Saturday will make two months since I underwent breast reduction surgery. The surgery itself came up somewhat abruptly, but the decision to go for it was half a lifetime in the making. Since I started talking about the decision, and the procedure itself, I’ve learned just how many of you are in the process of contemplating or making similar decisions yourself. And so, as promised, I’ve compiled all the questions you’ve asked about my experience with breast reduction surgery, along with my answers.
Naturally, my answers are only representative of my experience – every body is unique, and thus so is every surgical experience. Certain aspects, like cost and coverage, will vary based on where you live. But, if nothing else, this is a rundown of how surgery went for me…
What procedure did you have done?
I went for a bilaterial mammoplasty, which is more commonly known as a breast reduction. Bilateral means I had it done on both sides of my body.
What size were you before surgery?
The answer to this question varied somewhat, depending on my weight and fitness level at different times in my life. At my largest, I was a 32F. When I actually went for surgery, I was a 30E. With very intense exercise, including running twenty-five kilometres or more a week, and an extremely nutrient-focused diet, I could work my way down to a 30DD, but never smaller.
How did you go about the consultation process before surgery?
For me, this was surprisingly simple – much simpler than I expected it to be. During a routine visit with my GP, I expressed my desire to undergo breast reduction and explained my reasons. My GP was supportive, and referred me to a specialist. I received a letter from the specialist’s office confirming the date of my consultation about two months later. As a result of medical office closures and procedure cancellations early in the pandemic, I actually got a virtual consultation earlier than my scheduled in-person consultation. The specialist mailed me some additional information to review. When I decided to move forward, I called the office back and they put me on the list for in-person consultation when those could resume, which was a couple of week later.
At that appointment, I was officially deemed a candidate for surgery and told to expect a five-month wait to get a call for the procedure. However, I made sure to put my name on the cancellation list. When another patient cancelled their procedure less than two months later, I got called and immediately agreed to go for surgery on September 14, 2020.
Was surgery covered by your healthcare plan? Were there any associated costs?
Manitoba provincial healthcare covers breast reduction surgery that is deemed “medically necessary.” Provincial healthcare defines “medically necessary,” as surgery being done to remove more than 300 grams of fat from each breast. I met the criteria, so my surgery was fully covered.
It is of note that given my relatively petite size, my surgeon determined that there would be no benefit to my undergoing liposuction to reshape my breasts. Many patients who are larger than I was do need, or prefer to undergo, that procedure at the same time as their breast reduction. The cost varies, and is not covered by provincial healthcare in Manitoba.
Were you able to negotiate or discuss what size you ultimately wanted to be with the surgeon? (And is there such thing as too small?)
Absolutely. My surgeon asked straight out what size I wanted to be. (It took all of my strength not to respond, “Flat.”) I gave my answer a fair amount of consideration. I wanted to be small enough for my clothes to hang properly, but not so flat that my natural hourglass body shape changed completely. In essence, I realised my goal was always for my body to look and feel proprotionate, so I asked to be left as a large A or small B cup. But there is no such thing as to small as far as I know!
What was your surgery day like?
Surreal. My surgery was the first of the day, so I was up early and barely awake when I got to the clinic. Surgery in the time of COVID-19 is a complex endeavour involving extensive waiver forms and a lot of standing opposite healthcare workers with plexiglass between you. I couldn’t eat or drink for twelve hours before surgery, so I was a bit dazed. I definitely did not realise how nervous I was until I set off the alarm on the blood pressure monitor! The nurses and anthesiology team were lovely and made sure to answer all of my over-analytical questions in full. I walked into the operating room, let them strap me in…
…and the next thing I knew, more or less, I woke up in the recovery room. The worst part of surgery turned out to be the opiate-and-caffeine-based medications used to manage my initial post-surgical pain. I don’t tolerate opiates well, but there was no one anyone could have guessed that. So I spent the day of surgery wide awake but unable to do anything besides lie in bed, staring at the cieling. I couldn’t stand up without someone holding me. It was a big relief when those medications wore off and I could stick to regular Tylenol for pain management.
How did recovery go?
Pretty seamlessly. I got lucky. I could manage my pain, which I would really describe more as discomfort, in the first couple of weeks with regular Tylenol. Sure, I was stiff, sore, tender and bruised – but I went for major surgery, so I expected that. I healed well, and quickly, with a couple of notable exceptions.
In the second week post-surgery, I got a bit ambitious about getting physical activity and took a long, brisk walk. On that walk, I broke open a stitch. The surgeon elected to let the wound heal on its own, which it did, but it felt like it took forever.
Around the same time, I noticed little bits of plastic poking out of my skin around my surgical site. The surgeon closed my wounds with plastics sutures which should have dissolved, but mostly refused to. (Ian cleverly pointed out that since I’m a picky eater, it shouldn’t surprise me that my body is, too.) So I got to make several trips to the surgeon’s office to have bits of plastic extracted from my skin. It didn’t hurt, but it was annoying.
How long did it take you to feel normal?
I felt way better than I thought I had a right to. (Again, I went for major surgery.) But it was around four weeks after surgery when I suddenly I realised that I felt perfectly normal. Obviously, I improved day-by-day, but turning that corner to being back to myself happened fairly abruptly for me.
With that said, I’m still getting back into my pre-surgery exercise routine. I did twenty-five (!) push-ups yesterday. Interestingly, I didn’t lose nearly as much strength in my chest and shoulders as I expected. What I did lose was range of motion, in my shoulders especially. It’s coming back, but slowly.
What do you now wish you’d known before surgery?
What not to wear on surgery day! The morning of my surgery, I realised I hadn’t given any thought to what clothes would be easy to put back on to leave the clinic. In a frantic rush to get there, I just pulled on a sweatshirt and leggings. Big mistake. Putting the sweatshirt back on after surgery, even with the help of a nurse, was a nightmare. I couldn’t comfortably pull anything clothes on over my head for the first week after surgery. Do yourself a favour and wear a button-up shirt.
