Courtney Stodden Goes Under the Knife For Breast Reduction, on Video

Courtney Stodden is recovering from breast reduction surgery ... and there's video of her going under the knife, plus a look at her old implants.

Courtney's transformation went down Friday at Dr. Stuart Linder's plastic surgery office in Beverly Hills, and footage shows her on an operating table listening to a Britney Spears classic before the anesthesia kicks in.

Once Courtney is out cold, Dr. Linder and his staff go to work ... and at one point, he holds and describes her old breast implant, which is being swapped out for a smaller one.

Courtney tells TMZ ... she's wanted a breast reduction for a while now, and felt it was finally the right time to pull the trigger.

She says when she first got breast implants, it wasn't her sole decision ... and she felt like she got large breast implants back then as a way to prove to her younger self that she was a woman. She was 18 years old at the time, and did it after marrying actor Doug Hutchison when she was 16, and he was 51.

Courtney tells us after years of feeling like her body belonged to the public, she's evolved and wants to take back her look ... by going smaller. She says her new boobs will be better for her body, especially her back.  

The breast reduction was a success, and it might not be the last time Courtney goes into the OR ... she told us she might do a full mommy makeover if she ever has a child.

For now, Courtney says she's good with downsizing and didn't want to fully remove her implants because that would require major reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Linder tells TMZ ... Courtney's new boobs are tapered on the sides and provide better proportions to her body, while still giving her plenty of cleavage.