For years, Colleen, 40, suffered from:

	Aching shoulders
	Low-back pain
	Deep shoulder grooves from bra straps

The cause? Heavy, overly large breasts.

“A colleague told me how she had breast reduction surgery by Dr. Parungao, and said she was extremely happy with the results,” Colleen recalls. “For 20 years, I'd been thinking about having breast reduction surgery,” she admits, “so I went to see Dr. Parungao and decided to have it done.”

Research links breast reduction to reduced back disorders

According to new research presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgery conference, women who have breast reduction surgery may be at a decreased risk for back and spine disorders.

“Breast reduction surgery can also relieve other uncomfortable conditions caused by overly large breasts,” says Dr. Parungao. “Many women suffer recurrent infections under the breasts, as well as boils and excessive perspiration.”

Most insurance covers breast reduction

“When breast reduction surgery is done to relieve a medical condition, it is normally covered by insurance,” Dr. Parungao explains. “My office will work with you to submit the documentation your insurance company requires.

“And from a cosmetic standpoint, breast reduction lifts the breasts and reduces them to create a more youthful look and bring the body into better proportion,” he adds.

Breast reduction creates
a new sense of freedom

Colleen had surgery on July 12 and was back at work in a week. Now she's enjoying her new figure and freedom of movement.

“About five years ago, I started running and it was rather cumbersome due to the size of my breasts,” she recalls. “Five weeks after my surgery, I started running again and it's made a huge difference —not only in the way I run, but in the decreased stress on my shoulders and lower back. “I don't feel like I'm bearing the weight of the world anymore—it's such a relief!

“The tops I was embarrassed to wear before now fit really nicely. Dresses fit proportionally now. I feel so much lighter! It's quite a world of difference. I even wore a two-piece swimsuit on vacation!

“People have been asking me, ‘Have you lost weight?’ They can't pinpoint what has changed,” says Colleen. “And I tell them, ‘Yes, I have!’

“The colleague who had breast reduction surgery said, ‘I can tell you've changed—the way you walk. The way you stand. You stand with your shoulders back now and stand up straight instead of being hunched over.’ And I can feel that myself. I am standing taller and not hiding my chest anymore.”

Will breast reduction leave ‘anchor scars’ on my breasts?

In most cases, no. The breast reduction technique I use most often involves a scar around the areola (the shaded area surrounding the nipple) and another scar in the inframammary crease under the breasts. These scars are barely noticeable and fade with time. This method eliminates the vertical scar from the crease to the areola, as there is with the anchor technique.

Have a question? Ask Dr. Parungao.

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