Is 600 cc high profile implants to big on a 5'5 130lb frame?

Your breast tissue slowly stretched and thinned after your first surgery. Pregnancy and weight changes has likely caused further deterioration. When the augmented breast looses firmness and stretches, many patients request larger implants to "fill out the breast". This works fine in the short term but larger and more projecting implants (higher profile) will only accelerate further thinning, stretching and damage to your tissues. It is not technically more difficult to put in these larger implants but the permanent damage to your breasts is not worth it. When your larger implants cause sagging, rippling , bottoming out, "double bubbles", more sensitivity loss, etc., are you prepared for more surgeries down the road? Sorry to be so blunt but you need to think about more than cup size and what your immediate results will look like. Your Plastic Surgeon should be discussing all risks of further surgery.

Dr. Mosher

I think the following information will be of help to you on how to proceed: 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 following link:

Thank you for the question.
You will find that online consultants will not be able to provide you with specific advice in regards to selection of specific breast implant size/profile. Ultimately, careful communication of your goals will be critical.
Generally speaking, the best online advice I can give to ladies who are considering revisionary (upsizing) breast augmentation surgery (regarding breast implant size/profile selection) is:
1. Concentrate on choosing your plastic surgeon carefully.  Concentrate on appropriate training, certification, and the ability of the plastic surgeon to achieve the results you are looking for. Ask to see lots of examples of his/her work.
2. Have a full discussion and communication regarding your desired goals  with your plastic surgeon. This communication will be critical in determining  breast implant size/type/profile will most likely 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 porn star look” or "D or DD cup” or "more full and plump look" 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.   
3.  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.  Again, in my practice, this decision is usually made during surgery ( after the use of temporary intraoperative sizers).  Viewing the patient's chest wall in the upright and supine positions, with temporary sizes in place, help select  the best breast implant size/profile for the specific patient.
I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for your question "YoungMomOf2Girls". I think that there are nor "rules" in breast implant surgery.

I would like to give you my opinion (considering that the unique problem at this moment is volume and not other..(f.e. sagging):


Attending to the "average" size we use in breast augmentation (in Spain), 550-700cc implants size is too much.

Attending  to your height (5,5ft=167cms) and weight (130lbs=59Kgs) I think implant size is quite large.


But appart from this 2 facts, the most important things making your decission are:


What do you really want (if technically possible)?...your new bra size would be almost twice than in 2006.

As your "maximum basal prosthese diameter" surely had been reached in your 2006 augmentation mammoplasty (for example 12,5cms -4.92 inches-), your new "augmentation mammoplasty project" (both 550-700) will increase the "PROJECTION" without altering width and height of the implant base... This usually is not an aesthetically pleasant result.

Which are your expectations in a near future?...you will need more surgeries due to the excess size...


CONCLUSION: It's a personal choice -if technically it's possible-. I recommend you not to exceed 450grs.

550 - 600 cc implants are very large implants for anyone, particularly someone your size.  I would submit that you are already paying the price for large implants the first time.  Switching to silicone implants should make your breasts feel softer, but a dramatic size increase at this point will further atrophy your soft tissues in the years to come.  I would proceed very cautiously about a size increase and consider a lift if the breast skin needs adjustment.   

There is not a correct size of implant for your height and weight, but there are limits to how large an implant can get without looking obviously "done". I can not tell you what that limit would be in your specific case without doing some measurements, but in general, if the implant diameter exceeds the base diameter of the natural breast it will start to look "done" no matter how carefully it is positioned. If this is a look that you prefer, then it is not dangerous to pursue it.

600 cc implants are very large and may cause early sagging due to the addditional weight of the implants.  Think long and hard about the enlargement.
 

With enough effort, any breast implant can fit, and the 600cc high profile implant is very round and wll make quite an impression on your 5'5" 130 pound frame. The 700 cc even better, though I don't think a 'porn' star would appreciate the result, as they might want something that looks a bit better. We suggest you start thinking about a look that will hold up for the long term, 20 years ahead to avoid regrets later. Work on a look that will last and bring your ideas and photos in so your sugeon can set a plan in place to get your there.

Best of luck,

peterejohnsonmd

Dear Young mom of two girls,

Generally speaking any volume will fit.  What you need to consider is the unintended consequences of large high profile implants on your breast soft tissue envelope.  On the short term all will be fine.  On the long term I would expect attenuation or thinning of your breast tissue which is irreversible and can be devastating.

There are some patients who can do well with larger implants but usually over the time the changes are significant to your detriment.  My habit would be to accept a lesser volume implant and tighten you breast skin envelope to fit.

There are many factors that are used to determine an implant size.  If the goal is proportion then the chest width, that is the measurement from the breast bone to the side  of the chest is useful. This may be the measurement that your doctors are using when they tell you that a bigger implant won't fit or look natural.    The high profile implants are a little narrower but they have more projection.  That means that they won't extend too much to the side but they will make up for it by sticking out more in front.  Very large implants are rarely recommended by PS's because of long term issues such as streching or sagging caused by the heavy weight of the implant on your tissues, but that being said, the difference between the 550 and the 700CC hi profile implants is 1/4 inch in width.  If very large breasts are your goal, then any of those implants can be made to fit, and can look good.  good luck.