I had a breast augmentation in 2015. I started with natural 36B and after breast augmentation ended up with 36DD, though max I wanted is full C. I had a Mentor silicone breast implants, 375 cc moderate plus. DD feels too huge to me and I'm not feeling comfortable with such big boobies. I want to replace my implants with smaller one. I'm also looking for a different plastic surgeon in my location.
Replacing your implants with smaller size is much easier than increasing the size. Sometimes I do this even under a local anesthetic in our certified operating room. Every about 120-150cc is about one cup size so you can judge what size the implant should be for you.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
One of the most important issue in breast augmentation is communication. I ask my patients to bring me photos of what they would like to look like so that it is consistent with the image that I have for them. During the surgery, temporary implants called "sizers" are inserted and the patient is placed in the sitting position. By changing volumes and shapes of the sizers, we can arrive at the best implant size and contour to come as close as possible to the images on which we agreed preoperatively.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
What's your location? Look for a board certified plastic surgeon (American Board of Plastic Surgery) and ask to see before and afters, and if possible speak to one of his patients and check reviews.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Thanks for your question! It's not uncommon for women to consider changing implant size after a few years, and actually, the process can be very straightforward, particularly when going down in volume. With smooth/round implants, the procedure itself may be something that could even be done with local anesthesia, and very minimal recovery or downtime. If you're interested in changing the position of your nipple or the implants themselves, that may be more involved, but is still typically less of a recovery compared to your original augmentation surgery.
Those details, and of course the volume of the new implants that would best achieve your goals would be something that you would want to discuss in a consultation with the plastic surgeon that you choose in your location. We have a lot of great new implant options (even compared to what was available in 2015), so I think it would be a relatively easy experience for you that would provide the results that you're desiring. All the best!
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It is not uncommon to replace breast implants for a smaller or larger size. The considerations for you with downsizing is how much looseness of your tissues will result with smaller implants and whether any type of internal tightening of your breast capsules or external tightening of skin through breast lift may be indicated to better match the smaller implants. You should ask your family doctor, Ob/Gyn or friends for a plastic surgeon recommendation, then look them up on line to check credentials and reviews and consider several consultations before you proceed.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Patients often think in terms of cup size when considering augmentation. Unfortunately, devices are sized in terms of milliliters (cc) of volume. This can lead to some confusion when sizing. Additionally, it is important to remember that cup size itself is not standardized with variations from one manufacturer to another. Unfortunately, as many women can attest their cup size in an industry leader such as VS is not necessarily transferable to another brand.
Another point which is often under appreciated is that of anatomy and starting point. Any implant will add volume to the volume which is already present. The implant is additive. A particular volume will not necessarily confer the same cup size to different patients (often times it will not even confer the same cup size to different breasts in the same individual...remember they are "sisters" not "twins").
A general rule of thumb is that 125cc can represent somewhere between 1/2 to a full cup size increase. Smaller volume differentials (25-50cc) are typically less consequential representing a volume change of less than a shot glass. However, I have found these numbers, at least anecdotally, to be of little help. Patients often present with notions/goals which do not correlate with these sorts of sterile volumetric assessments.
When sizing patients, there are a number of useful tools including:
-3D imaging (has the added benefit of offering a volumetric analysis of the pre-operative breast)
-Breast sizers (rice bags)
-Goal photos
I also recommend that patients commit to a particular look rather than a cup size. Once a patient settles on a look that pleases them the overall cup size increase becomes less relevant.The key to obtaining a natural result is to stay within the parameters defined by your BWD. This will ensure that you avoid the dreaded "fake" look.
With regards to your specific question, if you feel as if the differential between result and goal is as significant as 2 cup sizes, I would recommend a downsize of at least 100 cc. Anything less is unlikely to make a notable difference.
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).
Published on Jul 11, 2012