[joest23]

I'm posting this on behalf of my girlfriend. I'm not sure how many actual doctors are on here, but I appreciate answers from any that are!

A few years ago she was involved in an accident that broke/fractured a few of her ribs on both sides. Ever since then she's been having chronic pain in her ribs — a sharp, shooting pain that sometimes causes her to lose her breath for a few moments to a few minutes.

Her doctor has recommended both a breast reduction surgery (She's 5'1'' with 36 D's and they want to go to a low C at the largest?) and some sort of "cleaning" of her ribs (as she describes it). The reason I'm asking this question is because she's fairly submissive and agrees with doctors, but she doesn't seem to trust her doctor or believe in this surgery.

Other than the obvious emotional issue of a woman 'having' to reduce the size of her breasts without really wanting to, she doesn't seem to believe it'll work 100%, and being a non-reversible surgery it's something that worries me.

I'm wondering if this makes any sense to doctors out there? I've heard that rib pain takes the longest to heal and is usually plagued by complications in the healing, which makes me think the whole reduction surgery isn't needed. I mean, I'm perfectly content with 36 D's but they're not exactly the size that comes to my mind when I think of "those are so big she must have back problems" big. Also, I've been thinking a mix of healing ribs with a possibly improper fitting bra could be causing that pain?

I just want to make sure she's making a choice she won't regret. I've also been thinking of getting her to book an appointment with a chiropractor or physical therapist before her booked surgery happens just to see if a non-surgical method could offer any help?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[J_9]

She needs a second opinion if she hasn't had one already.

Ribs can take a while to heal, but certainly not a few years. Months at best.

At 5'1" and 36D's she should be having some rib pain as well as back pain as her tiny frame is not built to carry such weight.

I would have her seek a second opinion if she hasn't already.

P.S. There are no doctors that belong to this site that can advise her. She will have to see one in real life.