Mahiyah Nole started thinking about breast reduction surgery before she was even in high school.
Mahiyah’s breasts quickly developed at a young age, and she was already wearing a size 32D bra in seventh grade. That was just the beginning of feeling self-conscious and restricted because of her large breasts.
“I felt very uncomfortable,” says Mahiyah, now 20. “I didn’t want to participate in gym class because my breasts were too big. When I would do gym activities, my breasts would hurt.”
By the ninth grade, Mahiyah’s breasts had grown to 32DDD.
“That made things worse, because I couldn’t wear what I wanted to wear, and I couldn’t participate in certain activities my friends were participating in,” she explains.
Mahiyah was only a teenager when her large breasts began causing her physical pain. Going without a bra caused her breasts to hurt, but finding bras that were supportive enough was a struggle.
“My bra straps started cutting into my shoulders,” she says. “My back hurt really badly, because my breasts would weigh everything down and cause me to hunch over.”
Mahiyah began exploring breast reduction surgery and consulting with plastic surgeons, and she realized it was important to find a doctor she could trust and feel comfortable with. Because her primary care physician was at Penn Medicine, Mahiyah decided to look within the health system and meet with plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paris Butler, MD*.
“I knew from the day I went to my consultation and Dr. Butler sat me down and explained literally everything to me that he was terrific,” she says. “I had a million questions, and he answered every question with an honest answer. I knew then that he is a good doctor and Penn was where I wanted to get my procedure done.”
Dr. Butler’s team also helped Mahiyah to feel confident and knowledgeable about undergoing breast reduction surgery.
“I liked everything about the practice, down to the administrative assistant, Tamara, and the Nurse Practitioner, Lana,” she says. “The provide me with all the information I needed and didn’t leave anything out.
Her outpatient surgery took four hours as Dr. Butler reduced her breasts from a 34DDD to a 34C. Mahiyah was able to go home the same day to rest and begin healing.
“The recovery process wasn’t bad at all. I actually healed a lot faster than I thought I would,” says Mahiyah. “Any time I had questions, I was able to call Dr. Butler’s office to get assistance from either an on-call nurse, Dr. Butler, Lana or Tamara.
Now that she’s fully healed, Mahiyah has returned to her daily activities without any complications. She spends her days working as a paraprofessional at Russell Byers Charter School, but her true passion is cooking. She’s currently in the process of going back to school for culinary arts and plans to open her own catering company by the time she’s 21 years old.
Thanks to her breast reduction surgery, Mahiyah is feeling physically better, and she has a new sense of self-confidence.
“I don’t have to worry about back pain, and I’m not embarrassed that I had a breast reduction at such a young age,” she explains. “I’m thankful for Dr. Butler and his team for making me feel absolutely great about myself.
“I would tell anyone who’s thinking about getting a breast reduction to go forward with it. It has to be one of the best feelings, and it’s well worth every step you have to take until the day of your procedure,” adds Mahiyah. “It’s worth the recovery process too, because when it’s all said and done, you’re going to look fabulous.
Paris Butler, MD, MPH is no longer employed by Penn Medicine. To schedule a consult with a Plastic Surgeon call 215-662-7300.