Sooo apparently the fix for my chronic back pain is gonna be to have part of my breasts removed so they’re no longer pulling on my thoracic spine and making it hurt all the time. That’s…nice I guess. I like my breasts, but I suppose I also like not being in pain.
For anyone that’s had this done, how long did it take you to get back in the saddle, and how was recovery?
I had a unilateral reduction due to a partial mastectomy. I waited about 6 weeks before riding. There is lots of internal work in a reduction involving muscles, ligaments, tissue removal, in addition to weight lifting restrictions. You don’t want to risk infection or damage.
So…wait until the fall/winter, got it.
This was years ago (like 20) but I do remember being off for like 2 months. It wasn’t a bad surgery, but definitely follow the post-op directions. Good luck!
I wasn’t off too long (couple of weeks). Dr. just said to ace bandage them down when I rode and get back into the provided bra as soon as possible after. It wasn’t a painful recovery. However, all that tissue has to settle properly so do whatever the Dr. says. I bet the techniques have changed in 25 yrs.
Same as @peedin
Aging memory (surgery in 2016) says I was back riding - Dressage, big-moving, lower level horse - in 3mos or so.
Wearing a supportive bra along with elastic band.
IIRC, band was mostly to keep implant in the right spot.
Your surgeon is your best resource for how much activity & when. Even if they don’t ride.
My surgeon wasn’t worried about me riding but handling the horse. Getting your arm jerked away from your body apparently can rip lots of suture lines. She didn’t want her hard 5 hours of work screwed up. Mine was in 2009 but I think I was told to wait 8 weeks (I did as told). I wore a binder for several more weeks. I had mine done in January so I really didn’t miss much except crappy winter weather.
Susan
So single mastectomy here, (lift etc on the other side coming up next month with another surgery as well on the mastectomy side) so different but still a breast surgery! My plastic surgeon had me wait 8 weeks until everything had healed properly until I got back on my horse. I could exercise after 6 weeks (jogging, starting to lift weights etc), but he wanted me to wait 8 weeks to start riding…as he said “it’s a bouncy sport with a risk of falling and having the horse yank you around and I want to make sure everything inside has healed well”. After the 8 weeks I had absolutely no issues when I got back on…I could sit trot, do everything as before, I just made sure to wear a good sports bra! You will feel great much earlier than the 6 weeks, but do exactly what your surgeon tells you…if he says no riding for 6 or 8 weeks, do exactly that…it pays off in the long term! Good luck, you’ll feel so much better without the back pain!
For recovery, i believe it can be a bit like a mastectomy in that you may have drains for a week or so, depending on what has to be done . They aren’t bad, just a pain in rear…you have to “milk” them to keep them clear, but they’re there to take the fluid that build up, away. You’ll also not be allowed to lift anything heavy, vacuum, etc. You won’t be as stiff and sore as mastectomy but it’s still a big surgery so take it easy, but make sure you go for walks…I walked on a treadmill as it was winter! Take any pain meds the6 send you home with to stay on top of any pain, don’t let pain get away from you! You’ll be surprised at how fast you’ll be able to go “out and about” though!
this is some information Alberta Healthcare gives breast reduction patients that may help you…
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=tw12680
I’ll jump in. I had a breast reduction and augmentation done 10 years ago (wild to think it was that long ago). I got it done over winter break from college, and I think I reduce about 1/3 of my breast size. I had it done before Christmas and stayed out of the saddle/gym all break. (roughly 8 weeks).
The procedure wasn’t/isn’t all that painful (it’s really just skin and tissue… not muscle and bone), so you might be tempted to hop back on. However, you really don’t want to irritate the stitches before they fully dissolve. Since I still had a considerable-sized chest, there was really no way to fully limit the motion of riding in a safe way.
I also had a reduction about 10 years ago. Probably reduced to about half the original size. I was told 4 weeks minimum - I was probably more like 8 weeks. I really wanted everything to heal correctly, I was super worried about cosmetic post-op issues.
For me, I consider the rime out of the saddle worth it. At 45 my breasts look like they belong on a 25 year old.
I had my surgery late in October and was back in the saddle lightly by Christmas.
OP - I know the reason you’re doing this is for back pain relief, but please, please, please find a VERY competent plastic surgeon for the reduction procedure. Not all of 'em are created equal and your end result has a lot to do with the caliber of your surgeon. Especially since you said you like your breasts - any change is going to be tough emotionally and to not have an optimal physical result would make it that much tougher.
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