When Will I Know my Final Size? Lift With Augmentation and Small Reduction.

It takes about three to four months for your breasts to settle. At that time you can better assess your results. Generally speaking, there is a minor decrease in size once swelling subsides, however it is difficult to say by exactly how much. 

This seems to be an unfortunate trend among some of my plastic surgical colleagues. You had adequate size (actually slightly large, since you asked for "smaller, perkier" breasts), and a breast lift alone would remove about an ounce of skin, or a bit more tissue if indeed you wanted a bit smaller. Why add implants at all if you were already bigger that you wanted?

The sad answer is that some surgeons were apparently trained that in order to do a breast lift, more than on ounce of tissue "must" be removed. I and a significant number of other ABPS-certified plastic surgeons know this is simply not true. When one of my patients likes her breast size and simply wants a lift, I remove 15-30 grams of skin (1/2 to 1 ounce) per breast, and tailor the remaining breast skin to the desired lifted, "perky" appearance. No more tissue needs removing, and implants are not "needed" to "shape the breast" or give the desired "upper pole fullness," which is the usual "excuse" or explanation for why implants are recommended.

A properly-tailored skin brassiere gives a perfectly soft and natural uplifted and "perkier" pair of breasts, and a push-up bra can give her even more uplift if she wishes. Having an unnatural projection and "Baywatch coconut" upper pole is neither natural nor attractive, but it is indeed something a few (misinformed, IMHO) women ask for. A soft, natural breast is best, and has the capability to be molded into any shape a woman's bra and clothing are capable of. Hard round breasts are, well, hard and round, and cannot be soft or natural regardless of clothing choice. And they really look weird when nude!

But that's just my point of view; strongly held.

Unfortunately, you had 80-100g removed and 250cc added per side, so no matter how things settle and soften as swelling goes down, you will be 5-6 ounces bigger per breast than when you started, though in an uplifted, perkier package. Hopefully, your surgeon gave you a nice skin tailoring breast lift--you will end up with larger, more youthful breasts. 

In my opinion, if you were clear you wanted only a lift and wanted to be slightly smaller in a perkier skin brassiere, you should not have had implants (or the cost, time, increased healing risks, and potential concerns related to them).

Again, this is my opinion, but it is hard to understand the rationale for your surgeon's choice, at least based on what you state. Your surgeon, of course, is entitled to his/her own opinions, and presumably has your best interests at heart, not increased fees/cost. I just feel s/he is misinformed or poorly-trained; otherwise, unethical is the only remaining option.

It sounds as if you may require more surgery to remove the unwanted and unneeded implants, hopefully without having to re-do part or all of your lift. All three of my patients in the web reference below (click on the link to see the cases) had only skin removal and breast lift, no implants. Sorry about your plight. Dr. Tholen

   Placing implants is typically not advisable if the patient is wanting to have a reduction in bra size.  The lift and small reduction can be performed without an implant.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA