Will my breasts get larger as they "drop and fluff" or will they shrink in size? (photo)

Question

These are 250cc high profile silicone implants submuscular post op day 3. My Bwd is 10cm. Debating if I should have got larger implants?? Maybe 300cc or will it not have made a big difference? I didn't want to go larger and have more risks but at the same time I don't want them any smaller. So far I feel content with the size.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Implants initially sit high up because the chest muscles and
surrounding breast tissues have not become accustomed to the implant resulting
in tightness. You have to allow gravity to take effect, and overtime, natural
tissue expansion will allow the implants to fall into place causing your
breasts to appear more natural, softer, and rounder. Once that happens, the
implant will sit directly behind the breast tissue in a natural 45:55 breast
ratio, and the nipples will move up higher. 
While the muscle is gradually descending, it is possible for
the breast size to appear different because the implant will not be directly
behind the breast tissue. However, once the implant fully drops down, the
implant will be reinforcing the breast tissue from the back resulting in a
better quality augmentation.
Please note that it is not uncommon for breasts to heal and
adapt to implants at different rates. In fact, the process I described above
can occur quicker in one breast over another.
Unfortunately, patients don’t get to see what the plastic
surgeon sees in the operating room, and as the patients gets in the recovery
room, the breasts begin to swell and muscles begin to tighten. Over the next
3-6 months of recovery, the breast tissue and skin stretch and relax, the body
absorbs all the fluids, and you experience the ‘drop and fluff’. If the breasts
still appear different at that point in time, then you may share your concerns
with your surgeon and they should be able to fix the problem.
You may have to wait 3-6 months for the final results
Patience is key!
Please continue to have regular follow-ups with your surgeon
to make sure your breasts are healing beautifully. Their recovery instructions
should take precedence over all else you read here as they are better informed
about your surgical details.
Hope this helps.

Austin Hayes, MD · Answer

Congratulations on your recent surgery. It's obviously still very early after surgery. Your implants are high and will settle in the coming months. As they "drop and fluff" they will appear larger. Give yourself a full six months to judge your results.

Christopher J. Davidson, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question and photograph.  My strong advice is to wait a full 4-6 months before considering your final result of your breast augmentation.  Your implants are likely still a bit high on your chest and somewhat swollen.  Best of luck.

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

Hello,Thank you for your question and photo. You appear to have a great result so far. If your base width was truly 10 cm then you were certainly limited from going larger than you did. You should achieve a full but proportionate result. Once swelling resolves and tissues soften you will find that implant volume relocates more into the lower breast poles and contours change but you shouldn't expect the breast size to actually change much.All the best

Randy Proffitt, MD · Answer

It is a little late to be second guessing what size of implant you should get.  You have swelling at only 3 days out from surgery.  They will drop and get smaller as the swelling goes down.  Give yourself and your breasts time to get to know each other.  You should not even think of another procedure for 3-6 months.  They will change shape for up to 6 months.  You have the rest of your life to have another operation and change implants.

Robert M. Kachenmeister, MD · Answer

Thank you for reaching out and posting photos, and congrats on your surgery! From your photo, it seems you got a great result that looks very proportionate. You are still very early on in your healing process, give your body some time to heal and in a few months when they drop and you can see your final result, I think you will be very happy! best of luck, Dr. Kachenmeister

Ralph R. Garramone, MD · Answer

Congratulations on having the procedure.  At a base width of 10 cm you are certainly limited as to the size implant that can be used.  Judging by the photo things look good at this point.  Over time as the tissue relaxes the implants will settle and there will be more fullness of the per breast.  I feel as though you will be happy with this size.  Best of luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

You are very early in the healing process, and things will change a bit with time. Give it 4-6 months to see how things look.

Angela Keen, MD · Answer

Choice of breast implant volume is not easy. In the "old days" surgeons would typically make decisions for their patients based on their own opinion, or simply based on very ambiguous conversations about cup size. This resulted in complaints about size being the number one cause for revision in breast augmentation. Size choice is to a certain extent, a choice similar to fashion/clothing choice. There is not a right answer. If you are willing to accept what your surgeon recommends is the most natural looking option with the best chance of healing, you can use this opinion to guide your choice. Many of us surgeons have a definite opinion about the technical side of this, as opposed to the fashion side. From a fashion point of view, some people think smaller proportions are better and some like larger, and generally you don't know until you see it on yourself. Thin patients with very little chest tissue will start to have unnatural looking results with larger sizes. Larger BMI patients with thick chest tissues may have difficulty getting the shape advantage unless they go with much larger sizes of implants. Within a range of technical possibilities of size offered by your surgeon, the ultimate choice relies on you. Once you have made a choice and had surgery, it's easy to forget your old proportions and doubt your choice. Because there is so much to be happy for if your surgery was successful from a healing and positioning standpoint, I strongly prefer patients to focus on healing and live with their new implants for several months to a year. Allow your implants to settle and heal completely before allowing yourself to entertain ideas about size change. This process is very individual and cannot be generalized for all patients. It's a complex process because as breast implants relax, they can look larger from the frontal view, but can look smaller from the top down view. It's important to try to relax and focus first on healing, which I know is easy to say and hard to do!

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Congratulations on having undergone the breast augmentation procedure. Although online consultants will not be able to provide you with meaningful reassurance, it may be helpful for you to know that the majority of my patients who are pleased one week out of surgery, remain very happy with the outcome of breast augmentation surgery in the longer term.
I routinely ask my patients to wait at least 3-6 months before evaluating the end results of the breast augmentation surgery. This waiting time allows patients to (usually) physically and psychologically adapt to the new body image. 
From the physiological standpoint, it takes many months ( and even up to one year) to see the final results of surgery. Factors such as swelling, tissue contraction, skin redraping, implant shifting etc. come into play. You may be pleasantly surprised wants to be "drop and fluff" phenomenon has occurred (as breast implants “settle”, many patients feel that their breasts actually look larger). You may also be happier once the swelling AROUND the breast implants dissipates and the implants' shape and projection become more visible. 
From the psychological standpoint, patients undergo an “adaptation period" during which time they get used to the changes that the surgical procedure has brought about. Severe emotional swings can also occur after any type of surgical procedure.
 Best wishes for an outcome that you will be very pleased with long-term.

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