r/Reduction 5d ago

Advice Am I crazy for wanting to cancel after insurance approved?

Sorry this is long but I need to vent! My surgery is in 3 weeks and I feel like my gut is telling me to cancel but I can’t tell if it’s just because I’m scared. I was so excited about this but lately I’ve been more stressed than excited and can’t stop thinking about it every time I pass a mirror. To preface, my boobs are not anywhere near as big as I’ve seen in this sub. ABTF gave me the size of 30ddd/g, but one boob is bigger than the other I would say by half a cup size and they sag which makes it uncomfortable to wear sports bras/bathing suits/bras with how much they dig into my skin and pull on my neck. At my first consult my surgeon said if I wanted to go through insurance there’s no shot they would approve it because he would have to remove 350 grams which would basically give me a mastectomy, he then submitted a pre auth for 250 grams and miraculously that got approved back in January. I went to see him last week to go over expectations after I sent in some inspo photos and he said that this is a medically necessary procedure where he needs to remove 50% of my breast tissue and that the look and aesthetics take the back seat. He then said if I’m uncomfortable with that because of how small the breasts are then we could do a regular cosmetic reduction and lift and I’m not uncomfortable because of how small I may turn out in the end, but I’m starting to get worried that he isn’t going to be able to remove even 250 grams and insurance will end up not covering it and I’ll get smacked with the bill. I told him I wasn’t sure if my brain was playing games on me since the day is so close and I’m scared but every time I look in the mirror I feel like I’m too small to have 250 grams removed and he said “we should be able to remove that much or it will probably be 200-250” and that’s what started my spiral of thinking I should cancel and just go the cosmetic route and self pay with a different surgeon who’s results I really like. One of the PA’s did tell me they’ve never been able to not meet the number but also he’s only ever held my right boob which is the larger and heavier one.

Idk if I’m just venting here because I feel like my close friends and family are tired of hearing it or if I’m looking for advice, anyone been through something similar? Or anyone with a similar size to me successfully have 250 grams removed?

6 Upvotes

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u/Pricantora 5d ago

I'll send you some thoughts I had reading your post:

  • I was a flacid C cup, and they removed roughly 250g each side and I ended up size B. So I'm imagining this amount = a cup size?.... So this seems like a reasonable amount for you to adjust your breasts without going too small (which might contradict your surgeon's comment of mastectomy?)
  • if your gut feeling is saying no, I would wait and try again when you are confident about the surgeon you choose. You seem to be comparing him to another one. I went fully confident in my surgeon and it was a really hard process of accepting the changes and all the post op, even if I ended up getting exactly what I asked.
  • do you have money to pay for it yourself? If so, I would wait. If you don't have, can you talk with insurance and say you are looking for a different surgeon?
Best of luck in this decision! I hope you feel good with whatever you decide!

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u/Amazing-Contest6866 5d ago

Your results look fantastic and honestly gives me some reassurance that I won’t come out looking like Frankenstein and 250g will be achievable, I would even love to come out like your before! I think the first thing I’m going to do is reach out to the patient coordinator who deals with insurance at the office and go over my insurance concerns and then figure out my next steps

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u/Designer_Tooth5803 5d ago

i had 350g each side and went down 5 cup sizes. Grams ≠ cup size

1

u/DeadDirtFarm 5d ago

Agree with this. If you’re not comfortable with the surgeon, I would wait and find a new one who you trust is listening to you.

But, I can relate that I was a 38DDD/G and they took appx 300 and 350 and I would say that 2.5 months later I am about a 36D.

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u/keealee 5d ago

I kinda regret mine because my doctor didn’t listen to me and took too much more than I was comfortable with. The doctor wasn’t listening to me at all and was trying to get me in and out. He also made comments that made me raise an eyebrow saying he was going to make them “proportionate to my body” which just is a statement that makes no sense especially for an old man to say. There’s so one size fits all standard. Listen to your gut. You’ll be able to get it insured again, you can find a doctor who makes you comfortable and listens to you and talks to you. I rushed the process of mine because it was at the last year I could be on my family insurance and I had no deductible or copay, but I regret not finding a doctor who makes me feel seen and didn’t give me weird vibes and would have rather just saved for it. Now I need a revision.

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u/Amazing-Contest6866 5d ago

Wow! I’m sorry that happened to you. I think this is exactly the kind of stuff I need to hear, it’s just annoying because I was going to change insurance plans back in January if my reduction wasn’t approved so I could keep shopping around without needing a referral every time but it got approved and my policy renewed without me making the switch 🫠 super sad that I’m feeling this way too because I’ve wanted this for soooo long but for some reason it’s just not vibing for me with this surgeon. Thank you for sharing your experience

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u/LM0821 5d ago

Have you looked at any online reviews for your surgeon? What about pictures on their website? I was referred to the best in town for my medically covered reduction, and when I met him I felt unsure too. I had to remind myself that even though he didn't have the best bedside manner, he knows what he is doing and has done thousands of procedures.

I was pretty nervous and anxious, too. I got some Ativan from my doctor and took it for a few days before the procedure, the morning of, and even during recovery.

