Testimonials

Here you can read about other women's experiences and thoughts relating to a breast reduction procedure.

Clare´s Story

DIARY OF A BREAST REDUCTION

Four weeks prior to operation

About a month before my breast reduction, I discovered a site about breast reduction ­ busty.co.nz

It had a very interesting discussion page, filled with posts from women who had had a breast reduction. I could hardly believe the positive feedback – not a single woman seemed to regret the move, despite the cost involved. As a 32GG I had considered breast reduction for a while, but always as a concept rather than as an immediate aim. The site started to make me think about it a bit more seriously.

One surgeon whose name was mentioned a lot was Dr Guy Hingston. Nobody seemed to have a bad word to say, and all the women seem thrilled with the results he had achieved for them.

Three weeks prior to operation

I made contact with Guy Hingston. Much to my astonishment, he agreed to travel to New Zealand to operate on me in Auckland. The operation was scheduled for 28th February 2005. Cost was a bit scary, particularly since I am the sole earner in our family but we decided to make a few financial sacrifices and proceed immediately.

At that stage I had very mixed feelings. I felt incredibly guilty at spending so much money on myself. On the other hand, ever since puberty I had suffered from abnormally large breasts (and the cruel name-calling that goes with that). I was not overweight, but I had been an E cup or more for 20 years (since I was 13). Whenever I put on weight, it all went straight to my bust … nowhere else. By the time I had my breast reduction I was a cup size GG and felt that enough was enough!!

Before the operation, I was very nervous. I was concerned about the pain. I was nervous that the end result would be worse than my natural breast shape. (Researching on the internet had shown some very strangely shaped ‘post-op photos’.)

I was worried about complications after the operation.

Two weeks prior to operation

When I told my family about the operation my parents reacted neutrally. My sister (who also suffers from excessively large breasts) was very enthusiastic. She said she wanted a breast reduction too if mine went well!

One week prior to operation

I decided that a reduction to about a cup size C would be nice. I did not want to go so small that I would turn into a pear-shape – I wanted to stay an ‘hourglass’ shape – but just be in proportion with the rest of my body.

Before the operation, I noticed an interesting split between my friends. Some thought it was great that I was having a breast reduction. Others either said nothing, or made a flip comment. I found it funny that you could never guess how friends would react.

The Operation

I had to starve myself for about 18 hours before the operation. On arrival, the hospital took down lots of details, weighed me and took my blood pressure. Then both the anaesthetist and Dr Hingston chatted with me. Dr Hingston took some ‘before’ photos and marked me up for the operation.

Once I went into the pre-operation room, it all went very quickly. I was given the general anaesthetic, and then I was out like a light.

When I woke, the operation was all over. I threw up (a common reaction to anaesthetic) but felt much better for it afterwards. Then I was given a few pills, and sent to the recovery ward to sleep.

The night was a funny one. I was woken up several times by the nurses to take pills or give information, and once to take me to the bathroom. It's funny how the only thing you want to say is "go away and let me sleep", but good manners override and make you cooperate politely.

By the morning there was surprisingly little pain. I read, and ate breakfast and lunch. I was taking painkillers, but I was not really in pain – more just 'discomfort'.

During the operation, drains had been put into the side of my breasts to drain the excess fluid and blood. It didn’t hurt at all when the nurses took them out the morning after. Dr Hingston came to inspect his work and seemed very pleased.

In the afternoon, the nurses bound me up with bandages, and I went home. I spent the afternoon relaxing on the sofa reading and watching bad daytime TV. From what I could see (which admittedly wasn’t much) my new breasts looked smaller and perkier. They were surprisingly hard, due to fluid retention and swelling.

The week after the operation

One thing I hadn’t anticipated was the discomfort of sleeping on my back (not how I usually sleep). Initially after the operation the new sleeping position made me very restless, and I woke regularly to rearrange the pillows. Eventually I worked out a pillow system that let me lie with my torso slightly elevated which was much more comfortable.

During the day I was most comfortable lying on a sun-lounger in a half-recline position. Initially in the first few days I was very weak, and couldn’t do very much other than watch TV, read, or just sleep.

In the first week after the operation I needed painkillers and anti-inflammatories – although the pain was minimal. My incisions were rather itchy, particularly if I had a bra on. I had some spectacular bruising all round my new breasts.

I had some ‘spotting’ of blood and yellow discharge during the week after the operation, and this grew steadily worse. After about a week, I decided I probably had a mild infection, and the local White Cross gave me a course of antibiotics. The doctor wasn’t sure whether it was an infection or just excess fluid trying to get out through the weakest point (the incisions). After taking the antibiotics, the discharged improved.

After about a week, I washed my hair because I could finally lift my hands above my head. Until then it had been a bit painful to lift my arms so high. I no longer needed painkillers, and I could do more during the day including sitting at the computer playing computer games.

The second week after the operation

By the second week after the operation, I was feeling much better. The infection had cleared up well. I was surprised to find myself feeling comfortable without wearing a bra: for the first time since puberty.

I was able to move around more, including walking to the corner shop and going to the GP to get my dressings changed. It was interesting to see the results for the first time when my dressings were changed. In general the incisions were healing nicely. One spot bled when the dressings were removed, and there was a small amount of skin ‘gathering’ but everything else was fine. Dr Hingston told me the gathering would disappear with time. By then the places where the drains had been inserted were almost invisible.

My nipples were a very strange shape in the first few weeks after the operation – they looked like they were all nipple rather than areola plus nipple. Thankfully that turned out to be just the swelling.

Towards the end of the second week, I went out to a short concert. It was very tiring, and I had to adjust my bra a lot for comfort, but I enjoyed getting out.

After two weeks, the bruising around the breasts was almost gone, and I finished all the pills I was taking. I even felt ready to get back into an exercise regime, so I did some stomach crunches, and some time on an exercise bike.

The third week after the operation

After two full weeks of recuperation, I returned to work. I could manage (just), but I was exhausted by the end of each day. Driving to work wasn’t much fun; I had to hold my breasts to give them extra support when we went over rough patches in the road.

My secretary (who didn't know about my breast reduction) commented that I looked like I had lost weight. What a gem! All my suits looked fantastic on the new slimmer-breasted me, and I can even fit back into suits I thought I had grown out of.

By the end of the week I was able to drive a car comfortably for a short journey, and even spend the night with my husband without fear of him accidentally hurting me when we were asleep.

Further thoughts

Overall, I am very glad I had a breast reduction. By five weeks after the operation I was feeling completely normal and could even resume jogging (with a good sports bra). The bruising had gone, and I could reach my arms above my head to retrieve most things (as long as they weren’t too heavy).

Posture: My posture improved enormously as a result of the operation. It became apparent that I am actually quite slim - it was just my breasts that had made me look large.

Sensation: My left nipple is a little more sensitive than it used to be before the operation. My right nipple is somewhat less sensitive.

Size: About ½ a kilogram was taken from each of my breasts. Overall, I think my breasts are still a little bigger than I had hoped. I have not yet been professionally measured, but I would estimate I have only reduced to a generous size D, not the size C I had originally hoped for.

Shape: I like the new shape very much. It surprised me how much my new breasts changed shape after the operation. Initially they were bumpy and very hard. After a couple of months the bumps had disappeared and they were a matching pair. They were also perky – it is very novel having nipples that point upwards rather than down.

Scarring: I wore micropore tape on the incisions for about 10 weeks, and this helped to keep the incisions flat. By about 10 weeks post operation the scars around the areola and down the breast were already turning white. The scars along the bottom of the breast are red, but they will fade eventually.