Why Don't Surgeons Use Breast Implants Less Than 250cc?

Most of the implants we use are in the 210 cc to 360 cc range, so 225 cc is definitely not outlandish. We even occasionally use a 150 cc or 180 cc implant, especially in patients with asymmetries.
Every patient is different, and every chest diameter, breast diameter, lower pole, amount of droopiness, size need, etc. are also different.
Rather than place very large sizes which require more removal of the chest muscle from the sternum (causing motion artifact), we are much more likely now to measure and place an implant that fits the patient's body.
Perhaps it is the nature of my practice, but more and more women are choosing moderate rather than larger size implants.

Our judgment is dervied from extensive experience with patients who generally desire larger implants. Having siad that if a patient requests a 150 cc implant augmentation or needs one for asymmetry correction, I have used it with satisfactory results.  

Plastic Surgeons use implants of different projections and sizes.  It all depends on the goals of the patient, and what can be done anatomically.  During the consultation with the board certified plastic surgeon, this should all be discussed.  Good idea to bring photos of what you want.  Together you can formulate a plan to pursue your goal.

It is true that I put in more implants that are larger than 250cc than those that are smaller.  It isn't that I don't want to use smaller implants (they are much easier to put in) but women choose the smaller sizes less often.  When they do choose smaller sizes, plastic surgeons worry that they may be dissatisfied with their choice, 7 of 8 women who are unhappy with their implant size wish they had chosen a larger size.  Communication with your plastic surgeon is the key to finding the right size for you.

The size of the implant should be selected in general by the patient. You are the one who is going to wear them for next 10 years or so!
If you are a very small framed person and simply want a small augmentation then an implant under 250 is the right one for you. It all depends on where you want the surgery to take things. We often use these smaller implants to match the opposite breast if it is a unilateral surgery as well.
The reason most don't use implants that are less than 250 is because most patients don't pick that size. It's totally a matter of your selection with the guidance of your board certified plastic surgeon.
Best Wishes,
DoctorMeade

Hi,
Thank you for your question.
This is not necessarily true. I use a wide range of implant sizes in my practice, including sizes smaller than 250cc. It all depends on the patient. Every patient is different. They have different chest diameters, droopiness, nipple postion, symmetry, skin laxity, etc. It all depends on those factors, expectations of the patient, and reality of results.
Most women are between a 250-350cc range and most go from an A cup to a C cup. This general rule does not mean this is what you should do though. Smaller implants such as 125cc are rarely used, but mostly in augmentation cases that are trying to achieve a more symmetric look.
Best regards,
Dr. Speron

You are correct that the average implant size is above 250 cc, but it is not at all rare to go smaller. There are a couple of reasons why you may have the impression that 250 is the smallest that is used. Part of it is that experience generally shows that women who choose very small implants are more likely to wish they had gone larger after some time (there is a whole different set of reasons why going too large is a bad idea). For most women, an implant smaller than 200 cc is a fairly subtle change but if that is what you are going for then it shouldn't be hard to find a good plastic surgeon who will respect your decision.

Where did you get the notion that we don't use implants smaller than 250? I use implants in the 150-225cc range nearly every week!
Breast size is distributed across a bell-shaped curve. Most women need implants in the 225-300cc range - if the surgeon is sizing based upon what is appropriate in size for the patients tissues.
If a surgeon sizes according to capricious wishes of a patient, then much larger sizes are frequently used.
I don't know why the 80 or 100cc implants are made...at that point they are so small that the amount of size increase they offer does not usually justify the risks and costs. They are used only infrequently and usually for the purpose of matching sizes between breasts rather than augmentation per se.

Small breast implants are often used in my practice for small framed women who want a very moderate increase in the size of their breast. It is important to select the shape and profile of the implant carefully for natural looking result. Even small implants can look very unnatural if appropriate pocket dissection is not employed. Look at my gallery of more than 100 breast augmentation patients. Many of the women start with very small breasts and want a conservative results. Patients # 1, #31, #87, #100 in my breast augmnetation gallery and many others can be great examples of natural looking results with very small breasts

Plastic surgeons generally are happy to use small implants if the implants will achieve the patient’s aesthetic goals. If you are getting resistance from a plastic surgeon about placing a smaller implant it may be because she/he believes that your goal cannot be obtained using an implant smaller than 250cc. My practice uses implants less than 250cc when indicated. However, in general, the goals of more than 90% of my patients are in line with using implants of 250cc or larger. It is rare for a woman to return after augmentation complaining that she wishes a smaller implant had been used. The opposite is not uncommon.