One Breast is Fuller and Larger After Augmentation, is That Normal? (photo)

It is normal for one breast to be larger than the other as you heal from surgery. It can take 3 months or more for your implants to settle. Continue to massage and follow your surgeon's instructions. Good luck.

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photos. During the post-operative period the breast are swollen, and the breast implants appear in a much higher position. Over time they descend and fills out the lower half of the breast. In addition, it is not uncommon for one breast to be more swollen than the other and may even out with time (unless they were asymmetric in size to begin with). It may take several months for this to happen and can be encouraged with breast massage and compression. It may appear that the breast enlarges as the lower aspect of the breast fills out (at the expense of the upper portion of the breast).

The most common cause of breast asymmetry after breast augmentation is pre-existing breast volume, shape. or position asymmetries.  Scoliosis and chest well skeletal abnormalities are also common causes of breast asymmetry postoperatively.  Other causes of breast asymmetry after agmentation include hematoma, implant malposition, capsular contracture, and untreated breast ptosis or drooping.  It is important to review your pre and postoperative photos as well as your exam to determine which of these issues is contributing to your problem.    The treatment varies significantly with the cause.

What I can tell you is that it takes a good solid 3 months for the implants to settle and for the capsule to form. If your doctor is giving you Singulair then he or she must feel that you have a capsular contracture. It can happen this early but is rare. First follow your surgeons advice if you trust them. Most likely your implants will drop with time. You will always have some degree of asymmetry which is normal. Most people do.

Since there are no pre operative photographs it is hard to really say what is exactly going on. Yes one breast is fuller and larger after surgery. This is usually due to the preexisting size prior to the augmentation.

Very heard to respond because NO before photo posted. Where the breasts asymmetrical prior to the implants? If yes than placing a "large" implant ONLY magnifies the size differential. 

Some breast asymmetry is normal. Without seeing pre and post-op photos and knowing what was placed in each breast makes it difficult to evaluate.  Follow closely with your doctor.

Some degree of asymmetry is common in the early stages after breast augmentation. The implants often sit high on the chest until they settle into place. It is somewhat more common on the "handed" side. As the implants do settle, it is often called "dropping." My explanation is as follows. 

 Submuscular implants are sitting as if they are at the bottom of an envelope. The breast fold, like the bottom of the envelope keep the implants from descending. At the upper pole is a large space under the muscle, and that space goes up to the clavicle (collar bone). Typically the implant position looks fine at surgery. As the patient awakens, the relaxed pectoralis muscle contracts, pushing on the implant. This displaced the silicone (or saline) which bulges into the upper pole, the only direction with room to expand. The lower pole of the breast may seem to empty out. But the implant itself doesn't actually move. As the muscle relaxes over several montsh, the upper pole no longer bulges and the implant position looks like it did in surgery.

Since you have been placed on singulair, I wonder if your surgeon feels you have a capsular contracture, which can also cause the implant to look improperly positioned. If so, you are being treated properly with massage and singulair.

A few months of patience is in order. Thank you for your question and for the photo you attached. Best wishes.

Thank you for the question and picture.

 The breast asymmetry you are experiencing very well could be related to breast implant position asymmetry. Given that you are only 2 months out of your surgery, it is quite possible that the breast  symmetry will improve  over the course of the next few months. At this point, I would suggest that you continue to follow your plastic surgeon's instructions; only time will tell…

 Best wishes.

Even after 2 months your breast implant position and breast shape should continue to change and improve. Your surgeons recommendation are reasonable and should help. Continue to follow your plastic surgeon's instructions and follow up closely. Implant/breast massage does improve breast shape as the breast pocket and skin stretches and the implant settles.

Thank you for your question and photos.