Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model reveals how breast reduction surgery helped ease chronic health condition

Daily Mail​

27-05-2025

Sports Illustrated model Gigi Robinson has detailed how her breast reduction surgery has helped with her chronic health condition.
Gigi, 27, explained she had a breast reduction to help with her debilitating pain due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
'I was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at around 10 or 11 and that was really challenging,' she told The New York Post.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of rare genetic disorders that affect the body's connective tissues including skin, joints, and blood vessels, per NHS.
It is usually marked by overly flexible joints, chronic soft and stretchy skin that can easily bruise, frequent joint dislocations, and chronic pain.
'I grew up with chronic migraines, chronic fatigue, pain, brain fog — a lot of different symptoms — and by the time I got to college, I really realized how much of an impact living with a chronic illness had on me,' she shared.
The swimsuit model said the surgery 'was never a cosmetic thing.'
'My goal was not to get a breast reduction to be smaller or to lose weight,' she explained.
The model, who was a Sports Illustrated Swim Search finalist in 2022, had the surgery to reduce her size from a 34E down to a 34B (post-surgery)
'My goal was rooted in my desire to overcome chronic illness.'
Gigi said she fits into size 4 or 6, but had to size up to a 10 or 12 just to fit her bras under her clothes pre-surgery.
The model, who was a Sports Illustrated Swin Search finalist in 2022, had the surgery to reduce her size from a 34E down to a 34B.
'I could not exercise without a lot of pressure in my neck and my shoulders and my back,' Gigi said.
'And getting imaging and trying things like acupuncture and cupping, cold plunge, sauna — all those things have helped me with my pain and fatigue, but it was so specific to my upper abdominals and upper body.'
In 2022, the model had surgery to help with her chronic pain and switched to an organic diet, but her neck and shoulder pain still lingered.
'That's when I really made the decision to go forward and consider a breast reduction,' she detailed to the outlet.
'I had three or four different consults and all the doctors said, "We think you could benefit from this."
'And I think the only regret I have — like many other women — is I wish I did this sooner.'
When she had the surgery earlier this year, Gigi said doctors told her they were unsure what size she would be after the procedure.
'They have a certain amount of tissue that they have to keep alive and keep in order to make your body still function the right way,' she explained.
'But what she can confirm is that 'things fit way different than they used to — in a good way.'
In January, she confirmed her size was now 34B in a before and after TikTok video.
'The 34E to 34B shift is wild to me. I'm so happy. Can't wait to be on this journey with you,' her caption read.
In the clip, Gigi wore the same work-out set before and after the surgery to show the difference.
After the surgery, the model wanted to share a message for people who think that if you want a breast reduction, you should 'just lose weight.'
'You have to think about the limitations that people living with a larger chest and/or a chronic illness may be suffering,' she said.
'Losing weight is not necessarily a great option. It also perpetuates the idea that you're getting a breast reduction because you wanna be smaller.'
She also wanted to be transparent that the surgery was only a two- to four-hour outpatient procedure.
'The doctor comes in marks you up with a sharpie and shows you kind of where he's going to cut — my doctor said, "It's like we're doing origami, but with your boobs" and then you go into the room, and then you wake up in the outpatient room and obviously you are coming out of anesthesia so you're a little loopy,' she shared.
Gigi said the drains on the side of her breasts, which are small tubes in the incision site to drain liquid - were the only painful part.
Though she admitted 'the first week was hard,' she felt fine after the first five days.