Is measuring breast width common practice?

[reagan]

I am 5'1", 105 lbs. My ps put in 325cc Mentor mod profile. They are so wide and tall on me. Apparently mods aren't used very often by other surgeons because they are so wide? I called his office today to see what my breast width was pre-breast augmentation and the office assistant said that she doesn't think that he takes that measurement! My question is: Is measuring the breast width and staying within that for implants a standard practice or do most surgeons just "eyeball it"? What has your experience been with other colleagues and how they practice? I'm so frustrated because this is a very highly credited ps.

[Dr. Mele]

Dear Reagan:

Thank you for your question. We spend a lot of time talking about breast width here. It is one of the primary measurements I use to keep my augmentations proportional, but it is not the only one.

Until recently, the implants that we call moderate profile now were the only profile available. Now we have high, medium and low profile implants. These were made to allow some compromise between width, volume and projection.

I find the width measurement is more important with saline implants than with silicone gel. I use this measurement for both implants but assign width a higher priority for saline implants.

Realistically, I have done so many breast augmentations that I can pick an implant without measuring, but I always do. It's another piece of information that reassures me that I am using the correct implant for the specific individual. The real test is if my patient is happy after breast augmentation. In my hands, measurements are a good tool to help me make my patients happy.

As much as I feel this one measurement is important, it is not the only variable. There are many other details that need to be considered.

[oceanrain]

Originally Posted by Dr. Mele

Dear Reagan:



I find the width measurement is more important with saline implants than with silicone gel. I use this measurement for both implants but assign width a higher priority for saline implants.

.

Hi! Just wondering why saline measurement is more important?

[Dr. Mele]

For saline, the diameter of an implant is more important, because a saline filled breast implant is more rigid than a silicone gel filled breast implant.