I have 375cc extra high profile implants. I'm going bigger as the 375cc implants are too small for me. It was the biggest size my surgeon could fit. Now that the skin has stretched, I'd like to upgrade. My surgeon thinks I should have 500cc, but will put in 550cc if I want. I have 2 weeks until surgery day. I don't want to wake up devastated again & go through it again without seeing a big difference. I want volume, even with clothes on. Will I see a noticeable difference with this increase?
I would encourage you to choose the 550 if you want to see a noticeable change. The worst thing that I can imagine for you is to wake up twice and be disappointed. 50 cc is 3 TBSP. Good luck!
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It is very difficult without seeing you in person to know if the implant sizes you mentioned will be appropriate for you. Also, implant size selection depends on your unique measurements, so what may be too small for one woman may be perfect for another. Lastly, the choice of implant size is also a matter of taste. What you think may be too small, another woman may think is too big. We have a device called the Vectra 3D imaging system that shows you what you will look like with any implant. Our patients are very happy with the choice of implant they make when using this system.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It is difficult to answer your question fully without more information. Clearly, increasing from 375cc to 500 or 550cc's equates to an increase of over 33% or more in volume and will result in a fuller appearance that will be noticeable. The uncertainty, however, will be your level of satisfaction. It would be best to communicate your concerns with your surgeon at least once more prior to your procedure to be sure that you both are on the same page, and thus more likely to be happy with your result.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Thank you for your question. To truly assess which implant will give you the maximal volume you desire depends on your individual breast measurements and soft tissue characteristics. With that being said, if your have extra high profile implants, the volume increase you desire may be achieved by not only increasing the breast volume in cc's but also depends on the projection and base width relationship. Typically, a 100cc to 150cc volume increase will correlate with a noticeable size increase. You may also want to consider a more highly cohesive silicone gel implant. Allergan Inspira SCX and SCF implants are round, highly cohesive implants that may provide you with more upper pole fullness. Good luck with your upcoming surgery.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Please discuss this with your doctor and staff. Show photographs if needed, but be clear about what you want and if your body can accommodate this new size.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Best thing to do is communicate with your surgeon. I ask my patients to bring in pictures of breast sizes that they like and even dislike. I review these photos with the patient and discuss if it is reasonable with their body type, size,etc.. I take these photos to the operating room with me and when the patients is on the operating room table, I use temporary sizers to view how different cc's look on the patient. I sit the patient up on the operating room several times and compare them with the photos that they have chosen. When I see that I have achieved the patient's goals, I remove the temporary sizers and put in the implants. There is no guess work. I have all sizes from both manufacturers available to me at all times. This procedure takes more time BUT gives more exact results. I hope this helps.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
When you say too small, do you mean too narrow? You are going up 125cc's, which is about a cup size. If you go to 550cc's, that is like adding a little more than a shot of tequila(45cc). If you are worried about being too small, I would go with the 550cc's. The difference is minimal.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I hear and see patients that end up having several breast enlargements until they reach the size they want to be, and that is many times greater than their plastic surgeon feels comfortable with! My expertise is with XL sized implants and patients that want those sizes. The difference you are talking about (125cc's) is a bit less than one cup size, so it will not be a NOTICEABLE difference if that is what you want!
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Thank you for your question.
You should see a nice difference after increasing your implants from 375cc's to 550cc's. Unfortunately, we are not always able to achieve the size that the patient desires initially due to anatomical constraints, but in most cases a secondary implant exchange, once the muscle, tissue and skin has had enough time to stretch, will afford us the ability to increase the implant size to one that achieves the patient's cosmetic goals.
In the absence of a physical exam, it is difficult for me to predict with any real certainty how happy you will be with this 175cc increase in implant volume, but your surgeon is in the best position to discuss this with you. I hope you find this helpful!
Published on Jul 11, 2012
You should see a difference between 375cc's and 500 or 550cc's. If you are worried you will still be unhappy with the 500 cc's, trust your instincts and go with the 550 cc's. Best wishes!
Published on Jul 11, 2012