High Profile 550cc Breast Implants for Athletic Build?

I agree with many of my colleagues in the comment that you have significant quantities of natural breast tissue that you must "overcome" in order to achieve the look you desire. It is my impression, as others have stated, that you consider a revision mastopexy with partial reduction and limitation of your implant to a 350cc high profile in order to actually achieve a decrease in breast diameter (and wider cleavage) while accomplishing an increase in projection.

I have developed a procedure that would be appropriate for you. I call it a "reductive augmentation". Actually, I remove breast tissue from the lower pole of the breast, place an ultra high profile implant, and complete your mastopexy. I have been able to achieve a very round result in most patients.

For the look you are desiring, I feel that another mastopexy is your best option. The circum-periolar-vertical lift that you already had can be repeated to lift the breast and provide more of the round look. Larger implants can also be used if you desire, but I also believe you will need a capsule plication (or inframammary fold reconstruction) to raise the position of the implant. This is not the easiest case to make look the way I think you want and I would make sure that your surgeon has experience with such.

Dear Ms. S.
The key to great breast shape depends on
1) the starting shape of your breast
2) the type of Implant
From your photo it looks like you have had prior breast surgery and that there is a slight difference in the size of your breasts.
In order for the best result, you may consider re- lifting your breasts and making them a little more symmetrical.
The implant can then be chosen on the restultant breast shape from the lift- it could be a moderate plus or a high profile implant and the size can be determined by trying on sizers.

The more breast surgery I do the more I realize that there is no correlation between the size of implant and resulting cup size.  This may have to do with several factors including: the amount of breast volume the patient starts with, the shape of the patient's chest wall (concave or convex), the type and model of breast implant selected (saiine/silicone  and low/moderate/high profile), bra  manufacturer variance  in cup sizes, the  degree  of filling of the cup  with breast tissue,  and the subjective differences in patients perceptions of cup size. 

It will be very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon.  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 “C cup” or "fake looking" 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.
I use  intraoperative sizers and place the patient in the upright position to evaluate breast size. Use of these sizers also allow me to select the press implant profile (low, moderate, moderate plus, high-profile) that would most likely achieve the patient's goals. The patient's goal pictures are hanging on the wall, and allow for direct comparison.
I have found that this system is very helpful in improving the chances of achieving the patient's goals as consistently as possible.
By the way, the most common regret after this operation, is “I wish I was bigger”.


Best wishes.