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Is There a Limit to the Volume if Doing a Lift and Augmentation?

asked 7 months ago by Nikkilo12 in Louisiana
Latest answer by Christian Prada, MD
Question viewed 270 times
Tags: volume loss, 300-349cc, C to DD cup, limit

I am 5'6, 170lbs and 35yo. I'm about to have a lift and augmentation done and was told 300cc's was the largest I could go, is this accurate or was the surgeon I chose not giving me an option? I am normally a DD and through childbirth and gravity have fallen to a small C. I would like my DD's back, is 300 cc large enough to give me what I want?

17 answers to Is There a Limit to the Volume if Doing a Lift and Augmentation?

Breast implant limits

In most cases during a breast augmentation combined with a lift, the surgeon is trying to place the implant behind the muscle in order to provide as much support for it long term. In most cases, an implant larger than 300cc will not stay under the muscle long term due to the pressure of the muscle pushing on the implant and potentially forcing it down and out. Besides it being extremely difficult to predict the eventual size of your cup after this combined procedure, one also needs to... more

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Is there a limit to the Volume if doing a lift and augmentation?

Obviously without examing you its somewhat difficult to answer this question. In my opinion the fact that the surgeon is limiting your size with a single stage operation is a very good thing. The key to a breast lift and augmentation is the lift! Sacrificing the lift for bigger implants simply leads to larger sagging breasts. If you have any question think about a two stage procedure. After the lift you have more freedom to decide which implant size your prefer. Hope this helps. more

Christian Prada, MD
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon

You can go larger

Based on your height and weight, there's no reason why you couldn't have a larger implant. I would ask the surgeon why he does not feel comfortable putting a larger than the 300 mL implant. To go from a small C to a double D, I would think you're going to need more than 300 mL.

Joseph M. Perlman, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant Volume and Breast Lift: More volume equals more stretch on the breast

A mastopexy augmentation, or breast lift combined with a breast implant is a complicated procedure but when applied to the right patient it is actually more staraightforward than a simple breast lift. When considering breast implant volume consider the stress and stretch that weight puts on your breast which by definition has already failed because it sounds like you need a lift. If you have lost volume and sagged after having children then this is likey right operation for you, and when you... more

Andrew P. Trussler, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant size for breast lift surgery in los angeles

It seems that a 300 cc implant might be a bit small for you if you want to get closure to DD bra size. I have to also advise you that the larger the implant, and the heavier the implant, there is higher chance of early breast sagging after breast lift surgery. therefore, your plastic surgeon might have a good point. I suggest that you first try on different size breast implants in a bra in order to see if a 400 cc implant might look good on you.

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Is There a Limit to the Volume if Doing a Lift and Aug?Answer:

When you go much larger than about 350cc with a lift, you usually have to release the muscle to accommodate a larger implant and when you do that, the muscle can no longer support the implant, and it falls. And then you are back in the office complaining that your breasts are not full enough up top. So when using an implant larger than 350cc I place Strattice to help hold the bigger implant up. So for 350cc or less, complete sub-muscular. Bigger, and I use the Strattice. more

John J. Corey, MD
Phoenix Plastic Surgeon

Combining a breast lift with an augmentation is an extremely difficult operation,

Because each procedure puts pressure on the skin envelope, and trying to do too much in one procedure can have serious negative consequences. In the augment, the implant is placed above or below the muscle, and the more volume in the implant the more pressure there is on the overlying skin. In a breast lift, extra skin is removed and the remaining skin molded to lift the breast and improve the shape. This also puts pressure on the skin, and in particular, the blood supply... more

Michael H. Rosenberg, MD
White Plains Plastic Surgeon

plasticsurgeryweb.com

Concerns on appropriate implant size for mastopexy augmentation

Without any photos and in particular, a comprehensive examination, your question can't be accurately answered. However, the limit for implant size would be based on mulitple factors including your skin envelope and chest wal parameters. It may be that your body could accomodate more than a 300cc implant. I would leave the final decision on the appropriate implant size up to your plastic surgeon. This would be based on your goal and the intraoperative findings.

