Are 360 Cc's Going to Be Big Enough?

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). Your height,
weight, breast width, and body habitus will make a difference for which
implant style/projection to choose. 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!

It is very difficult to determine the exact size and shape implant you will require to best match your ideal breast image without an examination by a board certified plastic surgeon. Not just any board certified plastic surgeon, but one with many years of frequently performing breast augmentation surgery including different approaches, techniques and implant choices. This is because several measurements not to mention your breast characteristics are needed to determine the optimal implant size to obtain your goals. Without knowing these dimensions it would be difficult to make this determination. For example, the existing base width of your breast will determine, in many cases, the maximal volume per implant profile that you can accommodate. To illustrate; a 100 cc difference may make a significant difference with a narrow base width breast, but much less of a difference if you have a wide chest wall and wide breast “foot print”. Therefore, just because your friend may have a great result with let’s say a 350 cc implant to make her go from a “A” cup to a “C” cup size does not mean that you will have the same result with the same size implant. . Further simply placing implants in a bra to determine the size best for you is not always accurate as the bra often distorts the size, is dependent on the pressure the bra places plus the implant is outside your breast and not under it among other variables. Computer software morphing programs that automatically determine the best implant size can be helpful in some but not all cases (e.g. doesn’t work well in my experience with existing implants, sagging or asymmetric breasts). Using “want to be” photos however are useful if simply provided to the surgeon as I will further explain in the below link.

If your chest is a 34 then each 200 cc is 1 bra size change.  You said that you are happy with 360 cc and questioning whether you should use 390 cc.  The difference of only 30 cc's is 1/7th of a bra size change and would not be noticeable.  If you are a B cup then either implant size will make you at least a full C or probably a D.

Best of Luck,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Having done a lot of breast augmentations, I would recommend going with the larger size.  Most women are happy they chose the larger size after their augmentations. 

It is difficult to say without knowing your base width diameter but judging only from your height and weight, 390cc is more likely to be a D than a full C.  If by full C, you really mean a D, then go with the 390cc.  Best wishes and good luck.

Given your frame and current bra size, I think you are safe.  Without seeing you and doing a full exam, this is difficult for me to know.  But, in general, a 360cc implant in someone as petite as you will definitely give you more than s standard cup size regardless of the implant pocket placement.  Good luck with the surgery!

30cc is 2 tablespoons. Do you really think you can see that tiny of a volume change (larger OR smaller) over the entire breast? I think the smallest visible volume that a skilled discerning eye can differentiate is 60cc, maybe 100cc for a casual observer (most non plastic surgeons). You will not be able to see the difference between these two sizes!

If you are concerned about being "too small" then choose the 390cc. Realize that you do NOT "lose volume" by going under the muscle, you simply need 50-100cc more volume to equal the look you have with that size implant in a bra or stretchy top while sizing. Any surgeon who has his or her patients "size" in a bra has learned that if a patient chooses a 250cc implant as "looking great" in a bra, putting a 250cc implant under the muscle will end up with a patient either convinced that you "put in the wrong size" or wondering how the 250cc she liked in a bra now looks so much smaller in her body! If a patient likes a 700cc implant in a bra, she needs an 800cc implant under her muscle (anatomy permitting) to give her the look she wants. Every surgeon learns this the hard way, or they continue to have unhappy and too-small patients. Honest!

I'm most concerned that you think it might be "too late" to change your mind. Did your surgeon only order one exact size of implants chosen? What if one is damaged or dropped on the floor? This really concerns me. In our office surgical facility we stock every implant (saline AND silicone) in every size and profile, with multiples of the most commonly-used sizes. We don't have to worry about having the "right ones" available, even if the patient or I decide differently! Is your surgeon an ABPS-certified plastic surgeon? Does he or she do enough breast surgery so that they have all sizes available (if done in the doctor's facility)? Is the facility AAAASF-accredited? If your surgery is done at the hospital or outpatient surgical facility run by a hospital or medical group, why do they not have an entire inventory of all-sizes-available implants?

These are much more serious questions for which I hope you have proper answers. If you do, great! Choose the 390s. Best wishes!

For your stated objective, 360cc breast implants to go from B to C cup is a reasonable recommendation for you. Your surgeon is the best to guide you as he or she knows the scope of the surgery and the specifics about you. There is a no direct correlation between implant size and cup size as cup size is an inexact and unreliable measurement that varies among bra companies and even in the same company. Moreover, it can be skewed by those who do 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.

You can expect a 360cc implant to put you in a full C/small D range and the 390 cc to put you in a 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

This is a common question on RealSelf.  It is difficult for a surgeon to comment without photos and measurements.  If you have uncertainty about the size you have selected, I would contact your surgeon and try on the different sizes you are considering.