350cc or 375cc Mentor Silicone for for Slim/petite/small Woman?

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.  25cc will not make any difference likely. 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, lift, etc). 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. 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. Hope me that this helps! Best wishes for a wonderful result!

Thanks for your question.  Instead of focusing on a post op cup size you should think about the "look" that you are interested in.  Cup size is relatively arbitrary.  It isn't standardized like height and weight.  Different bra manufacturers will have different cup sizes--for instance, Victoria Secret's tends to run with a larger cup size.  So it is possible for someone to be a C cup in one type of bra and a D in another.  When it comes to determining the right implant for you it is best to try on sizers and look in the mirror.  When you see the look that you are interested in your plastic surgeon should be able to determine which size implant will accomplish that look depending on your body and breast tissues.  That being said, given your measurements 350cc will likely easily accomplish a C cup and could actually be a D in some bras.  375cc isn't much different.  Think about what would be worse--being too big or too small.  And don't forget you can still use clothing to accentuate your look but it is hard to downplay large implants.  I hope this helps.  Good luck.  I'm sure regardless of your decision you'll be very happy.

Thank you for your question. The choice of the breast implant size is one of the most stressful parts of the journey for many women. I would start by saying that it is impossible to select an implant size for you without an examination. That being said, I wouldn't fret too much about a 25cc difference. Most people are unable to tell the difference between 25cc's, which is basically 2 tablespoons of fluid. Thinking more 3 dimensionally, this is only a difference of 1mm in projection and 3mm in width - a very slight difference. 

I am sure that either size will look great for you. Discuss the implants with your plastic surgeon. the best choice for you likely depends on the width of your chest, which is something that they can go over with you.

Best of luck with your augmentation.

Jeff Rockmore

I would suggest viewing the sizes on yourself using a 3-D imaging machine. In my office, I use a Vectra imager to view patients in my office. It makes a 3-D picture to view different sizes in the patient's own body. I find it very helpful in making patients more comfortable with implant sizes. The images also help to show how little difference there is between two sizes (such as 350 vs 375). The difference between those two implants is a matter of millimeters so don't stress too much over it!

I would err on the side of 375cc based on your description. 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