Can 450cc Breast Implants Look Natural? Will They Affect My Running?

Thank you for your question. You definitely want to follow your own surgeon's post-op activity instructions. This is a general guide I give to my patients:
1) No heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 6 weeks.
2) Resume walking at a leisurely pace right after surgery (e.g. 2 mph)
3) At 2 weeks, you can walk 2 miles at 2mph
4) At 3 weeks, you can walk 3 miles at 3mph
5) At 4 weeks, you can walk 4 miles at 4mph
6) At 5 weeks, you can jog 5 miles at 5mph
7) At 6 weeks, you can resume all activities, but listen to your body and use discomfort or tightness as a guide so you don't over do it.With respect to size and working out, you will feel more heaviness in the chest.  I would make sure that have a comfortable and supportive workout bra.  I would also discuss this with your plastic surgeon.

With a good support bra, the implants should not be affected by working out or running after 6-8 weeks.  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

450 cc's are fairly large implants but it does not mean that they won't look great.  I couldn't tell you without an exam. If you are pretty active and do not want to be too large, you may be better off with smaller implants.

Your concern is understandable, however many factors should be taken into consideration by your plastic surgeon and you. Laxity of the skin and breast tissue will be important in obtaining "natural' looking breast. The base  width will also tell the surgeon what sizes are possible. The most important maneuver is for the surgeon to show you on your pictures (Computer Generated Imaging) what different sized implants look like on /in your body. I especially find that  the photos that include the upper torso and sometimes the hips can let you see what kind of balance or proportion you will be achieving with the proposed size.

As far as running, you will need a great running bra. I often recommend that may patients double up on the sports bra when running.

Choosing a breast implant size should be done by both you, the patient, and your surgeon, together.  The way I help my patients choose an appropriate size is to provide them with a stretch bra, and then have the patient try on a variety of sized implants in the bra.  I will make suggestions as to what I think would be best, and then ultimately allow the patient to choose the size that she would be most comfortable with.  Since I practice in South Florida, the aesthetic here seems to be a bit larger than other parts of the US.  Therefore it is not unusual for a woman who is 5'10" with broad shoulders to select a 450 cc implant. However, larger implants such as this will be prone to more complications due to weight, and may ultimately cause the breast to sag more.  Also, it will most definitely affect your running, as the weight of the implants will alter the biomechanics of your core and posture.  

It should be quite obvious that a 450 cc implant will be full and projecting and will impact your running. I don't know of any competitive active runners in a D-cup. Your surgeon recommends the 450, though how well does he know you and what you really want? Be sure you speak up or you will look like his last augmentation. The choice should be yours.

Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com

Dear lady, of course in Europe the average implant size is smaller than in the USA, but still you need to realise that a natural breast has a relatively straight, not a bulging surface above the nipple, a "valley" between the breasts, not a fold, and the breast don't stick outside your chest on the sides. 

With this implant size in your body it is unlikely that they will still look "natural".

Add to this the weight of nearly 2 pounds that you add to your chest, and intuitively you will understand that this WILL bother you when running.

I would advise not to go over 300 cc's, and to use an anatomical implant if you want still to look natural. For anatomical implants the ideal is one with a polyurethane cover (check Polytech or Silimed), but unfortunately these are not available in the USA.

 

Hello,

Thank you for your question.  Obviously, what is considered natural looking differs from one person to another.  For your height and weight a 450 cc implant may give you a natural looking breast but this depends on a few other factors including examination.  If you are very active you want to consider a smaller size implant.  The best thing to do is try on a 450 cc implant in your plastic surgeons office under a sports bra or tight t-tshirt and get an idea of how that looks to you.  Be sure you get a few consultations with board certified plastic surgeons and compare notes.

All the best,

Dr Repta

Thank you for the question and congratulations on your upcoming breast augmentation surgery.

I think the most important decision you make (when you have decided to proceed with breast augmentation surgery) is choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon whom you trust and can communicate with. Once you develop this trust and communicate your goals clearly with your plastic surgeon the specifics of the operation (including the implant model)  can be  decided upon. You will find that each plastic surgeon has his/her preferences so you need to feel comfortable that the surgeon you choose is capable (based on documented experience with before and after pictures and/or referrals) of achieving your goals.

It will be very important to communicate your overall goals with your surgeon.  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 “C cup” or "fake looking" or "top heavy" 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.


I use  intraoperative sizers and place the patient in the upright position to evaluate breast size. Use of these sizers also allow me to select the breast implant profile (low, moderate, moderate plus, high-profile) that would most likely achieve the patient's goals. The patient's goal pictures are hanging on the wall, and allow for direct comparison.
I have found that this system is very helpful in improving the chances of achieving the patient's goals as consistently as possible .

It will also be important to communicate your lifestyle and activities ( for example running)  with your surgeon. Generally speaking appropriate sized  breast implants will not interfere with your workout or running routine.


By the way, the most common regret after this operation, is “I wish I was bigger”.


I hope this helps
 

Hello. Thank you for your inquiry. It is important to have an in-person assessment regarding your concerns as it is difficult to determine virtually.

You may be an excellent candidate for breast augmentation surgery. Exact end results and cup sizes are usually quite difficult to calculate as everyone has a different starting point.

There are many different factors that go into choosing a breast implant size which will correspond with your body dimensions while concurrently achieving your aesthetic results. Some of these factors are: Implant size (CC's), Implant profile (Low, Moderate, High), Placement of the implant (Subglandular vs. Dual Plane) etc. We utilize smooth round cohesive silicone gel 'gummy bear' implants for the best results.

During a consultation your aesthetic goals are heard and taken into account with the measurements of your breasts and the integrity of your tissue, as well as level of ptosis (sag). From here we collectively can find your 'perfect fit'. You are able to try out sizers and different implants in our office such that you can get an idea of what size you would be post-operation. We also offer Crisalix 3D plastic surgery virtual simulator during our in-person and virtual consultations to preview potential results. After your consultation, you will receive your very own implant sizers to take home with you (at a small cost) whether or not you decide to go forward with your procedure.

I usually recommend that my patients stop smoking, take vitamin C daily, and avoid aspirin/ibuprofen and vitamin E 3 weeks prior to surgery. I specialize in the 24-hour Recovery method which minimizes trauma to the breast and decreases pain post-operatively.

We encourage you to look at our website and Instagram (drkaraplasticsurgery) for lots of before and after pictures!
Please note that this response does not substitute patient-doctor relationship. We welcome any and all patients seeking advice to come in for a complimentary consultation available for limited time only.

During the COVID-19, we are offering complimentary online consultations as well as in-office consultation with social distancing and masks. Procedure done in-hospital private surgical facility while taking covid-19 precautions. We utilize UV-light to clean the air of viruses and bacteria during our consultations and surgery.

We invite you to come in to discuss your options more thoroughly. Please send us an email at info@drkaraplasticsurgery.com with the subject line: "Attention Meagan" and we will be happy to coordinate your appointment!

M.Kara,MD,FRCSC (27+ years experience) - Specializing in 24 hour recovery/ out to dinner breast augmentation in-hospital private surgical facility for your added safety and peace of mind