I Was a Deflated Small 36B Cup, Will 350cc Smooth Round Moderate Profile Plus Silicone Give Me a Full C or Small D Cup?

You might be both!!!! Bras are so different and I tell my patients if you are a full C you will probably be a small D in Victoria’s Secret, as they run a little small in the upper sizes.. And there are so many variables like breast width to factor in…Trust your surgeon , but you can’t go wrong with either cup size. Both can be played up for a trip to Vegas, or put back in the garage on returning home and downplayed for a job interview or working at your kids school!

 

Unfortunately bra cup sizes are not consistent or standardized, just like any other clothing item or shoe sizes. The best and probably safest approach is to measure the width of your breast and select an implant that complements that size, rather than looking exclusively at  " cc" volume.

The more breast surgery I do the more I realize that there is no correlation between the size or model (profile) of implant used 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 (saline/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. 
Much of the final “look” achieved after breast augmentation surgery  depends on several factors:

1. The initial shape, size (volume of breast tissue), symmetry of the patient's breasts. In general, the better the  preoperative breast appearance the more likely the breast augmentation “look” will be optimal.

2. The experience/skill level of the surgeon is important in determining the final outcome. For example, the accurate and gentle dissection of the breast implant pockets are critical in producing  long-term  well-placed breast implants. I personally think that these 2 factors are more important than any others, including type (saline or silicone)  or model (low/moderate/high profile)  of implant.

3. The type of implant used may  determine the final outcome, especially if the patient does not have significant covering breast or adipose tissue. For example, some surgeons feel that silicone implants have a more natural look and feel than saline implants because silicone gel has a texture that is similar to breast tissue. Each patient differs in the amount of breast tissue that they have.  If a patient has enough breast tissue to cover the implant, the final result will be similar when comparing saline implants versus silicone gel implants.  If a patient has very low body fat and/or very little breast tissue, the silicone gel implants may provide a more "natural" result.
On the other hand, saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the breast often looks and feels the same because the silicone gel may leak into surrounding areas of the breast without a visible difference.  Patients may need an MRI to diagnose a silicone gel rupture.   Saline implants are also less expensive than the silicone gel implants.
Other differences involve how the breast implants are filled. Saline implants are filled after they’re implanted, so saline implants require a smaller incision than prefilled silicone breast implants.
On May 10, 2000, the FDA granted approval of saline-filled breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and McGhan Medical. To date, all other manufacturers’ saline-filled breast implants are considered investigational.
As of 2006, the FDA has approved the use of silicone gel implants manufactured by the Mentor Corporation and Allergan (formerly McGhan) for breast augmentation surgery for patients over the age of 22.

4. The size and model of breast implant used may  make a  significant difference in the final outcome. Therefore, it is 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" or "top heavy" 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 breast 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”.

I hope this helps.

How to pick breast implant sizes
Article by George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

1)  This is the most common type of question on RealSelf.

2)  It is the surgeon's job to pick the right breast implants, not the patient's. Implant selection is really pretty technical.

3)  Make sure your surgeon REALLY understands the look you want. Mentioning a cup size is not enough. Show your surgeon pictures of breasts you like.

4)  Then your surgeon has to tell you if your chosen look is realistic for your anatomy.  The most common mistake is to go too big.

5)  I recommend that  the surgeon NOT make a final implant choice in advance, because this is just an educated guess.

6)  The surgeon should have a large inventory of different size and shape implants available in the operating room.

7)  Then the surgeon can put sterile disposable implant SIZERS in your breasts during surgery, to see what a particular implant really looks like inside you. This is how to make the best choice. A sizer costs only $45, and takes all the guess work out.

8)  Finally, the sizer is discarded, and the correct breast implants (based on what you want and on your anatomy) are opened from the operating room inventory, and put in your breasts to complete the operation.

The relationship between Bra size and implant size is very inexact.

"Oprah" has stated that 50% of American women are wearing the wrong size bra, so we strive for the proper "breast size rather than a particular manufacturer's guess at  Bra size.

Having said that the average American implant size is 300-350cc.

That size implant may fill your tissue out depending upon its elasticity.

This is why it is important to consult an experienced surgeon who can make an accurate estimate.  

I wish it was so simple as to say this many ccs will give that cup size. It is, however, a very complex relationship. My preference with patients is to have them tell me what cup size they would like (many don't know) and then I carefully explain that a cup size is not a real size but rather a relationship or proportion to the torso and not even bra manufacturers agree on what is a "C". Also, in any given manufacturer's line, a 32 D and a 34C are the same cup size on different chests. Then I ask them to go to medical websites and print and bring in pictures they like (and some they don't like) so I can see what is in their mid's eye as the perfect look. We then go into the OR with 4-5 different implant sizes that will fit the base width of the patient's breast and during surgery, after the pocket is made, we put in an adjustable sizer and add or subtract volume until we have the "look" that they like based on photos.  A bit complicated but it gets a custom fitting and the patients generally are quite happy. I have never been able to hold an implant up to a patient and know what it will look like after surgery when its shape is altered by the overlying soft tissues.