Alternatives to breast reduction
Alternatives to breast reduction may include wearing a good support bra, reducing weight to some extent and targeted muscle training to reduce shoulder or joint pain. Liposuction can also be considered. However, these methods only help to a certain extent to relieve the symptoms.
Risks can be as with all operations: There may be excessive scarring, asymmetrical breasts, squinting diverging nipples, and circulatory problems. Nerves can also be severed during the operation, which can lead to: In very rare cases, injury to glandular ducts can result in inability to breastfeed. Death of the nipple is also a complication.
However, this occurs extremely rarely. Especially patients with very large breasts can suffer from wound healing disorders at the scars. Risk factors such as diabetes (sugar) or arteriosclerosis (calcified arteries) can also influence wound healing.
The operation can also lead to bleeding at a later stage due to injuries to vessels. In very rare cases, infections can lead to persistent and painful accumulation of pus with tissue death, which can affect the shape of the breast. In general, as in all major operations, thrombosis (= blockage of the vessels) and embolism can occur, which can even lead to a stroke.
Sewing up the nipples can also lead to distortion of the nipples or areola, as well as asymmetries with regard to the nipples and areola. The nipple can also be positioned at different heights. In most cases, however, the result is a very beautiful symmetrical breast that has been precisely adapted to the body. – Bleeding
- Wound infection
- Wound healing disorder. – Emotional disorders ̈rungen
- Sensitivity disorders and
- …numbness can come.
Coverage of costs
The costs for a breast reduction amount to about 4000-6000 Euro. In the case of a medical indication for breast reduction, which can usually be provided from a minimum weight of 500g per breast, the health insurance usually has to cover the costs. Due to the high costs, however, many health insurance companies refuse to bear these costs and reject the applications.
The health insurance companies refer the suffering patients to physiotherapy, diet or psychotherapy or try to present the desired operation as a pure “cosmetic operation”. As a result, this situation is extremely frustrating for many patients when the health insurance company repeatedly rejects the applications. Patients submit applications to their health insurance company with a specialist medical opinion.
The doctor must describe why he would do the operation and why he believes it would alleviate the existing problems. The doctor must also note the size and weight of the breasts, as well as all problems and complaints of the patient. The doctor for such a report can be a plastic surgeon or an orthopaedic surgeon or a gynaecologist.
It is advantageous if the doctor has already written some expertises and is therefore familiar with the patient. Another problem with the health insurance companies is that the health insurance companies pay and agree very differently. It can be that you have to fight for a very long time for the operation.
It is also important that you write that you have tried other methods of treating back pain for about 2 years, such as regular physiotherapy. If the application is nevertheless rejected by the health insurance company, you have the possibility to object. If the treatment is rejected by the health insurance company again, the patient has to pay for the costs.
These costs of breast reduction include the consultation before the operation, the operation itself with operating theatre, operating material and the in-patient stay. The anaesthetist and medication must also be included in the price. Depending on how extensive the operation is, different prices are incurred, which are determined individually.
The post-operative treatment must also be included in the price. Support bra for the shape of the breast after the operation is also included. You can find an overview of all gynaecology topics under Gynaecology A-Z
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