Breast Augmentation CC for my Size. Is There a Big Difference Between 350 and 400cc?

If you're having trouble deciding between 2 implants choose the larger size!

I have patients try on implant sizers in front of the mirror and see what looks best to them. Occasionally patients choose a size that is too large for the breast to accommodate. Then we will look at smaller sizes to get the patient as close as possible to where she wants to go.

There is no perfect way to choose size. If there were we would all do it that way. It is interesting that we get it right as often as we do.

Don't lose sleep over 25 to 50cc (one to two ounces). In my experience patients are happy for every cc they gained with their augmentation.

Good luck!

Thank you for your answer.  While it is difficult to say without seeing a photo, it seems that you are a quite slender person, with a fairly narrow chest and a relatively small amount of breast tissue.  Either a 350 or 400cc implant will give you a multiple-cup-size increase (in the range of D-DD), and will give you a somewhat "augmented" appearance.  A slightly smaller implant may result in more of the look you are seeking.  I would recommend seeking a board-certified plastic surgeon who will use 3-D imaging, such as Crisalix, at your consultation in order to allow you to "try on" different sizes of implants virtually before making a final decision as to what the best implant choice for you will be.

The question of breast implant size is always difficult for prospective breast augmentation patients. For this reason, multiple approaches are utilized to make this determination pre-operatively. These include reviewing magazine photographs, external sizers and recently the 3D Vectra computer imager to name a few.Even when tremendous care is taken pre-operatively to determine breast size, the final decision needs to be made in the operating room by the surgeon. At this point, an assessment can be made regarding how the patient's breast tissue interacts with the breast implant. Occasionally, obtaining a specific size doesn't allow the surgeon to meet the patient's other aesthetic goals. For this reason, locking into a specific size isn't always a good idea. Results are often better when a surgeon has the ability to make adjustments in the operating room.It's also important to realize that for many patients, a 25 cc difference in breast size would be difficult to notice. In reality, a 25 cc difference is less than two tablespoons which is spread in three dimensions over the implant.In your case, it's important to thoroughly discuss your aesthetic goals with your surgeon. Make sure he has the latitude to do what's best for you in the operating room so he can meet your aesthetic goals. It's important that you have an approximate idea of the breast implant size that you're considering, but don't become married to an absolute number.

Just for reference - a shot glass = 2 tablespoons = 30cc's.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 a bit.

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.  There likely will. It be an appreciable difference between the sizes, but more importantly, the width and dimension of the implant will change, in which case, the appearance of your breasts. 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!

There really is not a huge difference between a 350cc implant and a 400cc implant. For most patients, one full cup size is around 150cc, thus 50cc's is around a third of a cup size. It is important to remember that although there is such a thing as not big enough, there is also such a thing as too big. The latter issue is more challenging to correct. Apart from looking at photos, we also have pre-op patients try on differenct sizes to get an idea of how they might look after surgery with certain sizes of implants. Unfortunately, there is no perfect system.

 

Choosing the appropriate implant is one of the more important factors in breast augmentation.  The implant has to be the appropriate size and the appropriate style (have appropriate dimensions).  The other important factor is creating correct implant pocket.  A surgeon should  not have one “cookie cutter” approach for choosing any one of the above.

In your particular case placing an implant in the bra might  not be the best approach to determine what implant size you should use.  You need to communicate to your surgeon what you want to look like after surgery.  This could include choosing some photos of prior patients, wearing padded bra to demonstrate the look you want, etc.  An experienced and talented surgeon will try different size implants (so called “sizers”) during your surgery to determine what actual implant size will create the look that you want
 

Hello Amanduh,

To quickly answer your question there isn't a lot of difference between the two, with the 400 cc implant being 14% larger than the 350 cc implant.  To give you an idea what that means, when women are unhappy with their size after breast augmentation and want a revision surgery to go larger or smaller, I recommend a change of at least 25% to 30% to see a visible difference.

The best way to communicate your aesthetic goal to your surgeon is to bring in photographs of people who's proportions you like.  In addition, your surgeon should be able to 'size' you in his office, a process where you place sizing implants into a bra and cover with a top to assess how you would look. The combination of the photos and sizing gives both you and the surgeon a good idea of how you want to look (your aesthetic goal).

Now having said that, it would be impossible to recommend an implant size for you without a thorough examination of your anatomy, so I can not comment about one implant versus another.  Information obtained from an examination includes breast base width and height, tissue elasticity, tissue thickness, and asymmetries of the breast or ribcage.  All these variables come together, along with your personal aesthetic goals, allowing the surgeon to make the best choice for you.

Keep in mind that choosing an implant that is inappropriately large for your anatomy is the most common mistake that plastic surgeons make (at the behest of their patients, who's only concern is the cup size after surgery); one that is costly for the patient and will most likely lead to unexpected issues, dissatisfaction with the results, and frequently, a reoperation.


Pretty, long lasting results after breast augmentation surgery are gotten from an appropriately sized implant (based on the patient's anatomy, nothing to do with subjective measures like proportion), that has either a medium or low profile, and is placed under the pectoralis major muscle.

Best of luck!

 

 

The smallest volume difference you can detect is 30 cc, so 50 cc is not a "big" difference. If you are over filling a saline implant you are modifying the projection and essentially moving from a moderate to a higher profile device. If you are using gels and staying within the profile, you are increasing the diameter and maintaining the projection.

Communicating with your surgeon and defining your goals are more important than defining the specific implant volume. Your desired look can be achieved and evaluated with implant sizers in the operating room. You should not worry about the 50 cc difference if you have clearly defined your goals with your surgeon.

I hope this was helpful and good luck.

 

50 cc's (50ml) is just over three tablespoons in size.  More important than the volume difference is the difference in dimensions, namely, the implant width and projection.  Try each size in a non-padded implant sizing bra, and, if your surgeon has it, see the difference in 3D on the Axis Three surgical simulation platform.