If you are a B-cup and want to be D-cup, two cups sizes, what matters is the width of your breast form your chest bone to the side. That is the space that is available for implants.

Now if you like to have an augmented look with roundness on top, you need a High Profile implant. So your doctor should look at the chart and see what volume will give you that look. That is how I do it with my patients, and this is the way to have the best fitting implant for the desired shape.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Understanding cup sizes is trickier than you think.

To answer your question about 400cc, you need to take into account what's known as your base width diameter.

Imagine lying on your back and drawing a circle around your breast. If you were to draw a line across that circle, it will be a given length. Your plastic surgeon will measure this length, which is called ‘’base width diameter’’ or BWD for short. For women, the base width diameter can go from 9.5 cm to 16.5 cm, or 3.75 to 6.5 inches. As you can see, there is a very wide range.

400 cc on a woman with a BWD of 10 cm is very different than 400 cc for a woman with a BWD of 15 cm. It may be enough volume on one, but for the other it may be much less than the max she can safely go.

Regarding sagging, whether you have implants or not, aging, pregnancy and breastfeeding will do things to your body. When you’re pregnant, your body releases more hormones. You’ll gain weight. Your skin will be stretched by the pregnancy weight and lose some elasticity. And after childbirth and breastfeeding, your breast will deflate and your skin will be looser.

Now, there are two major unpredictable factors surrounding these changes I just mentioned. Firstly, the DEGREE that these changes will occur is unpredictable. We don't know and can't know ahead of time, how much your breasts will deflate or how much looser your skin will become. And second, it is unpredictable whether these changes will warrant a procedure. Maybe the deflation will be mild and not warrant a breast lift. Given these two unknowns, it is impossible to predict how much you will sag.Note that if you already have had breast augmentation, your implants will not affect those factors.

I hope that answers your question the 400 cc volume and sagging. It’s great that you’re doing this research. I always say that the best patients are informed patients. It should not be too late for you to have a conversation with other surgeons regarding your

You might also want to research your options for breast implants. Choosing the right implant is the number one concern among women considering breast augmentation. Did you know, there’s actually a way to select a implant shape, size, and profile that is perfect for you?

A term that I use with my patients for the perfect implant is the “Pony Implant”.

So what do I mean by “perfect”? Well, a Pony Implant has three qualities to it. First, the implant meets your beauty goals. For example, you want to your breasts to look fuller while still appearing natural.

Second, when you chose your Pony Implant, you walk out of your consultation 100% confident that you’ve chosen the right shape and size for you. In other words, you won’t be second guessing your decision, and you won’t be afraid of having gone too big or too small.

And third, after your procedure, you are thrilled with your results, and say, "I’m so happy. This is exactly what I wanted!"

That’s the Pony Implant. And the great news is that there is a simple process to go about finding yours.

This issue of selecting the right implant is so important when it comes to patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction that, again, I really encourage you to learn more about it.

Thank you for reading and best of luck on your journey!

Learn more: http://drwilliamrahal.com/

Published on Jul 11, 2012

From what I have found, the best way to address the sizing question is with a combination of three things:

1. Bring wishlist pictures of the result you desire. This does not guarantee an exact replication, but at least it becomes a talking point for framing your discussion.

2. The surgeon's office can use a sizing kit to simulate the volume and shape, and you can see how this looks in a mirror. Sometimes we have to go up 10% or so in size from the kit's volume in order to achieve that look when implanted.

3. We use Crisalix (others use Vectra) to simulate implants and lifts on patients using a 3D model of the patient's own body scanned into the iPad. The patient can view different options on her virtual body and see the model simulations at home in privacy. Additional simulations can be done with different implants after the patient has gone home and reviewed the initial ones.

In our practice this combination of maneuvers results in a very high satisfaction rate with the size, style, position and other factors of the implant after surgery with very little "I wish I was smaller" or "I wish I was bigger" revisions.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It sounds like you have done a good bit of research, and well done for that!

I advise you to go to your consultation and have all your pictures and questions ready. In trying to decide which implant size and style you should use, it is better to keep an open mind until you have had the opportunity to try them on in a bra at your doctor's office.

I always recommend to my patients that they bring a tight-fitting shirt with them to put on over the bra and implants so that they can get a better idea of the size they will be after surgery. We also invite them to take a video of themselves while they are in my office so that they can go home and review their profiles and make sure they are comfortable with their choice. I hope everything goes well for you!

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It is important for patients to understand that augmentation will "augment" all aspects of your anatomy. The spacing of the footprints of the breast on the chest wall will vary from one individual to the next. Widely spaced breast will appear more widely spaced and vice versa.

The spacing (cleavage) is defined by the pocket. The pocket is defined by the plane of augmentation.When placed in a submuscular fashion, the medial/middle limit is the sternal origin of the muscle. Wide sternum = greater separation of the breasts = less dramatic cleavage. This space can be narrowed (with some risk of symmastia) when the devices are placed with the subglandular technique or "over-the-muscle." There is no muscle obstructing a medial push, however, there is a higher risk of over-dissection and midline migration of the implant (the dreaded "uni-boob").

A submuscular augmentation may accentuate the wide set nature of your breasts. With that in mind, you may opt for subglandular placement (which will allow for a medial placement). However, you must understand that purposely forcing the implant centrally will not allow for it to be centered on your breast mound.

The key to implant selection is staying within the bounds of your BWD. This will safeguard against the dreaded "fake" look.

As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Published on Jul 11, 2012