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Implant size limitation in combination Breast Augmentation AND Breast Lift

A Lot of women simplistically view a Breast Augmentation the same way as the filling of a party balloon with helium; You can put in as much you want and it will float. Well - that is patently false. The VAST majority of breast sag NOT because they have an implant in them but because gravity pulls EVERYTHING down including breasts. As the size of the breast goes up, gravitational pull increases as well and gravity always wins that contest. When a Breast Lift is done, we remove excess... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Is There a Limit to the Volume if Doing a Lift and Augmentation?

The combination of breast lift and augmentation is REALLY hard. One reason is that the weight of the implant tends to drag down the lift. Another is that the larger the implant, the more damage is done to the breast in order to create the implant pocket. This can cause healing problems such as loss of the nipple and areola. An experienced surgeon will help you choose an implant that you will be happy with, but that will not cause problems down the line. Good luck! more

Eric Pugash, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.vancouvercosmeticsurgery.ca

Implant size with breast lift

300 cc may be very reasonable but it depends entirely on how much breast tissue and skin you have, what degree of skin laxity you have and how large you want to be. My colleagues have explained that there are competing forces at work which can mean compromising the blood supply to the nipple and areola leading to devastating consequences. That being said, I have gone larger than 300 cc with a lift and had great results. Again, it depends entirely on your own anatomy. ... more

Tiffany McCormack, MD
Reno Plastic Surgeon

Lift with augmenation can impact implant size

There are competing forces with the skin reduction as the breast is lifted, and the skin stretch to accommodate a very full breast implant. If a large implant is needed it may be better to complete the augmentation first, and have the lift over the fuller breast at a later procedure. We can't say if the 300cc implant is right for you, though your surgeon may be right. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

The amount of lift and augmentation depends on the patient and her desires

Breast augmentation with a mastopexy, (breast lift) is a great combination of surgeries. While I agree that the surgeon must be very careful and percise in planing and executing the combinded proceedure. If the woman has the right amount of breast tissue and extra skin to safely cover the implant, I have put in up to 600 cc implants with great sucess. The choice of the surgery must be very individualize to get a great safe result. I don't remember limiting any of my patients to only 300... more

Carl W. "Rick" Lentz III, MD
Daytona Beach Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation mastopexy

A breast augmentation stretches you and a lift tightens you. Done together, these competing forces for healing can cause problems if either is overdone. Consequently, sometimes it is necessary to separate the two operations by 3-4 months. Only an exam can tell if 300 is enough for you. I used to restrict myself to 300 or less with a simultaneous lift but if you have enough skin excess and are a healthy non-smoker, I would consider going bigger to some degree but of... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Augmentation and lift at same time.

This is one of the most controversial and problematic operations in all plastic surgery. you have 2 forces fighting each other. one option is to do the lift only and wait until thing settle then you can use what ever size implant you want 6 months later.

Sherwood Baxt, MD
New Jersey Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant Sizing with Breast Lifting?

Thank you for the question. You raise a few good points. The more breast surgery I do the more I realize that there is no correlation between the size or model (profile) of implant used and resulting cup size. This may have to do with several factors including: the amount of breast volume the patient starts with, the shape of the patient's chest wall (concave or convex), the type and model of breast implant selected (saline/silicone and low/moderate/high profile),... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Breast lifts limit implant size with simultaneous augmentation

In order to perform an adequate breast lift in patients who have much sagging, a considerable amount of skin must be removed to provide a lift that will last for many years. The problem with performing an augmentation at the same time is that the breast skin must be tightened with the mastopexy which limits the size of implant that can be put in. 300 cc's is actually a pretty good size implant for a combination augmentation mastopexy but still might not get you up to the size that you... more