Veronica Labeau is an example. She walks with an ease and confidence she didn't have a few years ago because, in a very physical sense, she's had a weight lifted off her shoulders.
"Well, when you have large breasts you are so hindered," she explains.
Veronica says she'd been large breasted from an early age. But more recently the weight from her chest had become a strain on her body, especially her posture. Unable to enjoy yoga and other sports, Veronica turned to San Francisco plastic surgeon, Dr. Randall Weil, MD. He suggested breast reduction surgery.
"Say someone who may be double D or a very heavy D would go to a midrange C-cup or even sometimes a large B," Dr. Weil explains.
He says the option has become much more affordable in recent years, because it is now often covered by insurance. First though, carriers require a patient to meet certain criteria.
"Number one, we do have to send photographs They will usually asks questions like is this person having problems with shoulders or back," he says.
Once approved, the procedure itself takes about three to four hours. Using lipo suction combined with surgery, doctors are able to reduce fatty areas near the underarm, potentially improving range of motion and a woman's ability to enjoy sports. Beyond reducing the volume of the breast, the surgeon can also reshape it to preserve the normal symmetry.
"And what is done is that the breast is reshaped and refigured so that it's smaller, perkier, and the nipple is also lifted higher," he explains.
He says the lighter, lifted breasts seen in these before and after photos, typically reduce strain on back and neck muscles along with increasing freedom of movement.
For Veronica, the change has been dramatic.
"It's been about two years," she says, "and I love the way I look and feel."
written and produced by Tim Didion
