In a world in which Barbie-like bodies are the ideal, society seems to think the smaller the waist and the larger the breasts, the better. Having breast augmentation to try to achieve this often-unrealistic ideal is a growing trend for women, and TV shows like “Nip/Tuck” and “Dr. 90210” emphasize this popular surgery.
    However, for many women with large breasts, being “well endowed” can seem more like a curse than a blessing. Breast reduction-surgery is on the rise and can help to make life a little easier for these women.
    Vicki Warren, operating room nurse at the Plastic Surgery Center in Wichita, said breast reduction surgery is not usually considered cosmetic surgery but a medical necessity.
    “Patients come to see us when they feel like they have medical reasons like rashes, headaches or shoulder pain, and a doctor will examine them to see if they are candidates,” she said. “Everything happens here in the office.”
    Warren said when the patient comes in for surgery, a template is drawn on the breast, and the patient is put under general anesthesia for about an hour and a half. The breast tissue is cauterized and cut out, creating minimal bleeding. The tissue taken out is weighed and sent to a pathologist to examine for abnormal cells, like breast cancer.
    When finished, the incisions are closed using absolvable sutures, and the patient is sent home, wearing a special supportive bra.
    She said they instruct patients to restrict their activity for the first week. Warren said there is some soreness and pain, but patients usually feel fairly good after the first week, though swelling can last for several months.
    Unlike breast augmentation, where patients may have the option to choose the size they want their breasts to be, breast reduction surgery patients usually do not have that guarantee.
    “People come in and say, ‘I want to be a B cup,’ but we can’t promise size,” Warren said. “We mainly make people’s breasts proportionate to their bodies. There is a misconception that there is a certain cup size, but every bra is made differently.”
    Warren said in her 20 years at the Plastic Surgery Center, she has seen women of all ages come in for this surgery.
    In past years, she saw more older women, who hadn’t realized for many years this surgery was available to them and no longer wanted to live with the pain. The majority are in their 30s – when they are done having children – but she said now they are operating often on women in their 20s.
    They warn the younger women there is the possibility of not being able to breast feed afterward, she said, but added it is not much of a deciding factor to women who are looking to better their lives.
    However, she said side effects are important to take into consideration.
    “There is always a risk of infection,” Warren said. “But it is less than 1 percent. The biggest problem we see are women who smoke. Smoking constricts the blood flow to areas needing to heal, so a smoker could see tissue loss, or the nipple could even die.”
    For many women, the benefits of leading a more comfortable life outweigh the risks, which Warren said could be one of the reasons she has seen in increase in these surgeries.
    “People are becoming more accepting of cosmetic surgery,” she said. “The Midwest is behind. We see more on the East and West coasts, then it trickles down to us. We’ve been seeing more people come in to visit with the doctors and see what their options are.”
    The good news for women seeking breast reduction surgery is many times their insurance will cover it.
    Mary Beth Chambers, corporate communications manager at BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas, said insurance will cover the surgery if it is a medical necessity.
    She said there are two paths to determining if a surgery will be covered. One is if a woman is having a lot of symptoms related to having too much breast tissue, like neck, shoulder or back pain. In this instance, it would be deemed medically necessary to have surgery.
    The second option would be for a woman who has had a mastectomy because of breast cancer.
    “It is mandated we cover these types of surgeries in instances of someone trying to regain structure after having cancer,” Chambers said. “The reduction would be in order to create symmetry.”
    If students are not sure where to begin their search for information about surgery, Lafene Student Health Center might be a good starting point.
    Theresa Doyle, health educator at Lafene, said students who came to Lafene with surgery questions are given a consultation to discuss their concerns.
    “The physician would assess if the concern was causing medical complications, or if it was exacerbating a current condition,” Doyle said. “Depending on the type of surgery requested, they could offer an appropriate referral for that student.”
    Students interested or curious about breast reduction surgery could contact the Wichita Plastic Surgery Center or any plastic surgery facility in the area.   

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