Question:
Is breast augmentation necessary & will insurance cover it?

I am hoping (with my fingers crossed) that I will go down quite a few cup sizes after I lose all of this weight. Have any of you lost around 150 pounds & stayed about the same? When I weighed 170 I wore a 38DD & now at 340 I wear a 48DDD. I am hoping that getting rid of all this exess weight will get me down to a C cup...is this possible? I don't want to be smaller elsewhere & still have this chest. Also,has anyone gotten a breast reduction after WLS & had their surgery pay for it? Thanks!    — [Anonymous] (posted on August 20, 2000)

August 21, 2000
It looks like we're in a similar boat. I started out at 298 and wearinga 56G (UGH!). I have lost 65 pounds (3 months post-op) and now wear a 49 D, so slowly I am getting there! We'll dream of wearing a C together! As far as I have read, insurance generally does not pay for a breast augmentation or a breast lift. If you have had chronic back problems that are documented, you might qualify for a breat reduction. Good luck!
   — Paula G.

August 21, 2000
I think you are using the wrong word here. You mean breast reduction. To augment means to add too. You don't want to add anything do you? Reductions are often covered by insurance because they are not cosmetic. All that extra weight can cause back, neck and shoulder problems. Most plastic surgeons consider themselves artists (and most really are)they get in there and give you the best look they can for what they have to work with. I am probably the only one on this site that actually had augmentation done, obviously when I was not so overweight. For that I had to pay...no insurance covers that. It will be interesting to see what I look like when I slim down...someday when I actually get the surgery. Good Luck to you
   — JennyLynn A.

August 21, 2000
Hi. I can't believe the number of bras that I've already thrown out since my wls 5 months ago. I had a closet full of different sizes but it seems the only clothing that I had an excess of the "right" size were my undergarments. I wore a comfortable 48DD going into my surgery, but am currently a 42C. I've also gone down from a size 13 pantie to a size 9. Ok, I'm sure that's really much more than anyone really needed to know. I'm done. cj
   — cj T.

August 21, 2000
The breast area was one of the first places to start losing weight after my surgery. I'm almost 4 months post op and have lost 76 pounds. I went from a snug 48DD to what is currently a 36C. My back has never had it so good!!! Good luck!
   — Beth B.

May 6, 2001
I had my surgery on Sept. 8th,2000 and started out at 365 lbs. and a bra size of 50D. So far I have lost 109lbs. and I now wear a 42D that is getting a little loose. I was hoping to at least go down to a C cup, since I have severe back problems, and I think the large breasts aren't helping any, but no luck so far. A friend of mine had her surgery in Oct. of 1999 and is down to 150 lbs from 317 lbs and she still is in a D cup. I'm now hoping that if I don't get any smaller maybe my insurance will cover a reduction.
   — Tanya M.