Do you have to be within a certain weight or BMI to receive breast implants?

BMI is one of many factors the determine the safety of surgery. Others include age, current medications, social habits, time required, general heath, etc. BMI alone would generally not preclude surgery. A large weight loss can however affect the outcome due to potential breast volume loss and drooping. Thus, the closer you are to your goal weight, the more reliable your outcome. These are all issues that should be discussed with your board certified plastic surgeon during a consultation.

If your BMI is high, this is associated with increased complications. I recommend an in-office examination as well as a detailed discussion with a surgeon who you are comfortable with.   Finally, make sure your surgeon is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).Best,Dr. DesaiBeverly Hills Institute for Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryHarvard Educated, Beverly Hills & Miami Beach Trained, Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Since breast augmentation is an elective procedure, I encourage patients with a BMI of 30 or higher to work toward losing weight before setting up a consultation.  Overweight patients are more likely to face complications with anesthesia.  Having a healthy, steady weight would be more beneficial for achieving optimum results. 

Thank you for your question. Different plastic surgeons have different criteria when it comes to weight requirements. There are some procedures that I will absolutely not do unless a patient is closer to her ideal weight. When it comes to breast augmentation I don't require a patient to be within a weight range unless they are unhealthy due to being over/under weight. In your case it depends on what "goal weight" means.  If you are currently trying to lose weight or plan to do so I. The ear future then it would make sense to wait until you reach YOUR goal.  If, on the other hand, your are happy at your current weight and have no health issues then you should be a candidate for breast augmentation AS LONG AS you understand the limitations your anatomy will place on the surgery and your ultimate result.  Very tall and larger women usually need much larger implants, sometimes as large as 800cc in order to look proportioned.  As long as the breast base dimensions and tissue laxity can handle that large an implant there should be no limitations. Sometimes, however, a larger patient has breasts with very small base dimensions or even constricted breasts on top of the additional layer of body fat. In those cases it can be very difficult to achieve a result that is satisfactory to both surgeon and patient.  You should be able to find a local surgeon who wou be happy to meet with you to discuss your goals and expectations.  Just make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and preferably also a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the California Society of Plastic Surgeons. I hope this has been helpful.

There are no absolutes with regard to weight/BMI for surgical candidates. Optimally, patients should be at a healthy stable weight (with a BMI preferably < 30). I usually recommend patients be within 10-15 lbs of their goal weight.Very little of value can be said without photos or an in-person exam. As always discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Dear bloodwench,it is recommended that the patients are not overweight or obese and that they are close to their ideal BMI. However, it is hard to tell whether you are a candidate for breast augmentation without an examination. I would recommend you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery 
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Hello
In your case it is advisable to have a stable weight before performing any type of surgery, it is good that when doing this type of questions show photos to make a first evaluation of your case, but the most important now is to make an appointment with A certified plastic surgeon.
Always to serve you, Dr. Manuel ventura 
Certified. Medical research institute of plastic surgery in sao bernardo do campo, sao paulo, brazil

BUT if your health is compromised because of your weight, surgery should be not be done.  If you're just overweight and not morbidly obese as you sound, you should be able to find a surgeon who will work with you.  Larger bodies will conceal implants more and larger volumes will be needed to make an impact.  You should at a weight you can maintain and your health should be good and if they are, you should easily be able to find someone to accommodate your desires and do your augmentation for you.  Risks for wound complications do go up as your BMI increases above 30.

Thank you for the question.  Specific calculations, including BMI,  are not always helpful when it comes to determining a specific patient's suitability to proceed with surgery.
Having said that, it is always best (or ideal) to achieve long-term stable weight prior to proceeding with  elective breast surgery. Doing so, will increase the safety of the operation, will likely improve the outcome of the operation, and will decrease chances that additional surgery will become necessary subsequently. 
In my practice, I do not ask specific patients to achieve a specific weight prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. I simply ask patients to achieve a long-term stable weight where he/she feels comfortable and does not expect significant fluctuation postoperatively.
 My best advice: when the time is right, select your plastic surgeon carefully. Make sure that he/she has significant experience achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.    
 Best wishes.

From a surgical safety standpoint, patients should be healthy and at a healthy weight which varies for each patient.  Discuss medical and safety recommendations with the board certified plastic surgeon you choose for surgery.  In regards to weight loss prior to breast surgery, my recommendation typically is to be within about 10-15 lbs of your realistic goal weight.  However, we discuss this with our patients and tailor our recommendation based on their individual circumstances.  If a woman’s breasts do not change significantly with weight loss and/or weight gain, then they may be a candidate for surgery even though they are more than 10-15 lbs from their goal weight.  Discuss these questions with an experienced plastic surgeon who can make recommendations that are best for you.