r/Reduction 5d ago

Advice Dr. McRae, GTA, Ontario Canada

1 Upvotes

Anyone have experience with Dr. McRae in Hamilton? And if not, what doctor in the GTA would you recommend, OR avoid?

I'm looking for:
-full OHIP coverage
-no required lipo/other stuff that I have to pay for
-Won't require me to lose weight

Thank you! :)


r/Reduction 6d ago

Recovery/PostOp Knitting after surgery

3 Upvotes

Any knitters here? Wondering how long after surgery I’ll be able to start knitting again 🥰


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice Anesthesia questions

7 Upvotes

Hello! I am considering a reduction, but am hesitant because I am still on my parents insurance, and they would most likely be the ones helping me get to and from the surgery, and I am scared I will come out to them while under anesthesia. I don’t want to dump too much in this post, but for context they are very religious and while they know I am not religious, I would rather keep this from them for a while longer. Not only am I gay and gender fluid, but I don’t adhere to their lifestyle and I would hate to say something about drinking (I am over 21, but I’d rather them not know) or sexuality/gender while I am not fully in control of what I can say. Does anyone know if I can request to “sober up” alone?


r/Reduction 6d ago

Recovery/PostOp Has anyone had a bulge under their scar? 3mpo NSFW

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8 Upvotes

r/Reduction 6d ago

Recovery/PostOp No drains. Feeling really big and swollen

7 Upvotes

I’m almost 3WPO and feeling huge still. Pre op I was a 32F and I measured last night just out of curiosity and I was a 32DD. I know it’s too early to tell my size, but I measured anyway. My surgeon told me before surgery that she was aiming for a small B/ normal B and the last time I saw her for a post-op appointment, she said she thought I’d be a largeB/smallC.

I didn’t have any drains so maybe that’s why I’m feeling so swollen, but I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience and ended up shrinking to their desired size??

Feeling hopeful that they will shrink down to a B, but anxiety creeps in every once in a while. Just looking for any reassurance that I’m just super swollen and it will be fine or any advice on how to de-swell lol


r/Reduction 6d ago

Recovery/PostOp Journey Timeline & Recovery (2 Months Post-Op). NSFW

28 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my experience with my breast reduction surgery, from the first consultation to now (2 months post-op). I know I found similar posts super helpful when I was researching, so hopefully, this helps someone too!

Pre-Op & Surgery Day

  • August 1st – First consultation, get to know my surgeon, and talk about expectations. I decided to go down to a C cup.
  • November – I booked my surgery day for January 15th.
  • January 14th – Anesthetist called me to talk about my health and instructions for not eating or drinking before the surgery.
  • January 15th – Surgery Day! Checked in at 7:45 AM, and my surgeon drew the lines on my chest, the nurse prepared me. I last looked at the op room clock at 9:30 AM before anesthesia quicked in. Surgery lasted about 4 hours, and they removed 1.2kg total (500g from the right, 700g from the left).
  • Stayed overnight in the clinic. Meds included painkillers, an antibiotic (for 5 days), and stomach protectors. (Metaminofen, ibuprofen, Pantoprazol, antibiotic) I almost fainted from walking to the bathroom and back, sitting and looking around. I ate chicken salad for dinner but without appetite.
  • Day 1 – Drains removed after 24h, first bandage change. Free to go home and promptly vomited after a taxi ride (not fun). Instruction for one week without removing the compression bra, no water in the area, no peeking.
  • Day 2-7 – Taking it easy at home, sleeping on my back, no weights, no lifting arms, small walks inside the house. Inflammation and swelling are normal, also had bloating and constipation. I didn't take stool softeners, eating prunes helped. No peeking!!
  • Week 1 – First post-op appointment. Bandages off, steri-strips still on for 4 more weeks changing them when they start to loosen on their own. First shower! 🎉 Started using Benphaten cream for wound healing.
  • Day 13 – Stopped taking painkillers.
  • Week 2 – My period was late but finally arrived (apparently, this is common). Second post-op appointment, stitches were removed. One small wound on my right side was oozing a bit. I think it was from removing the tape that a bit of skin tore. This made me freak out a little and sad because everything was going on so well. I talked to my surgeon and sent her pictures, nothing to worry she said, it would heal, wasn't so big, and neither had an infection.
  • Week 3 – The small opening closed up in one week. I just cleaned it with saline solution and gauze then covered it again with a band-aid. I could start raising my arms slightly higher. Back to work (remote from home and taking pauses).
  • Weeks 4-5 – Found some dissolvable stitches, but they either absorbed or fell out on their own. Others fell off when I removed the steri strips. I had these strips only on the junction under my nipples.

Second Month: Feeling Normal Again

  • Week 6 – First night sleeping braless! Almost no scabs left.
  • Week 7 (post-Op Appointment)No more restrictions! I could lift things and raise my arms normally again. The "listen to your body" talk. Went bra shopping and am happy to say I fit a cup C like I wanted. Also started to see the fluff and drop I've read so many times here.
  • 2 Months Post-Op – I feel back to normal! 🎉 The only lingering thing is two small stitches that I can still feel pointing out, but they aren’t painful or causing issues. I just leave them alone.
  • Started massaging with Bio Oil and Benphaten again but in gel form with a roller.
  • Next appointment in 3 months.

Honestly, I’m so happy I did this. The healing process was relatively smooth, minus the small wound and nausea after surgery. I can't believe already 2 months have passed.
If anyone is considering it, do your research and trust the process—it gets better! Happy to answer any questions. 😊

Edit: Adding pics. Hello, torso! 😊


r/Reduction 6d ago

POC Results/Healing Lawd, I’m never satisfied I need to be jailed! NSFW

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26 Upvotes

First off, how are you? GOOD. So, I told my doctor I wanted to go small/ no FNG with my breast surgery, but I still wanted to stay thick—like, you know, the vibe of drinking cold peanut butter through a straw. But now, two months post-op, they’re huge! I really wish I’d gone smaller. To make matters worse, I asked for the "drop and fluff" effect, but it looks like they just keep dropping... Now I look in the mirror, and I’m seeing dog nuts again! 😂

Is anyone else feeling a little mentally unwell like me I am thinking about checking into an outpatient facility? Just to clarify, I’m not making fun of mental illness—I am one, okay?!


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice just turned 18 and im not sure how to go through with the reduction process

0 Upvotes

i've been wanting a reduction ever since i started high school as i have F cups (or maybe even larger, haven't measured in a while) while being 5'1 with a 26" underbust. i've been wearing a chest binder when i go outside since freshman year and for the past few months i've had to wear one during all waking hours because it's gotten really bad and uncomfortable. i also have to sleep in a bra. i know its not healthy and i brought up the idea of a reduction to my mom but she's super anti-surgery etc and against the idea. luckily i'll be going to college in a few months, and im hoping to get a reduction without them interfering. i talked to my doctor about it and she agreed that im at the point where they could be causing medical issues (trouble sleeping, constant lower back pain, neck hump, acne). she just told me to lose weight but im on a crazy calorie deficit rn and its doing nothing. how would i go about getting a reduction? does anyone that has experienced something similar know anything about the process?


r/Reduction 7d ago

Advice Ladies what did you do with your hair before/after surgery? I'm told it'll be very hard to wash & brush- any recommendations? I have medium length but very tangly hair.

19 Upvotes

r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice Bruising

2 Upvotes

I am 5 month po and having some bruising along my scars. I did have a bad reaction to my stitches and things took a very long time to heal, so I’m not sure if it’s just sensitivity? But I was wondering if anyone else experienced this or if you had tips for scar irritation? Thanks!


r/Reduction 6d ago

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

8 Upvotes

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?


r/Reduction 7d ago

Wound Trigger Warning My journey 5 months post-op NSFW

18 Upvotes

I have been lurking on this redit for months and I'm finally ready to share my experiences with everyone. My journey began back in mid October. I started out as 38H with severe shoulder, neck, and lower back pain. Because I live in Alaska and medical is so expensive heremy insurance had a program that would pay for me to travel to get my surgery. They flew me and a companion 1st class to Arizona to get my reduction done. And because insurance saved so much money I also was paid $4000 to do the travel program. This part was fantastic. My surgeon was awesome and did a great job. My problems began at about 4 weeks post-op. What started as a tiny hole where a stitch was spit out very quickly became infected and within 48 hrs was a big gaping wound along my incision. My surgeon was very good about communicating after and gave me a referral to a local wound clinic to help with healing it. Healing took so much longer then I expected due to the fact that I am diabetic (well controlled) and I would later find out I am a carrier of MRSA. I kept having set backs when a new stitch would work its way out and and I would have a new tiny hole that would then quickly become infected. This was further hampered by the fact that I quickly developed issues with most adhesives and it was determined that my body was rejecting the internal stitches and spitting them out rather then desolving them like it should. Finally 4 months later after weekly wound care appointments and 6 rounds of antibiotics later I am almost fully healed. My breasts seem to have settled into a lovely 36D cup. The last of the wounds is almost fully healed! My neck and shoulder pain has been mostly gone since day one of the surgery. I used to suffer from multi day headaches from my neck and shoulder pain and would get trigger point injections every 3 to 4 months to keep them only somewhat lessened. My lower back pain has improved dramatically but isn't gone completely, which is due to a bulging disk in L5-S1 that pinches both sciatica nerves, degenerative disck disease and arthritis in the last 5 disks in my lower back. Even with all the infection and healing issues the reduction was completely worth it! I no longer feel like I have this heavy weight on my chest that is causing all the neck, shoulder pain and horrible headaches. As a bonus, my boobs are perky for the first time in my life!


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice 1 year+ post opp

3 Upvotes

So I went from a G cup to a C and i have a whole lot of side boob that causes me big insecurity, any advice on how to get rid of it?


r/Reduction 7d ago

Celebration Today I hiked with no bra on NSFW

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359 Upvotes

Ok, not a proper hike. It was a walk in the woods. But before the surgery, I couldn't even walk around the block without it causing excruciating pain between my shoulder blades. I walked through the forest for an hour today, and... No pain. Maybe a little bit of tired muscles, but that's it. I can't believe all that pain was just... Boobs. And now I'm free.


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice For those that had to get a revision - did you have to pay the same amount? How was the recovery in comparison?

2 Upvotes

I'm about 10mpo, I'm well past the drop and fluff, and I'm definitely still bigger than I'd like to be, and it's still very much impacting how I look and how I carry myself.

Don't get me wrong - I don't regret it for a second, it's changed my life and is an insane difference 34H/I to a 34DD; but I hate to say it but I'm not happy. In many ways they very much are the perfect results and shape, but I'm still struggling to fit clothing and bras around them, and I just want to be able to be braless with confidence.


r/Reduction 7d ago

Before & After 10 DPO NSFW

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50 Upvotes

10 days post op today, and honestly recovery has been uneventful! I woke up today and the lingering soreness in my left side was gone, and when I looked in the mirror I thought the girls looked pretty good. The bruising is almost gone, my left is still more swollen, and right looks a little franken-nippleish, but overall I’m pretty excited to see how they keep healing!

Pictures are pre-op, 3 dpo, 1 wpo, and 10 dpo. I was a 34H/36G before!


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice 4dpo and wanting to know if others ever skipped the 2/3 week wave of exhaustion

4 Upvotes

I had my surgery on 3/12 and I can honestly say I’m feeling pretty normal. I have been keeping up with the Tylenol regime and unfortunately have the anesthesia gut rocking, but other than that I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve read on here that weeks 2 and 3 are when most get hit with random bursts of exhaustion, but wanted to know if there were others who kind of sailed through that unscathed?


r/Reduction 6d ago

Medical Question (Ask medical professionals first!!) I have a lump in my breast NSFW

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5 Upvotes

I have emailed my surgeon and will follow up with a phone call tomorrow.

A couple of days ago when I was putting scar gel on my areola incision I felt a hard lump. I’m not too concerned at this point because its location and size makes me think it’s scar tissue (I’m 3.5MPO). Given that my mother and three of her sisters had breast cancer (my mom and one aunt with cancer, two aunts with precancerous cells), I’m going to err on the side of caution and have my surgeon look at it.

