Choosing The Correct Size Implant

There are many things to consider when selecting implants for breast augmentation. What I try to do is be as informative as possible and guide patients through this process. It is important to remember that choosing to have breast implant surgery is a life-long commitment not just the next 5 years. Your body and skin will change as you age.

I think it is important to use implants proportional with your breast, chest wall and overall body frame to obtain a natural pretty result. This is done by various measurements I take in the office and evaluation of your skin as well. Additionally, we use sizers in the office which allows patients to “try on” implants in a bra to get an idea of what they will appear in clothes This helps the patient get a visual perspective of their appearance with different size implants. Most of the time I will go a little bigger at the time of surgery because the implants get compressed behind the muscle and appear a little smaller. Also, at surgery I use sterile sizers like the ones patients tried in the office. This allows me to try different sizes to see what size implant best achieves the patients desired size and appearance.

Putting too large of implants in can cause problems such as stretch marks, rippling of the skin, “bottoming out“, “double-bubble” and stretching of the skin. This can lead to complications after surgery. Placing too large of implants also has higher rates of revision surgery later on such as lift procedures which add more scars to the breast.

I am referred a lot of patients from former patients and physicians who need revisional surgery. Many of these patients request to go smaller. They are unhappy now that their breast are too big. In most cases this requires an additional lift procedure to reduce the amount of excess skin created from the large implant.