, neck and shoulder pain caused by the weight of their breasts
  • Suffering from shoulder indentations caused by bra straps and/or other skin irritation beneath the breast crease
  • Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
  • Nonsmokers/non-vapers
  • Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for breast reduction

 

“Results will show right away, but patients need to be patient as it can take four to six weeks for tenderness and swelling to go down and surgical scars to fade,” says Dr. Howard.

 

Many of the costs of breast reduction surgery are often covered by health insurance plans, depending upon coverage and need. Aspirus Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons Dr. Howard and Elizabeth Renakar-Jansen, DO, are both experienced in breast reduction surgery and, following an initial consultation, the Aspirus Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics team will work with you to determine coverage.

 

July 15 is World Plastic Surgery Day, celebrating the transformative impact of procedures like breast reduction surgery in restoring both physical comfort and emotional well-being. If you feel you are a candidate for breast reduction therapy, call 715.870.2162.

 

Aspirus Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics is located at 1901 Westwood Center Boulevard in Wausau, Wisconsin with some physicians now offering outreach in Plover and Rhinelander. For more information, visit www.aspirus.org/plastic-surgery.

 

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