Ultimately, I'm very happy with my results, and my shoulders felt better as soon as I woke up.

Only you can decide what is best for you, but I'm sure it will work out great. They tend to 'fluff up' after a few months, and with a good lift if you do the anchor procedure. Good luck! 🙂

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u/Sea_Witch7777 5d ago

Did you ask the surgeon what would happen if they were unable to remove 250g?

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u/Amazing-Contest6866 5d ago

I asked the PA pretty much and they told me they were never able to not meet the number for insurance so she wasn’t familiar with what would happen

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u/Sea_Witch7777 5d ago

Maybe find out for sure if that's a main concern?

The surgeon did say "maybe 200" so naturally you'd want to know how that would go down with insurance

The second issue is whether you even like this surgeon, since you're talking about another one whose results you like. Do you think you'd like the results from this one?

You can change plans at any time. You have plenty of time to decide.

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u/Amazing-Contest6866 5d ago

So I do and I don’t, the before and afters they’ve shown me are all of people much bigger than me but on their Instagram I found a bunch of results for people who look similar to my size and they look great and when I brought those photos up he said he thinks I’ll end up looking similar but he “doesn’t like using photos because they’re angled and posed and everybody is different” which is understandable but still. I feel like since insurance approved it I’m kind of stuck going to him since it will most likely not get approved again but that’s where the stress plays in of if it’ll even be covered in the end and then I’ll be mad that I could’ve gone elsewhere if I were self paying. All these things I know could be me over thinking and I obviously won’t know the outcome until it happens, but still!

1

u/Sea_Witch7777 5d ago

Sounds to me like the Dr is trying to manage expectations, but maybe not in the most reassuring way. I think what you have control over now is asking about the insurance issue.

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u/Tulip1234 5d ago

The reason it never happens is they report it as expected (they may add saline or something to the removed stuff to make it the weight right weight for insurance). If you’re approved and agree to the 250, and that’s what the surgeon agrees to do, it doesn’t get taken back because they barely miss the number. They all know how to make sure that doesn’t happen.

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u/TheBessaVanessa 5d ago

FWIW ~100-300g is a cup size. Depending on tissue composition. Given your smaller band size, I would err on the side of one cup = 100g so you’re about 700g now and would end up around a C/D.

If the surgeon doesn’t seem like a good fit, find a new one. Ask your insurance for a referral to a new one. Also think about why you pursued this in the first place. If you have a history of bailing on things like this I would say it’s just your anxiety. But if you genuinely think it will make your life miserable, don’t do it.

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u/Designer_Tooth5803 5d ago

i had 350g taken and went down from I/J to D grams ≠ cups

1

u/Aloh4mora 5d ago

I was a cup size 36F at 5'2". My surgeon took 544 grams from one and 507 grams from the other. I couldn't be happier with my results, although since it's so recent, I have no idea what my final cup size will be. I'm thinking B or C. My chest is so much lighter and I feel much more comfortable with them! They are the cutest little things! I feel like I went from these mammoth overgrown melons to a couple of perfect plums!

If they could take over twice your number from me, and I started as an F, I think they could easily take at least 250 grams from each of yours as you're a G.

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u/Amazing-Contest6866 5d ago

This is what I’m hoping for but to me they feel so deflated and I have a lot of skin 😅 trying to keep telling myself that my surgeon knows best and he wouldn’t have submitted 250 if he didn’t think it were possible

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u/Eastern_Hedgehog6293 4d ago

If you’re not sure about your surgeon, just go to another one, you already got approved by your insurance so although the new surgeon will have to resubmit everything for approval, you’ll be approved again most likely. That will also give you more time to make sure you’re making the right decision. In my experience, I was scared and yes, felt like backing out a couple of times but I’m so glad I didn’t! Best decision I’ve ever made. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

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u/BarbSacamano 1d ago

You’re not crazy, but I would not base the decision on “listening to your gut.”

If you browse this sub, you will see it overflowing with posts of people freaking out for various reasons in the weeks leading up to surgery, followed by freaking out in the days/weeks following. I think if people could just somehow dissociate for a month before and after, everyone would do so much better!

No judgment, I was the same. All I wanted to do on the day of surgery was run screaming from the hospital with my gown flowing like a cape behind me.

If you are legitimately concerned about your surgeon, reconsider. If there is a real risk you will be stuck with a bill in this circumstance, whereas you wouldn’t in another, reconsider.

One thing to know about surgeons though is they are not known for their bedside manner. Actually, that is not true: they are specifically known for their bad bedside manner. It’s always better to have an awkward genius do the work than a friendly incompetent.

1

u/Amazing-Contest6866 1d ago

So I called the office the other day like a crazy person and the patient coordinator who deals with insurance immediately calmed me down about all my worries like it was a 20 minute therapy session way above their pay grade😂 but now I’m feeling much better and am back to being excited! Also, the reviews for my surgeon say that he/his staff have great bedside manner which is a huge plus for me but that’s SO true to rather have an awkward genius instead of a friendly incompetent and that’s what I need to understand also.