Young woman reveals why she got a surgery on the rise in Australia

News.com.au

8 hours ago

A video of a young woman bursting into tears over her appearance has broken social media users' hearts after she revealed the reason behind her tears.
Amy Hills, 24, had a lot of physical and mental pain and strain due to the size of her G to H cup breasts. It also led to the calcification of her spine and her neck being curved the wrong way — to the point she was developing a hump on the back of her neck.
'I did need my partner to help with some of my daily living activities at one point, which was really difficult — things like showering and dressing when the pain was so bad I couldn't live my life,' she told news.com.au.
Ms Hills even had to wear a back brace. She felt like she couldn't present to the world in the way that she wanted. Breast reduction surgery had always been in the back of her mind — from as young as 13 — but five years ago after seeing details about the procedure on social media she buried herself in her own research.
This helped Ms Hills realise that it was actually an option, so she went to her GP. It took three to four tries to submit a referral to the local hospital to get on the surgical waitlist. Once she was approved, she had to wait for an initial appointment with a surgeon and then spent another year with her name on the public waitlist for a surgery date.
The Brisbane woman said the waiting game was a 'struggle' but she did understand bureaucratic processes do take their time, and that for plastics there are people who are going through other things that need priority.
When she got the call, she burst into tears and felt on top of the world. Ms Hills said getting her surgery date locked it felt like she was 'finally being listened to'.
She said she looked into the private system but the extreme cost difference — $20,000 compared to $250 for two post-operation bras — made her hesitate. She also wanted to highlight that her care in the public system was 'exceptional'.
On the day of her surgery, she was anxious that it would be cancelled, but thankfully it wasn't. She said when she woke up, she had swelled up and had a bad reaction to the medication, but overall the recovery 'wasn't bad at all'.
Ms Hills is now a 10D or 12C and says the difference is 'astronomical'.
'When I woke up, I was like 'oh my god, I don't have any boobs anymore' but I am used to them now,' she said.
It's been just over two months since her surgery, and her back pain and neck hump has essentially gone. She said she can now breathe easier, adding that everything in her life feels more comfortable – including buying the clothes she wants to wear.
Ms Hills added her partner has been an incredible support not only through the initial pain, but also during recovery. All he wanted was for Ms Hills to be free of pain and feel like herself after more than a decade of feeling uncomfortable.
During Ms Hills' recovery, she shared a clip of herself crying due to the amount of pain she was in following the surgery.
'I felt like all I could see was my breasts — and that's all anyone else could see too … I thought in that moment, no pain can last forever so I decided to record that moment and see how far I've come,' she said.
'It's indescribable to be able to do that now.'
She said she also wanted others to realise they weren't alone, and is sharing her story so that others realise it's a possibility to be free of the pain and mental load of having a larger chest.
Ms Hills said before having the procedure, everything felt so 'degrading' and is stunned by the difference the surgery has made to her life.
Dr David Morgan, the president of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, told news.com.au that in his experience breast reductions are becoming popular — but that may be reflective of his practice.
'It's easy to understand why women would be more inclined to consider the procedure, as virtually all women who undergo breast reduction are extremely happy with the outcome and are not afraid to talk about the benefits with friends and acquaintances,' Dr Morgan said.
'This encourages those who might have never been aware of the procedure, or who have been considering it for some time but haven't quite made the decision to proceed, to seek out a consultation.
'Almost universally, those that have had the procedure call it the 'best thing I've ever done', and that they 'should have done it years ago'. When new patients hear during their consultation the feedback that they have heard is validated, they are much more inclined to proceed to surgery.
'They are also reassured by the fact that the post-operative discomfort is relatively mild and short-lived, and that the scarring is well hidden and generally quite acceptable. Down time is only a few weeks, with most women returning to some exercise at four weeks, and full activity by six weeks.'
He said the benefits are 'literally life-changing' and helps relieve symptoms of back and shoulder pain and difficulty finding clothing. He said he typically sees women in early adulthood, after having a family or during peri-menopause.
But he highlighted that, as with all surgeries there are risks, particularly as it as under general anaesthetic and there are risks such as bleeding and infection.
'Other concerns, particularly for younger women, relate to the ability to breastfeed in the future. As many techniques leave the nipple attached to underlying breast tissue, then the ability to feed is maintained,' he said.
'Of course, not every woman who wishes to feed a baby (regardless having had any surgery) can successfully do so, and this is discussed, as well. Finally, especially in the older women, we always recommend a mammogram prior to surgery to ensure that there are no areas of concern beforehand. Even once cleared, all tissue removed during a reduction is sent off for evaluation to ensure that there are no signs of cancer.
'Nonetheless, in more than 20 years of practice, I have had five breast cancers detected in the tissue. Most did not require any further treatment other than closer surveillance.'