Breast Reduction
Surgery to remove breast tissue, fat and skin to relieve neck, back and shoulder pain and create a proportionate shape. Often partly covered by insurance when symptoms are documented.
Breast Reduction near you
Breast Reduction: making the decision
What the price actually covers
Six questions for every consult
- Are you board-certified, and in what specialty? (Verify it — don't just ask.)
- How many of this exact procedure did you do in the last 12 months?
- Can I see before/afters of patients with my anatomy or skin type?
- Who handles complications, and what's your revision policy and fee?
- Where is the procedure done, and is the facility accredited?
- What results would you consider realistic for me — and what won't this fix?
Verify before you book
Med spas by metro
OU Beauty Medical Spa
Shaped Secretz Body Sculpting
Sculpt Med Spa Downtown Los Angeles
Skin Story Med Spa
VIP AESTHETICS AND MEN'S HEALTH BY VIP MEDICAL
The Sunset Aesthetics
Deluxe Cosmetic Center
The Spa by Adam Lee Kenney
Patient reviews
Breast Reduction: common questions
Does insurance cover breast reduction?
More often than any other operation on this site, and it's the first thing to establish. Insurers treat reduction mammoplasty as reconstructive rather than cosmetic when it's relieving documented symptoms — neck, back and shoulder pain, grooving from bra straps, or rashes under the breast that haven't cleared with conservative treatment. What they typically want is a record of those symptoms over time, evidence you've tried physiotherapy or other measures, photographs, and a minimum amount of tissue to be removed, which is often calculated against your body surface area. Because that last criterion is a number, it's worth asking your surgeon to estimate it early: patients are sometimes denied not because they aren't symptomatic but because the planned removal falls under the threshold. If you're paying out of pocket, expect roughly $7,000–$13,000 all-in.
How much does breast reduction cost without insurance?
ASPS doesn't publish a cosmetic average for this one, because most reductions run through insurance rather than as private cosmetic cases — so we don't show a sourced surgeon's fee here rather than borrow a number from a neighbouring procedure. Self-pay totals generally land between $7,000 and $13,000 once anesthesia and the facility are included. If you have symptoms, price the insurance route first: even a denied claim followed by appeal costs you time rather than money, and approval changes the figure entirely.
Will I be able to breastfeed after a breast reduction?
Possibly, but it can't be guaranteed, and this is worth raising directly if it matters to you. Techniques that keep the nipple attached to underlying tissue on a pedicle preserve more milk ducts and nerve supply than a free nipple graft, which is generally reserved for very large reductions. Studies report a meaningful proportion of women breastfeed successfully afterwards, but a proportion don't, and no surgeon can tell you in advance which group you'll be in. Sensation changes are also common and usually improve over months.