Is 325 Cc the Right Size for Me?

Hello! Thank you for your question. In
general, implant size does not
correlate with bra cup size. The cup size itself will vary from
manufacturer to manufacturer as well as who is doing the actual
measurements. Thus, cup size is never a reliable indicator for your
breast size. I typically encourage my patients not to communicate her
desires in cup size but more on the actual look and appearance. Given
your desires, a breast augmentation, with an implant or fat grafting,
would be an ideal procedure that would meet your expectations. Breast
augmentation is now the most popular procedure performed in plastic
surgery today. One tolerated very well by women with minimal downtime
and high patient satisfaction. Good
communication between you and your surgeon of your expectations is
warranted - choosing your surgeon wisely is the first step. Discussion

of your wishes and having an honest and open dialog of your procedure is
mandatory (e.g, implant type, incision, placement, etc). Implant profile will also make a difference on the projection, which will influence overall breast/cup size.   I have found

that photographs brought by the patient is helpful to get a
visualization of the appearance you wish for in terms of size, shape,
fullness, etc. In addition, your surgeon's pre and postoperative
photographs should demonstrate a realistic goal for you of results.
Sizers are helpful during an in-office consultation. Once this has
been accomplished, allow your surgeon to utilize his/her best medical
judgment during the procedure to finesse the best possible result for
you after preoperative biodimensional planning and fitting the right
implant for your breast width. This is the most important determinant
for the sizing of implants, which will provide the optimal result and
most aesthetically-pleasing result for you.Consult with a
board-certified plastic surgeon well-versed in breast procedures who
will examine and discuss with you the various options and factors to
consider and help you decide which one will be the right one for you.
Hope me that this helps! Best wishes for a wonderful result!

In general I think 325 cc is a conservative choice in silicone gel breast implants. I am not sure it will get you to a small D cup but I think you will most likely be happy with the result.  I cannot say for sure without seeing your anatomy and taking measurements. The plastic surgeon can also consider using gel sizers at the time of surgery to ensure the best choice of size that fits your frame and choose then.  I try to council patients to not get "married to a number" with breast implants.  Good luck!

Unfortunately, this is a common if not almost universal concern. Most women don't want to be "too big" after surgery, or have an unnatural look. Many confess the worry that others may "notice" and judge them unfavorably. Women end up arguing with their plastic surgeons over 25 or 50cc (which is less than 1-2 ounces, and not even visible when distributed over a whole breast's volume). You're in good company!

Let me reassure you that adding 325cc implants will add just over 1 1/3 cup sizes to your present size, but the bras you choose now and after surgery are so variable that you need more information upon which to base your implant choice (if in fact your surgeon is leaving this up to you). Basically, I believe that my patients generally know what they want, but that they are inexperienced in how best to achieve a specific look. Thus, it is my job as a plastic surgeon to assist them in conveying to me just what exactly they want to achieve.

Trying on implants in a bra is helpful, though I caution my own patients that I will need to add 50-100cc to whatever they choose (anatomy allowing) to achieve the "look" they like in a brassiere and stretchy top when sizing. Photographs of patients or models with breast sizes that approximate the desired size also help me understand my patients' goals. Then, measurements before, and during, surgery allow me to choose the implants that best accomplish my patient's goals in keeping with her anatomy's limitations.

Without knowing where you buy your bras, nobody can give you an honest or accurate estimation of post-op bra size you may end up with after 325cc implants (and who knows if you like your bras tight, loose, or with breast "spilling out" over the fabric or hardshell cup). Herein lies the problem of "cup size" estimates.

You should try your best to convey your desired "look" and leave the decision-making as how to best achieve that look to your experienced ABPS-certified plastic surgeon. Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Hi, the outcome of a specific implant size cannot be predicted at all. it will depend on several factors that can only be assessed during a proper physical examination. in general a 325cc implant theoretically should increase the cup size by more than one size, so your surgeon might be right, but you need to review other patients pictures and find out how the same implant can give different results in different people.

Without seeing you in person and/or reviewing pre-op photos, it shard to give yoga good recommendation for breast implant sizes.  It really depends on your measurements, your anatomy, you skin/tissue thickness and your expectations for surgery.  In our office we use the VECTRA 3D simulation machine which can show you in 3D the results of different implants in your own body.  We then take various size sample implant and have you try them in your bra.  This way, you get a good feeling of what the extra volume/weight will feel like after surgery.  If you have any other questions, please let us know.

 

Good Luck.

It is impossible to say what cup size you will be because one implant may give a B cup in one person and a D cup in another.  Cup size is determined by your chest circumference vs the circumference around the nipples.  the existing body type and breast size have a lot to do with your final outcome cup size.

HOWEVER, don't worry about the cup size.  Try different sizers and make sure you like what you see in the mirror.

When I see patients I ask about their desired cup size to give me an idea of what they are thinking but then I explain to them that the actual cup size is not as important as is the look they get with any particular implant.  I have my patients try different sample implants and see if they like the size and how it makes them look.  Because in the end you are getting this done to look a certain way, not to fit into a certain bra size.

 

If you are unsure about your size, don't hesitate to visit your plastic surgeon again and ask to try out different implant sizes.  Most plastic surgeons have a wide variety of sample breast implants for you to try out in their office.

 

Sincerely,

 

Martin Jugenburg, MD, FRCSC

Toronto Cosmetic Surgery Institute

Your surgeon has the benefit of consulting with you and having you for an in person examination. Therefore, he or she knows the scope of the surgery and the specifics about you. From your stated objectives, 325 cc breast implants is a reasonable recommendation. There is not a direct correlation between breast implant size and cup size as the cup size varies greatly among companies and even within the same company. Moreover, cup size can vary based on who is performing the measurement. The size of the implants are based on a combination of a patient's goals and objectives and her anatomy. In order to provide a natural looking augmentation, the surgeon needs to evaluate many factors including soft tissue coverage, skin laxity, chest wall width, breast imprint width, the shape of the breasts and relative level of constriction to ensure that the breast implants are appropriate for your body.

325 cc under the muscle seems a little conservative to get into a small D range.  In order to make an accurate size recommendation, I would need to assess your chest wall and breast mound measurements and characteristics.  Unfortunately, there is not a general rule of thumb or objective criteria to implant selection.

Your plastic surgeon will perform several measurements of your chest wall and breast anatomy and determine a range of implants that both fit your chest wall and reach your desired goals.
The next step is to try on this range of implants in the office with your doctor.   The key to this success is showing your surgeon the body proportion you desire with a bra sizer and allowing your surgeon to guide you to the right implant.   It will be much easier to communicate in implant cc's than cup size when determining the appropriate implant for you.
I wish you a safe recovery and fantastic result.
Dr. Gill

A good "rough" test is to perform a "baggy test" and see how the volume looks in your bra with a tight t-shirt over it. This will tie a rough idea if the volume is too much.

Unfortunately, without direct examination and a full communication of your goals it is not possible to give you good advice in regards to the best breast implant size/profile that will help achieve your goals.

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 "small D cup” etc means different things to different people and therefore prove unhelpful.
 Also, as you know, cup size varies depending on who makes the bra; therefore, discussing desired cup  size may also be inaccurate.


Once you feel you have communicated your goals clearly,  allow your plastic surgeon to use his/her years of experience/judgment to choose the breast implant size/profile that will best meet your goals.  In my practice, this decision is usually made during surgery.

I hope this helps.