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Do You Lose 50 Cc's with Behind the Muscle Silicone Implant Placement?
I am getting silicone breast implants on Friday and am really scared of going too big. I am currently a "B"; I want to be a "C". I have chosen 350cc in hopes they will look like the 300-325 implant I tried at my doctor's office.
Asked 41 months ago by
ADW in Kansas City, mo
+6
Under the muscle implants should be larger than the sizers
One of the most uncertain things for women undergoing brest augmentation is to know what they will look like with a certain volume implants. And, as a surgeon, it can be difficult to understand what a women wants when she say she wants to be a full C cup of a small D cup.
The use of sizers during the pre-operative consulations has made this very much more straight forward. We will put our patients in a bra and then place different size implants in the bra to both let the patient know what...
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+6
Breast size with implants over vs. under the muscle
What is important to most women seeking breast augmentation surgery is the end result, not the exact size of the implant. Often, patients are surprised to see before and after photographs and learn that a woman with 250 cc implants may have fuller looking breasts than a woman with 325cc implants.
There are many variables to consider when selecting the size of implant: The height and frame of a woman, how much breast tissue she has to start with, whether or not she has had children.
Cup size...
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+6
Implant larger than sizer
Essentially the question is that of: How do I choose the correct implant to get the look I am wanting? This is the most important question when it comes to breast augmentation. In order to better address this question, we need to establish 2 main points:
First: Implants do not come in "cup" sizes. They either come prefilled (in case of silicone gel implants) with certain volume or unfilled (in case of saline implants) with a range of fill capacity. In either case, the fluid...
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+6
Significance of implant size
The difference between 325 and 350cc. is less than10%. However, in general, size of implant is determined less by cc's and more by dimensions. Patients have a hard time understanding this and often get fixated on the cc's. The volume is the result of dimensional analysis, not vice versa. In fact, the volume tells nothing about the implants since a 350cc implant can have different dimensions (i.e. base diameter and projection) and thus produce different-looking breasts. The best way to choose...
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+5
Volume does not change, but Visual size does.
The hardest part about performing breast enlargement surgery is getting on the same page as my patients with regard to breast size. Often, there are conflicting points of view that confuse an already nervous patient. There are friends telling the patient that they should not do it at all. There are those at the other extreme telling them to go as big as possible. And in the middle are friends telling them that they should go bigger than the doctor suggests or more specifically the dreaded...
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+5
Silicone versus saline breast implants
I find that choosing to go under the muscle and using a silicone implant both are factors in selecting the proper implant size. Silicone implants are underfilled (except for some newer versions used in Europe), and have different tactile and visual aesthetics than saline implants, which are usually overfilled like a water balloon would be if you were trying to smoothen out its edges. I usually compensate by choosing about 25-50 cc more in a silicone implant than I would for a saline implant...
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+5
No such thing as too big?
Although there is such an entity as "too big", this is rarely the case in breast augmentation surgery. In fact, the saying "I should have gone bigger" is also becoming a dinosaur. The reasons:
1. American Board of Plastic Surgery plastic surgeons take painstaking efforts to try to size the implants to fit your body characteristics and your wishes. Often we have several preoperative consultations to very accurately determine what implant size is right for you.
2. ...
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+4
How To Choose the Best Implant Size For You!
Good communication between the patient and plastic surgeon
is the key to choosing the best size implant for each individual. The surgeon should be willing to work on this for while during the consultation. I allow patients to return for a second shorter consult at no charge if they are concerned about their choice of size.
Steps:
1. I look at how large the patient is now, how large she was during pregnancy and breast feeding if applicable, whether she has lost volume...
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+4
See your plastic surgeon and adequately discuss your implant placement and size .
Ninety five percent or our patients choose to have their silicone implants placed beneath their chest wall muscle (submuscular, also known as the subpectoral plane) and choose implants in the range of 300 cc’s to 450 cc’s. In this range, we usually advise our patients that the muscle may flatten the implants to a small degree and we usually add about 10% to their total volume. Our patients choose their implant size by placing demo implant sizers in a bra.
Most important is for...
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+4
Does Size Really Matter?
Many variables affect the final outcome of breast augmentation, but the one that most patients seem fixated on is the "cc's" or implant volume. Patients often compare notes with their friends or family members who have also had breast augmentation, and may feel "slighted" if they receive implants that are smaller than what was placed in their co-worker or cousin. This is like being disappointed after a really wonderful dinner that you didn't eat as much, or the same...
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+4
What does 350 cc really look like?
To begin with, most Plastic Surgeons will upsize the final implant size because there is a small amount of volume displacement lost when the implant is changed from in front of the breast (as it is when you are sizing) to behind the muscle (the final placement). Because of this and also because of the fact that many patients commonly wish that they would have gone a little bigger, we generally will upsize around 50 cc.
As to your actual choice of implant size, without actually...