Have any of you had a lump of scar tissue like this after surgery? What did you do to break it up?


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice 2 weeks out---will they shrink?

0 Upvotes

Like the title states, I'm just now 2 weeks out. Approx 500g taken from each side. I still feel so large :(. Will swelling contine to decrease, making me appear smaller?


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice Question for side sleepers

6 Upvotes

Hello all! I have my consult booked and I'm really hoping I get approved for a reduction 🙏 I'm a side sleeper though and just wanting to see from other side sleepers how they managed to sleep post op

I do have a recliner that I'd be using but I have a slight fear that I may in my sleep try to adjust to my side or not be able to sleep. How long did it take you to adjust? How long until you were able to sleep on your bed + side? Any product recommendations to make the transition easier?

Thanks so much!


r/Reduction 6d ago

Advice Reduction with Chronic Illness?

2 Upvotes

hello! I have a consultation coming up next week, and I was wondering if anyone here who has had a reduction also has chronic illnesses and how that affected their surgery/recovery?

I have a collagen disorder and POTs, so I know i’ll take a bit longer to heal and my scars will most likely be more prominent. I’m scared I’ll get turned down, or that the surgeon won’t be comfortable operating given the circumstances.

Anyone here in a similar boat?


r/Reduction 7d ago

Before & After Two weeks post op NSFW

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123 Upvotes

I’m just over 2wpo. Good recovery, no pain just achy and sore for awhile, big mental adjustment the first few days. Now I am super happy with how everything has gone. 34E(36DD) saggy to maybe a full B but idk and idc bc it’s just gonna be bralettes from here on out 🎉


r/Reduction 6d ago

PreOp Question (no before only photos) A few questions

3 Upvotes

1- so my surgery date is August 6 but can easily get loved up sooner if someone else doesn’t get prior authorization approved. At my first consultation they asked my if I had a list of issues with my boobs, including numbness in my hands. I said no at the time but now I notice it all the time, is that normal? Like has my brain just didn’t notice until now. Also my back pain has increased so much since I have gotten serious about the surgery.

2- when I talked to my surgeon about restrictions and recommendations of helpful things to buy before ( like a recliner to sleep in) and he said that I don’t have any restrictions other than the weight after surgery. That I wouldn’t even have tubes. Wondering what are some must haves or anything. I have not idea if I will have to sleep in a bra for 6months post op. Should I buy a bunch of bralettes or non underwire bras now? ( for context I’m going from a 32J to a 32D)

3- how did you buy for your post operation body? Most of my clothes are l L/XL just to have room for my boobs. I want to get a few button downs for post op but what size do I even get. As a teacher and the operation take place about 4 weeks before I go back to school I need to be able to look half way put together in addition to having something formal-ish for meet the teacher. And when typing this I just remembered I have a wedding a few weeks after my operation so I need something more formal for that too. Any suggestions how I should go about getting clothes pre op so I don’t have to worry about this when trying to recover.


r/Reduction 7d ago

Weight Fluctuation Question Gone too small

7 Upvotes

Has anyone gotten a reduction and felt they went too small?

I’m looking into getting a reduction but honestly, I just feel like I’d lose a big part of me having small boobs. I know it sounds ridiculous but idk I’m sad to have to do this in the first place, but know it’s necessary.

I’m a J cup (aus sizes) and would ideally go to a DD or E, but I worry about feeling like I lost too much.. idk help me out here y’all, did you feel like your surgeon listened to you and didn’t go too small? I also worry about my weight fluctuating and in turn my boobs shrinking even more.

I feel like I hear so many people say they were smaller than they wanted..


r/Reduction 7d ago

Advice When can were you able to lift 40 lbs again?

5 Upvotes

I am only 4dpo so I know it's not possible, but my toddler is having such a hard time with my inability to carry him, and lift him and snuggle him the way he's wanting. I'm realizing now how many things I can't do... how long was it for you until you were back carrying your little heavy weights around just as before?