In Breast Augmentation, Does Size Decrease As the Swelling Goes Down?

Hi, thank you for your question.

You are at the very beginning of what is really a six month process as the tissues of your body relax and the implants settle over time.

I always tell my patients that they will look too big, too tight, too high, and too swollen right after surgery so that they won't panic the first week.

Unfortunately, patients don't get to see what the plastic surgeons sees in the operating room.  As you roll out to the recovery room the breasts begin to swell and the muscles begin to tighten.  Often there's some fluid that initially accumulates around the outside of the implant.  In the early stage when the muscles which are tight press on the implant it generally makes them look higher as well.

Over the next six months the body relaxes, the fluid absorbs, the muscles give way, the implants will see less upper portion fullness and will look lower and fuller on the chest.  It will generally take about three weeks before you begin to believe that changes are happening.

Unfortunately you really won't know if the size is exactly what you want for about six months but if you had good communication with your plastic surgeon chances are you'll be happy.  A paradox of this operation is of the people like you who are scared in the first week about 60 to 70% will eventually say hmm.... maybe I could've gone bigger?

I hope in the end you get exactly which are looking for, but a week after surgery is way too early to be worried that this is your final result.

Best wishes for a speedy and happy recovery.

 

Breast augmentation is the most common aesthetic surgery in the U.S as the vast majority of patients are extremely happy with their results. 
Deciding on an implant size is the most difficult part of the breast augmentation process.   It is important to spend time with your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon discussing the perfect breast implant size for your breast augmentation surgery. 

Patients typically go through a cycle of emotions in regards to the implant size after their breast augmentation.  Immediately after the surgery your breasts and muscle (as the implant are most commonly placed under the muscle) will be swollen.  The implants will also be higher on your chest.  As time goes on the swelling will decrease, and the implants will drop in to place. 

Patients typically feel very large immediately after surgery, then miss the fullness when the swelling resides and then finally love them when everything settles. 

It takes a couple months for the patients to achieve their final results.  Over this time the swelling will decrease and the implants will settle.  As the swelling decreases the breasts take a more natural shape.  They also soften as the swelling decreases after their breast augmentation.

The majority of patients are extremely happy with their breast augmentation results; however, it takes time for your breast reach their final size and shape. Consult with your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to help guide you through your breast augmentation process.  

You are too early after the surgery to worry about the results yet.  Things continue to settle over the first 6 months.  Most patients who worry about the size at this point in their recovery are happy at 6 months.

Please allow about 6 months for the majority of swelling to subside before assessing your results, as swelling can add to the size. At 6 months, you can then assess your results to determine whether you’d like to undergo a revision.

After breast augmentation, it is quite normal for the breasts to appear larger initially due to swelling. As the swelling subsides over the following weeks, the size of your breasts will decrease somewhat. Typically, the swelling significantly diminishes within the first few months, and you can expect to see your final results around 6 months post-operation. If after this period you still feel the implants are too large, it's advisable to wait at least 6 months to a year before considering a revision surgery to reduce the implant size by 50cc. This waiting period is crucial to allow your body to fully heal and the implants to settle properly.

Thanks for your question...You are early post op and there is still swelling. It can take up to 3 months for your final result to show. Please speak to your surgeon if you are still concerned.You can learn more on our social media (Instagram and Snapchat): @realdrsix.

Regards,

Thanks for your question Alice! You are my favorite kind of patient: Very conservative! There is nothing more unattractive than an overdone augmentation like you see in LA and Miami. I feel, probably as you do Alice, that if you can tell at a year post-op that a patient has had an augmentation then the surgeon has failed the surgery. Augmentation is to make the breast look normal, not to look Big! That being said, it is way too early to tell what your size will be at this early time. Your breast are swollen and excessively full at the top...So don't panic! Wait 6-12 month before judging your size! Also don't fall into the trap of being fixated on a specific Bra size. You said you requested a 32B, but cup size vary widely among different manufacturers.
I've been specializing in Breast Surgery for a quarter century and I have placed over 8,000 implants. 285cc is a fairly conservative size. Your BWD being 11 cm, so in my experience, with certain manufacturers (Victoria Secret notoriously) your size might be 32C once the swelling has subsided. Again don't get hung up  on specific cup size. It's all about body proportions and personal preferences.
I have really appreciated the sizers that the implant manufactures provide. We have our patients spend a lot of time trying various volumes during their consultation and then again on their pre-op visit, I let them decide (as long as they are reasonable) and have had very little need to upsize or downsize post op. Prior to the sizers (1994-2012) our revision rate for upsize was 2.3% and downsize was 1.2%. See the reference page below (purple chart). Since the use of pre-op sizers our revision for size is virtually non-existant. The only changes in volume I do are for patients that I have done years earlier and have gained or lost weight, had children or other causes of significant breast size change from the original post-augment size.
In any case, no change in size should be done for at least 6 months, and preferably a year. There is still residual inflammation early on and it could be disastrous to attempt to do so. So don't let anybody change the size before this time.
Best of Luck Alice! You will love them once the swelling has gone down! Take a deep breath and step away from the mirror :)
JP Riou MD FACS
Yale-Trained Plastic surgeon specializing in breast surgery

Does size decrease as the swelling goes down?Thank you very much for this very important question. Swelling after breast Augmentation can make the breast appear slightly Fuller. I find however, that swelling contributed very little to the actual size that is achieved when all healing is completed.In fact, I have Observed that as the swelling goes away and the patient enters the drop and fluff stage of breast augmentation healing, that breast size actually gets bigger. Please make sure that you use your plastic surgeon as a resource to guide you in your postoperative breast augmentation experience!Wishing you a wonderful recovery for the rest of your experience, Dr. Aldo

It is very soon after your surgery and you are likely to be quite a bit swollen. The size should decrease some and as your breasts heal, the tissues adapt and relax, the appearance of your breasts is likely to improve to your liking. You should wait about 6 months if you are to consider a revision.

Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

Interesting question considering that most patients will say the opposite that they feel like they are too small.  I would tell you to wait to see the size by about 3 -6 months you will be at the size that will be permanent.  However 285 cc is not at all a large augmentation.  Don't alway go by the cup size that the bra stores give you, they are often exaggerated from your actual size.  Be patient let things settle a bit more.  In the meantime, going down by 50 cc might not in fact be worth it imo.  Good luck.  Hope this helps.  

Dear Alice87,
It is common to experience swelling after breast augmentation especially in the first few weeks. Allow yourself to heal and the tissue to settle into place. I would consult a board certified plastic surgeon if you have further concerns.

Good luck to you.

Sincerely,
Christopher Chang, MD
Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland