Breast Reduction

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have an 18 year-old daughter who is a 36H cup. She has increased headache and back pain with rashes due to weight and size of her breasts. Would you perform breast reduction surgery at age 18? She has seen her pediatriciian and gynecologist who both gave me your name. Thank you in advance. I had my breast reduction and it changed my life for the better. I waited until age 26 but had issues for years. I would love to make appointment  but wanted to see if you had age limit or need to do a person to person case review.

A: There is no problem performing breast reduction surgery at age 18 or even younger. The surgery is performed when the symptoms warrant it regardless of age. It is well known that female breast size and shape will change throughout a woman’s life, they are not stable anatomic structures. While there is always the risk of potential regrowth when breast reduction surgery is done in teenagers, avoiding surgery for that concern dooms the patients to symptoms that could otherwise be improved much earlier.

Given the size of your daughter’s breasts and her symptoms, there his no question that breast reduction surgery can and should be done at her current age.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana