HER reality: back and neck pains, difficulty breathing, purchasing custom-made 38DDD bras, and the constant reminder of how big her breasts were.

Tired of the pain, discomfort, and unwanted attention, she did a breast reduction surgery in August 2006. She was 18 years old.

Now 26, Kara Newland is relieved she no longer has back pains and is a lot more comfortable with her body. Newland shared her story with the Jamaica Observer recently, highlighting the plight of women with big breasts.

IS BIGGER ALWAYS BETTER?

“Mine was not purely cosmetic,” said Newland, “but also served as a lumpectomy.”

“I had a problem in terms of my personal appearance — I was very conscious of how big (my breasts) were,” Newland told the Sunday Observer. “I started having problems with my back and with my neck. I couldn’t sleep on my back; it was very heavy, so I couldn’t breathe very well when I slept on my back.”

Through the breast reduction surgery or breast mammoplasty, Newland moved from a 38DDD bra size to a 38C. Breast reduction surgery removes some of the skin and tissue from the breast, thereby reshaping and lifting the breasts and also reducing their size.

“Adjusting to a different body image was a somewhat lengthy process,” Newland shared. “The physical changes were easy to overcome because I was relieved to not have back pain or unwanted attention, and most of all I was able to wear a lot of the clothes I wanted to.

“The emotional change was a bit more challenging,” Newland noted. “I battled for a time with feeling less feminine because I ‘got rid’ of my breasts when the world pretty much tells women that the size of your breasts determines how much of a woman you are.”

Having gained weight since her surgery, Newland is now a 38DD. However, she is now less conscious of her breasts and is saving money, since she no longer needs custom-made bras, which can cost as much as US$150 each. She is also now able to breathe properly while sleeping on her back.

Twenty-seven-year-old Shanna-Kay Frazer, who is now a Triple D bra size, is considering breast reduction surgery because, like Newland, she has serious back pains. Frazer told the Sunday Observer that her breasts are so heavy that there are times her bra strap marks her shoulders to the point of slicing into her skin.

Newland and Frazer are not alone.

According to plastic surgeon Rajeev Venugopal, breast reduction surgeries are very popular in Jamaica. In fact, they outstrip requests for breast implants on the island.

“We naturally have more volume than the North American population, which is probably why, but implant requests are rising,” Dr Venugopal said in a recent interview.

REASONS FOR BREAST REDUCTION

Dr Venugopal said patients request breast reductions for both physical and social reasons.

“The patients have significant pains in their shoulder, in their neck, in their back, and they have problem with breathing because of the size of the breasts,” said Dr Venugopal. “[They also have] pain in the breasts itself [and] infections under the breasts.”

Additionally, the plastic surgeon said that among the reasons given for wanting breast reduction are social symptoms such as finding a bra that fits properly.

RISKS

The main risks to having breast reduction done, according to Dr Venugopal, are related to the nipple-areola complex which includes the possible loss of sensitivity, inability to breastfeed and the possible death of the nipple-areola complex.

“There are many techniques, and each surgeon has a different technique, but the more popular ones are the vertical reduction, otherwise known as the short scar reduction, which is like the lollipop scar on the nipple-areola complex and a scar going straight down,” Dr Venugopal explained. “Another popular one is the inverted ‘T’ or anchor incision, which has the similar lollipop, but it has a long horizontal component in the folds underneath the breast.”

According to the plastic surgeon, these procedures are usually done overnight, and the recovery time is about two weeks.

“The other risks that you need to counsel patients on are the scars,” Dr Venugopal pointed out, adding that the quality of a scar on one patient may be very different when compared to that on another patient.

The doctor also noted that the procedure is four hours or less and patients should use the recommended two weeks to ensure they recover fully.

Newland said she was warned of the possible risks prior to doing her breast reduction surgery, but her biggest concern was the possibility of not being able to breastfeed after.

“I was 18 and I was starting nursing school at that point and I have always been a big breastfeeding advocate, and that was one of my main concerns,” Newland said, adding that her doctor did everything to ensure that she would be able to breastfeed after doing the breast reduction.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The cost to have breast reduction surgery is normally determined through consultation with the patient, but one surgical centre told the Sunday Observer that it usually starts at about $320,000.

Newland said, in 2006, it cost her US$5,000 to cover her medical expenses associated with her breast reduction.