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My 15-year-old daughter is very athletic but has a size 38 DD bust and is only 5 feet tall. We are considering breast reduction surgery while she is in high school (because she is so athletic). Is this advisable? Or is it better to wait until she is older?
My 15-year-old daughter is very athletic but has a size 38 DD bust and is only 5 feet tall. We are considering breast reduction surgery while she is in high school (because she is so athletic). Is this advisable? Or is it better to wait until she is older?
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There isn’t a simple answer to this question. Your daughter may be very uncomfortable doing sports because of her breast size. Or she may be so self-conscious about her breasts that it affects her self-esteem. These are both valid reasons to consider breast reduction surgery.
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InteliHealth
2011-01-06
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Claire McCarthy, M.D.
2013-01-06
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Q: My 15-year-old daughter is very athletic but has a size 38 DD bust and is only 5 feet tall. We are considering breast reduction surgery while she is in high school (because she is so athletic). Is this advisable? Or is it better to wait until she is older?
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The Trusted Source
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Claire McCarthy, M.D.

Claire McCarthy, M.D., a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications, is an assistant professor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She is an attending physician at Children's Hospital Boston.

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January 06, 2011
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A:

There isn’t a simple answer to this question. Your daughter may be very uncomfortable doing sports because of her breast size. Or she may be so self-conscious about her breasts that it affects her self-esteem. These are both valid reasons to consider breast reduction surgery.

However, there are risks. These include:

  • Infection
  • Scarring
  • Loss of sensation
  • The possibility that they may not look the way she wanted or expected

Also, breast reduction surgery may interfere with her ability to breastfeed later when she has children. She may or may not be mature enough to make a decision that could have such lifelong implications.

The best thing to do is talk with your doctor and a plastic surgeon. Then you and your daughter will fully understand everything involved. Together with the doctors you can decide if this is a good idea for your daughter.

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