Breast Reduction Surgery for Teens

Parent Q&A

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  • I am looking for recommendations for doctors in the Bay Area who are experienced with doing breast reductions for teens. We just had a horrible appointment with a pediatrician who made my daughter feel terrible about even considering breast reduction. I am certain there is a doctor who gets it. We are with Blue Shield but would be happy with the names of great doctors regardless of what insurance they take. Thank you!

    Hello. I totally understand what you dealing with. We had a great experience with a highly skilled plastic surgeon in SF who is VERY familiar with teens. We paid out of pocket. Didn't bother with Kaiser. It was totally worth it and changed it my daughter's life for the better! Dr. Karen Horton https://www.drkarenhorton.com. Happy to help if you have questions.

    I'm sorry you and your daughter had such a dreadful experience.

    I don't know if this is still the case, but when I was in my teens and early 20s a number of my friends looked into breast reduction. They were all told that if they had the surgery, they probably wouldn't be able to breastfeed if they chose to later. These physicians, while acknowledging the back pain and unwelcome attention these young women were experiencing, were loathe to perform this surgery on women this young because realistically they hadn't figured out the when and how they might choose to have children. These doctors were concerned about subsequent regret for having reduction surgery for this reason.

    I encountered similar thinking when I tested positive for a BRCA mutation. Other women with BRCA mutations told me that, unless their families had histories of breast and/or ovarian cancer while in their 20s or early 30s, doctors counseled putting aside any surgical approach to risk reduction until they were somewhat older and had a clearer idea of whether they wanted to have children. Those women who did want kids sometimes felt they were racing the clock sooner than other women might, but I've never encountered someone who was resentful of not being given latitude to make this decision while still a teenager. (I should also say that I feel the calculus is quite different for people whose bodies are at odds with their gender identities, and I am not trying to address that here in any way.)

    Regardless, I hope your daughter is able to find a doctor by whom your daughter feels heard, and is able to work with them for a decision that is right for her.

    Anon

    Teenagers get breast reduction surgeries all the time now. My daughter had hers the summer after senior year, and she was not the only student in her senior class to do so. The recovery is long, so best to do it during the summer. Dr. Karen Horton was also our surgeon, and according to her, teens actually have a longer recovery time than fully adult women, so plan for that. Dr. Horton is great. A strong and loving presence.

    In regard to the breastfeeding issue, the surgery has come a long way since we were young. Breast surgeons today optimize the desired reduction in breast size with preserving the functionality of the nipple (I'm not a doctor so don't quote me). The surgery is truly life changing. Truly, truly I can't say this enough. My daughter is 20 now and she says that she would happily have forgone the ability to breastfeed (in an uncertain future) in exchange for the life she is living now. By the way, I'm sorry your pediatrician reacted this way. My daughter's pediatrician was incredibly supportive, some people are just behind with the times. Good luck and best wishes.

    I had a breast reduction in 1990 at the age of 20 and it changed my life for the better.  I did not expect to be able to breast feed my first child at age 32 but with the help of lactation consultants at the hospital, I was able to breast feed all three of my children.  I know that is not the case for everyone but it was a great surprise for me.  I commend you as a parent for helping your child consider this surgery and for working to find surgeons who will support her.

  • I have a 16 year old daughter who has been wanting breast reduction surgery for both the physical burden and emotional sensitivity about her large breast size. We have had a consultation with a plastic surgeon at Kaiser Oakland who said she is a candidate for the surgery. I have spoken with some adult, post-child bearing women who have had the surgery. Instead, I am trying to find and speak directly with other parents/guardians of teen girls who have had this surgery done, have been through the decision making process, and/or perhaps women who had it done years ago as a teen or young adult. Given that she is still a teen, I am very wary regarding the potential future implications should she want to breast feed in the future, as well as other issues. I’d appreciate any feedback. This is not an easy decision. Please contact me directly. Thank you!

    My 18-year-old daughter had breast reduction surgery in July. Long story short, she is so happy. Ecstatic. It is the best thing that has happened to her in a long time, given all the sadness of COVID life.

    It is quite common for teens who have this surgery to do it the summer between high school and college. In fact, my daughter knew of two other girls in her senior class who were also planning to do the surgery over the summer.

    In terms of breastfeeding and other issues it is a bit of a philosophical discussion.

    I was 25 when I had breast reduction surgery.  I'm now 49.  It was a very difficult surgery, two weeks of recovery.  The scars are still slightly visible to me, but really not to others.  I was not able to breast feed either of my children fully but my breasts got engorged--the lines leading to my nipple had been mostly severed.  It was painful and unpleasant but fleeting.  And my mostly formula fed kiddos are just fine!  And I think the technology has gotten better, so there is that to consider.  I wanted to go down to an A from a DDD, but the doc kept me at a C so I could breast feed.  But then, it didn't happen regardless. 

    It was a life changing event and if I had had the courage, I would have done it earlier.  Never been so happy with a decision!  It was seriously a wonderful, freeing thing.  No regrets, not for a single moment. 

    From my goddaughter:

    Response from 23 yr old, got BR at 18:
    I got my breast reduction the summer after my freshman year of college and my only regret is not having it sooner. When consulting a doctor (also Kaiser), they asked if I wanted to wait until after having children bc of the possibility of having trouble breastfeeding later but said it was a small chance + I cannot even imagine waiting that many years to have it done. I also remember being very nervous about what people would say / if they would notice and I can say I’ve never had a single negative reaction from others after having it done. I was also nervous about sexual partners noticing my scars but that also has never been a problem. I cannot express enough how thankful I am to have gotten this surgery. It truly has changed my life in soooo many aspects! Has made me so much more comfortable with my body, made it easier to play sports / work out, be more confident, have more fun and confidence buying clothes & feeling happy in my clothes, have fun in college etc etc etc. 
    It will be the best decision she’s ever made! 

    Not precisely what you asked but I have a friend who waited until after she had a baby to get her breast reduction and wasn't able to breastfeed anyway! There are no guarantees that if she doesn't get surgery she will be able to breastfeed. I breastfed 2 babies and had my breast reduction afterwards and if I had to make the choice to give up breastfeeding in order to have lived my young adult life with breasts of a "normal" size I would do that in a heartbeat. (BTW my Kaiser surgeon, Dr. Kim, was fantastic.) 

  • My 18 yo daughter will be having a medically-needed breast reduction at Kaiser this summer.  I would like to hear from others who have gone through this surgery how their experience was with Kaiser Oakland.  Is there a surgeon you'd recommend?  We're also open to having the surgery at another Kaiser hospital if the surgeon is worth travelling to! 

    Three years ago I had my consultations and follow up appointments at Kaiser Walnut Creek. The actual surgery was at Kaiser Antioch. All with Dr. Chen. I don't remember why the surgery was in Antioch. That's just the way it was and I didn't care. I just wanted it done. I live in Walnut Creek though. Different procedures/tasks can be distributed among different facilities within a medical system so you may have no choice where your daughter gets this done. Hopefully for her convenience and comfort it all goes down in Oakland. The whole thing from first consult to recovery went very very well. I am so happy with the results. Walnut Creek From Oakland is no biggie. Antioch from Oakland is a schlep for sure but it's a nice new facility and if all goes well she will go home right after the surgery so you won't have to go there more than once. You may contact me for more info if you would like to. Good luck to your daughter