A recent study has found dramatic improvements in quality of life for women who have relatively small breast reduction procedures.

Following is a reprint of the summary of this plastic surgery study:

The finding runs counter to the policies of most U.S. health insurance companies, who typically do not reimburse women for these smaller mammoplasties because insurance companies deem them to be only of cosmetic value.

“Smaller women are going to have proportionally smaller breasts, but for their particular frame, their breasts may still be far too large and uncomfortable,” the study’s author explains.

The study, appearing in the Sept. 15 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (alalert available online), found that breast reductions of less than 500 grams per breast greatly eased women’s back, neck and shoulder pain. The procedures also improved their quality of life by allowing them to exercise more, play sports and select from a wider variety of clothing.

None of the women in the study had ever undergone any form of breast augmentation before.

On average, the mammoplasties involved the surgical removal of 415 grams of breast tissue per breast (830 grams total), for an average breast reduction of just over 2 cup sizes. Seventeen of the women had less than 750 grams total of breast tissue removed—an average reduce of 1.7 cup sizes.

Three months and then one year after their surgery, the women were asked about changes in pain and quality of life. They were asked to rate their pain from a score of 1 to 5 (5 being highest).

Scores fell dramatically after the reduction mammoplasties—in categories including lower-back pain, neck pain, headache and bra-strap “grooving.”

This is very much in keeping with what we find when we do Los Angeles breast reduction.  While 500 gms of tissue removal, or more, might be requiruddy by insurance companies, women with less than this removed often have dramatic improvements in their self-esteem and symptroms from overly large breasts.