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+3
Breast Implant Sizing
I agree with many of the surgeons responses in this thread....I have my patients sized in my office after I complete their physical exam and take appropriate measurements (about 10+). They use a sizing bra with silicone implants as sizers....the sizers are in a range governed by my measurements and the patients desired outcome (B,C or D cup). I tell all patients that SUBMUSCULAR implants loose about 10-15% of their volume in this position and to therefore upsize appropriately.
I then use
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+3
Implants Look Smaller Under the Muscle
Your question is a good one, but it sounds like you made the right choice!
Because the implant drapes differently under the muscle, it will look about 10% smaller than the implant looks when you put it in front of your breast in your bra. The muscle does flatten the implant somewhat and this creates a sense of the implant looking a bit smaller than it did when you tried it on for size.
Going up about 25cc is about right for the size you are choosing.
We have been...
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+3
Choosing your breast implant size
Silicone implants placed behind the muscle will generally look about 10-15% smaller than the implant that you may have tried on in your surgeons office. The implants that you try on are outside your body and therefore appear larger. Once the implant is place under the muscle during surgery, it is also under your own breast tissue and your chest muscle. The muscle is tight and pushes the implant back resulting in less projection of the implant. That is why the...
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+3
Breast implants look larger when you try them on
Breasts implants appear larger when you try them on than they do when they are under them muscle. How much larger you need to choose depends on many individual factors and isn't scientific. As a rule of thumb, you need to get 10 - 20% larger, some times more depending your breasts. Seven out of eight women who want a different size after breast augmentation want a larger size.
+3
This is not the best way to select implant size.
To ADW,
Hi. You have already had your surgery, and I hope that everything went great. My answer is addressed to other women who may read this as well.
1) The surgeon must know the look you want. Show her or him a picture of what you consider ideal breasts. The surgeon must agree that this is a reasonable look for your anatomy. In general, don't go too big. Large breasts don't age well, and very large implants have more complications and look fake.
2) Then there is a simple maneuver...
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+3
Implants appear smaller once placed under the muscle
It is true that implants appear smaller once they are placed in surgery compared to the sizers you try in the office. Below the muscle placement will appear smaller than above the muscle. The difference is likely going to be around 10% so with the implants you are choosing it will be about 30cc. Remember that is barely noticeable, however. Review your sizing with your surgeon. There are measurements to consider that are specific to the diameter of your chest, skin coverage, looseness of your...
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+3
As long as the implant has a good dimensional fit for...
As long as the implant has a good dimensional fit for your body and as long as it isn't too high in profile, it won't look too big for you. The difference in diameter between 300, 325, and 350 cc implants is less than the width of your baby finger so they are much closer to each other than the sizes might sound to you. You'll probably be just fine with the 350 cc implants after you have adjusted to them and the swelling has settled down.
+3
How to choose a breast implant size?
Placing any breast implant below the muscle will cause the implant to loose a small amount of projection. Though the exact amount isn't quantifiable, your estimation is reasonable.
To choose a breast implant, place the implant in your bra. When the implant feels a little too big, you've probably found the right size.
+2
Breast implant sizing
The use of sizers in your bra preoperatively does not accurately correlate with the size of breasts achieved with sub muscular implants. I think that it is very important that you communicate clearly with your surgeon to maximize the chances of achieving your desired breast size.
In my practice, the use of photographs of “goal” pictures (and breasts that are too big or too small) is very helpful. I have found that the use of words such as “natural” or...
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+2
Breast Implant Sizing
Selecting the size of your implant can be very thought provoking. I find the best way to help my patients with this is to have them try on the implant. This allows them to better understand what the implant will look like on them. When the implant is placed behind the muscle. it will look about 10% smaller, or about the way the next size down implant looks. There are many factors that are used in implant selection, and volume is just one of them. ...
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+2
Estimating breast implant size in the office
Overcorrection of the implants that you tried in the office is a good idea. Take into account the volume difference of the bra that you used as well.
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+2
You do look a little smaller with the implants insided.
It is less reliable to say whether the implants look "more smaller" if they are under the muscle vs. on top. Go with a size that makes you feel like "these are just about too big." That way, once you recover and your implants drop, you'll have a size more like what you see during your sizing process.
+1
Breast implant volume estimates
I think your assessment is a fairly reasonable one. I usually have my patients try on a breast implant in a non-padded bra. The look that is achieved in this way is about 15% larger than after implanted. Thus, your 350 cc implant will look more like a 300 cc one. Remember, one of the most common complaints following breast augmentation:
"I wish I had went bigger."
Definitely, submuscular placement has clear benefits over subglandular. Good...
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+1
3D imaging helps
The size of the silicone implant can appear smaller when placed under the muscle and breast tissue. It is important to discuss with your plastic surgeon the size and shape desired with your breast augmentation.
The shape of the upper pole breast, cleavage midline, lateral fullness and projection help determine the type of silicone implant to be chosen during the surgery.
Recently, the Vectra 3D virtual breast augmentation pictures have significantly helped predict patient...
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Anxious about breast implants and whether you're getting the full story? Learn 10 secrets from a RealSelf community member who went through it all.