What cup size would 450cc implants give me if I'm a 34 C now?

Depending on the individual anatomy and desired results, estimations and measurements should be made for each patient individually. The elements that form up the breast shape and size and the overall frame can be different in each person. It is best to consult a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in cosmetic breast surgery in person and discuss your goals and options after a physical examination.Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

A 450 cc implant will result in a variety of cup sizes based on existing breast tissue, width of your breast, rib cage shape and a number of other factors. 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 450 cc implant to make her go from a “A” cup to a “D” 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.
Additional critical decisions will also be made by your plastic surgeon such as: whether your implants will be above or below your pectoralis muscle. These choices are recommended to you based on the look you desire, the amount of sagging you may have, and other deciding factors. For more than 25 years, I have tried just about every method to best understand and achieve the patient’s optimal goal. The following is what I have found to be most accurate: To start with, I have found it most helpful for patients to bring in photos from my or other plastic surgeons’ websites to illustrate what they would like to look like. This gives me detailed standardized views and information both qualitative (shape, perkiness) and qualitative (size) and allows me to discuss with my patients how I can best achieve their objectives as well as realistic expectations. For example, though I always tell my patients that I cannot make them exactly the same as a photo because everyone has different anatomical constraints. However, these ”ideal” breast photos are brought to the operating room for reference during surgery so that I have the advantage of “seeing through my patient’s eyes” to best achieve their wishes. Even if the photo does not match their height or weight, I and most plastic surgeons are very good at translating the proportionality of the photo to your features.
I personally order more than one set of implant sizes and use sterile implant “sizers” (temporary implants) placed in the created implant pocket during surgery to know in advance exactly which implant would work best for you in both a sitting and lying down position. This also allows me the opportunity to modify the pocket to meet some of the more subtle shape features desired. This enables me to use my full artistic potential to achieve your desired goals.
Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS

Dear Har!  Here are a few tips for you because this is perhaps the hardest decision for a patient to make, as well as the surgeon.  Also see the video attached to my answer.  We spend up to two hours for our BA consults to be sure there is careful communication. We do a full exam in front of a full-length mirror taking six exact measurements.    We put your photos on a large computer screen for imaging, and go over your “ideal-size” photos. We then save this information to your password protected “web account.”     
     First and foremost the implant should fit the dimensions of your breast and tissue cover.  Balancing the implant to your over-all body shape and tissue cover is essential.    The average size chosen over our last 7,000 breast implants was “350cc”.  BUT, >span >90% of our patients tell us they wish they were bigger a year after BA.  (We will see you every year for routine checks at no charge.) It’s like your mind incorporates the "new you" into your own self-image over a period of time. Cup size estimates can be misleading, but I generally advise patients that they will experience an increase of approximately one cup size per 200 cc.  You can try on implants in the office by placing them into a special bra.  The implant is also flattened somewhat when under the muscle, so it is a good idea to bump it up a bit. Approximately 1-ounce (25cc) is added to the final volume to account for flattening of the implant in the partial sub-muscular pocket.  Once you decide on a size you like, then add on 25cc, because in real life the implant will be flattened slightly by your tissues.  Multiple measurements need to be taken to fit an implant to your exact anatomy.  Have your surgeon's office show you the charts of the implant dimensions for the various profiles of silicone and saline from the manufacturer.  Then you and your surgeon can piece together the puzzle by matching your measurements, with your wishes, versus your tissue cover and the available implants to arrive at a surgical plan.  Keep in mind larger implants tend to have more problems over the years.  Since silicone implants wrinkle less than saline implants, they might be your best bet.

     You can also approximate this at home by measuring out an equivalent amount of rice placed into a cutoff foot of old panty-hose, and put this in your bra.  Wear this around the house for a while, and see what you think.  Implant size must square with assessments of tissue cover, breast diameter, and chest wall width.  Multiple measurements of your chest wall are taken (seven in total).  Implant size selection has been an issue of much discussion.

     Therefore, I use a wide variety of methods, but the implant size is always established preoperatively.  Also, patients are advised to bring reference photos demonstrating their ideal size and shape.  A photo album of patient pictures is maintained to assist them.  These photos ultimately help in determining where the implants will be placed, since they can be shifted inside (to provide more cleavage), to the outside, up or superiorly, and down or inferiorly during surgery.  In determining the final size selection, I always place the highest priority on the preoperative measurements and potential tissue cover.  Finally, your verbal requests are factored into the analysis.

     We use the quick-recovery approach, so click on the web reference link below to have this explained and you can see the list of Quick-Recovery (Flash-Recovery or Rapid-Recovery) Breast Augmentation articles from peer-reviewed surgery journals.  It is a surgical procedure that uses special instruments and techniques to minimize tissue damage and avoid touching the ribs. It causes far less trauma to surrounding tissue than traditional approaches, and it dramatically reduces pain and recovery time. In published studies of BA patients, 95-percent of women interviewed after the procedure returned to normal daily activities within 24-hours. Quick-recovery BA is not a “gimmick.”  These specialized techniques, which actually speed recovery and get you back to your daily routine, kids and work, are published in our plastic surgery journals.  Because these PS journals are “peer-reviewed” and edited, they are the gold-standard in our field as being valid science. Therefore, these are sound techniques, not marketing hype. 

     Be sure to see only a board certified plastic surgeon (by ABPS - The American Board of Plastic Surgery) who is a member of ASAPS (The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and or a member of ASPS (The American Society of Plastic Surgeons).  Also, ask if the PS has an established, high volume breast augmentation practice, performing several hundred breast augmentations each year.  Be sure the PS has been in practice for a while, about 20-years might be a good gauge.  Does the PS offer all three incisions?  Discuss the implant type (gel or saline), shaped "gummy bear" or non-shaped, smooth or textured, implant pocket (over or under the muscle) and the "quick-recovery approach."  Ask to see their before and after photos if you didn’t see any on their website.  If they are experienced, they should have several 100 breast implant patients for you to view.  I would also recommend that your doctor offer you the chance to talk to past patients who would be happy to discuss their experience with you.  You need to feel comfortable, so make sure the environment is safe as in an accredited surgery center.  Also, ask a prospective surgeon if he or she has ever published journal articles in professional peer-reviewed journals, which they can provide you.      

All the best, “Dr. Joe”