Breast reduction surgery can effectively reduce or eliminate symptoms associated with large breasts including neck, back and shoulder pain as well as discomfort associated with physical activities. Many of my patients over the years have shared with me their absolute delight that following their surgery they were finally able to play sports again and engage in other vigorous activities from which that they had been limited or avoided either because of discomfort or embarrassment.
Clearly the heavy weight, discomfort and often wildly kinetic movements of large breasts can be problematic on many levels. Macromastia (very large breasts) can significantly impact performance in a variety of sports and impair a woman’s competitiveness. For example, it is a rarity to see an elite runner such as in the 100 yard dash who has large breasts?
And you don’t find them in women who excel in the high jump event either!
An interesting and somewhat publicized case (that is, among her attentive and leering male fans) of an elite female sports figure who sought out and underwent a breast reduction in order to improve her comfort and performance is Romanian tennis star Simona Halep who was the junior champion at 18 years old at the French Open in 2008. Her 34DD breasts were helping her garner a sizable and rapidly growing male fan base but they were also causing her severe neck and back pain and affecting her on court performance.
Tennis star Simona Halep before breast reduction surgery
In 2009 she decided to undergo a breast reduction which decreased her cup size from a 34DD down to a 34C. Since then, she has increased her ranking 450 spots to number 57 in the world and attributes this ascendancy to her breast reduction surgery. Without the added breast weight, she notes that she is far more agile, faster and no longer experiences the neck and back pains. (She just competed in Wimbledon but lost to Serena Williams in 3 sets in the second round.)
Simona Halep after breast reduction surgery
Agility and speed after breast reduction surgery
On the down side but as expected, her male fan support took a little bit of a hit…!
For more information on breast reduction surgery or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, or to schedule a consultation, please feel free to call my office at 480-451-3000.
Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona