Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3786 LivesSaved
3568 Lives0 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
Dr. Lebovic explains if breast reduction is considered a "cosmetic" surgery.
Dr. Lebovic:
Breast reduction is a wonderful operation. Most women who have very large breasts have a lot of problems with neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain. They have a very difficult time finding clothing. They have a hard time being physically active and so, patients who undergo breast reduction are truly undergoing a functional operation. It’s not really cosmetic. It’s unfortunate because, I think a lot of the time insurance companies call it cosmetic so that it won’t be covered and then it becomes the patient’s responsibility in terms of payment, but that’s the issue. It’s not whether or not it’s a cosmetic operation. It truly is a functional operation to help a woman do better everyday and those patients who undergo reduction are so happy. It just changes their life. Almost all of them lose weight. It’s not a painful procedure. It can be done as an outpatient. So, you go home after surgery and it’s a very reproducible good outcome.
About Dr. Gail Lebovic, M.D., M.A., F.A.C.S.:
Dr. Gail Lebovic is the President of the American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD). She earned a B.A. in physiology and anatomy and a master's in endocrinology from University of California, Berkeley. In 1986, she received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine. After an internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, she performed her surgical residency at Stanford University Medical Center and completed two fellowships – one in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast and another at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Lebovic is certified by the American Board of Surgery and her areas of special medical interest include diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast, and management of congenital breast deformities. She has also invented several medical devices and co-founded a number of companies in the area of women's health including Biolucent, Inc., makers of the MammoPad™ breast cushion designed to make mammography more comfortable.