Every once in a while, there comes a surgical case which makes you feel ‘Yes, I made a difference’ and it inspires you to work harder than ever before.
There is one such girl, Riya (name changed to protect identity) who walked into my office few months ago. A chirpy 28 year old professional, with a beautiful face, Riya was like any other modern day youngster, raring to go. When she walked in, she was wearing a t-shirt with a dupatta wrapped around her body. It was for that very reason that she had come to visit me. Her breast size was Size F. Ever since she hit puberty, her breast size kept increasing disproportionately to her body. She needed to order her brassieres from abroad as the sizes she needed were not available in India. Needless to say, she was subjected to rude looks and body shaming which made her uncomfortable. Heaviness of breasts took a toll on her back and she started suffering with chronic neck and back pain. Eventually she started seeking solutions and had finally come to me for the same. We planned a breast reduction surgery for her. Her mom too was very supportive and we chalked out a plan discussing all the pros and cons of the surgery. There was one more hurdle, Riya was scared of General Anesthesia. She shared with me that a loved one from her family had once gone under Anesthesia, never to wake up from it. It took a great deal of counselling and positive reassurance to comfort her and overcome her fears.
On the day of the surgery, I held her hand when she was going under Anesthesia. I told her ‘ Think of something nice as you go off to sleep. She said, ‘ Doctor, will I be able to wear a crotchet bikini on the beach?’ I paused for a moment, stumped by the strange request, then she explained. ‘ You know, my mom makes these cute crochet tops, she’s made a bikini for me but I haven’t worn it yet.’ ‘ Yes you will!’ I said. ‘ Soon enough!’ I promised her. And I said a little prayer in my heart. She slowly went into her propofol induced sleep.
The surgery went well, we removed around 1 kg tissue from both her breasts- literally 2 kgs off her chest and shoulders. She healed well, followed the post op instructions to the tee and could go on her planned vacation to Andaman and Nicobar islands within a month after her surgery.
A few days back she buzzed me ‘Hey’ I haven’t shared the pics from my vacation!’ And there they were! Never have I been so happy looking at bikini pics as I was from my lovely girl. The electric blue crochet bikini!
Time and again, it reinforces in my mind how life-changing breast reduction surgeries can be.
Breast reduction surgery is done to decrease the size of disproportionately large breasts maintaining their symmetry and aesthetics.
This surgery can be performed for women who are suffering with breast enlargement post pregnancy or even in young unmarried women who suffer with disproportionately large breasts. This condition is called virginal breast hypertrophy or gigantomastia.
Post surgery women have to wear support bras for 6 to 8 weeks and avoid vigorous exercises for the same time period. The scars mature over a period of one year and fade slowly.
There are many myths surrounding Breast reduction surgery which I answer on a daily basis, for e. g it does not increase the chances of breast cancer.
There are many women like Riya out there, who are suffering in silence. This post is dedicated to them. And to their caregivers. Breast reduction can improve the quality of life and give new hope and vigour. It is important to leave the myths and societal pressures behind and take bold steps to change status quo. Kudos to Riya and her mom to taking that decision!
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