BREAST
REDUCTION
A Breast Reduction is a procedure that improves the shape and decreases the size of the breasts. With a Breast Reduction Procedure, patients can expect an improvement in breast size and shape. In addition, patients will often have improvement in common issues caused by large breast size such as back and neck pain. A breast reduction almost always includes a breast lift.
Who is a good candidate for a Breast Reduction?
Patients who have excess skin and breast tissue, especially those whose nipples are low on the breast, may be good candidates for a Breast Reduction. The main thing that distinguishes a Breast Lift (Mastopexy) from a Breast Reduction is that a Breast Reduction improves breast shape and reduces the overall size of the breast, while a Breast Lift is designed to improve breast shape but maintain as much size as possible.
Patients with back/neck pain, rashes under the breasts, difficulty fitting into clothes around their breasts, and significant discomfort with bras/grooving where the bra strap rests are good candidates for a Breast Reduction. Patients often have significant symptom relief with Breast Reduction surgery.
What should a patient expect during and after a Breast Reduction?
Patients can expect mild/moderate soreness in their breasts for the first few days post operatively. There are sometimes mild skin healing issues along the incisions in certain locations and these are easily treated with local wound care as directed by your surgeon.
What results can a patient expect from a Breast Reduction?
In general, breast reduction patients are very happy and have great symptom relief following the procedure.
Breast Reduction Before and Afters
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What if excess Breast Tissue is in the arm pit? Is this treatable?
The diagnosis of axillary breast tissue is given to patients who have excess skin and breast tissue in the arm pit region. In general, this can occur during puberty, breast feeding, or any situation in which there are fluctuations of hormones. Unfortunately, the enlarged breast tissue can persist in the axilla/arm pit and become uncomfortable in addition to causing cosmetic concerns. This can be treated with removal of axillary breast tissue, with the goal of hiding the scar in the arm pit.
Before and After Removal of Axillary Breast Tissue
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Can Insurance be used to cover my Breast Reduction?
Our goal is to provide the easiest path to our patients to obtain their goals. Navigating the possibility for insurance coverage of these procedures can be difficult and coverage can vary between insurance providers and plans.
At Walker Plastic Surgery, we are Credentialed with Dallas Fort Worth's largest Insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield.
If you have coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield and would like assistance in checking benefits for your Breast Reduction Surgery, please email the following information to our Insurance Concierge at Insurance@nickwalkermd.com
Please send the following information so that we can effectively check for coverage for your desired procedure:
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Full Name
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Date of Birth
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Procedure(s) you are looking to have covered
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A scanned copy of your insurance card (front and back)
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Your contact number (where we can also leave a message)
How does the Insurance Process Work?
In general, we will be checking to see if your insurance provides benefits for the "codes" associated with your desired procedure. Each procedure has a code associated with it and each insurance will tell us whether they generally offer coverage for that code if a provider deems the patient to be a good surgical candidate.
The following CPT codes are used for Breast Reduction Surgery, and you can also check with your insurance provider to see if your plan has benefits for coverage:
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Breast Reduction: 19318-50
3. Once we have deemed you have coverage for the desired procedure, we will contact you and help you to schedule an in person or virtual consultation. This will allow us to obtain the necessary information and documentation for your insurance to then obtain "pre approval". Once pre approved, you will have a window of several months and we will be able to schedule your procedure!
4. If you do not have coverage or are not pre approved, we can still offer you high level care and can provide you with a customized quote for your desired procedure as well as financing options.
To schedule an appointment, online consultation, or learn more about a Breast Reduction, please Contact Us or call us at (469) 899-8758.
What financing options exist for treatments at Walker Plastic Surgery?
Walker Plastic Surgery has partnered with Care Credit to help our patients finance the costs of their procedures. The CareCredit card is North America’s leading patient payment program. The CareCredit card is easy to use, includes no hidden costs, and can be applied towards both surgical costs and follow-up appointments.
Through their website, you can access tools like the payment calculator and even find out if you qualify for a CareCredit card by starting a commitment free, instant application.
How visible will the scars be after my procedure? Is the benefit worth the required scars?
At Walker Plastic Surgery, we care about your scars almost as much as you do. As a Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Walker takes pride in optimizing every scar to its best potential. Each patient will naturally be prone to making a certain type of scar color, thickness, and width, but our promise at Walker Plastic Surgery is to do everything in our power to make the scars as hidden, as small, and as blended as possible to the surrounding skin. To do this, we use a multi stage evaluation and treatment method consisting of scar evaluations throughout your healing process. Using industry leading technology, we counsel and provide our patients with access to multiple scar reducing treatments including:
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High quality, low tension skin closure and well designed scars
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Early application of Medical Grade scar cream
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Medical Grade Suncreen to prevent sun damage to sun exposed scars
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Steroid injections as needed for scars that are raised or thicker than desired
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Microneedling and/or Morpheus 8 Radiofrequency Microneedling for thickened scars or poor scar texture
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Laser IPL Treatments for red pigment in scars
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Hydroquinone lightening cream for brown pigment in scars
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Scar revisions, usually under local anesthesia, for areas of scars less than optimal after final healing.
The scar healing process takes approximately 1-2 years from surgery to final result, and therefore we offer our patients multiple evaluations during the healing process so that proper treatments at the proper times for the best healing possible. With this multi stage evaluation and treatment scar program, we continue to put emphasis into producing the highest quality scars possible for our patients. Don't let the fear of a scar prevent you from having the shape and contour you deserve!
Examples of Long Term Scar Results after Optimization
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