Will gel implants placed under the muscle look smaller than they do when the implant is just tried on in a sports bra?

Under the Muscle (sub-muscular) – When you hear the words “under the muscle” this actually means the breast implant is placed partially under the pectorals major muscle. Submuscular placement may be more uncomfortable the first few days following surgery due to the disruption of the muscle. The possible benefits of submuscular placement are that it may result in less palpable implants, decreased risk of capsular contracture, and easier to image the breast with a mammogram. Under the muscle placement is recommend for women are are very thin with very little breast tissue. The partial muscle coverage will hide the implant better and help avoid visibility of any implant imperfections such as rippling. The appearance will also look more natural.Over the Muscle (sub-glandular) – Over the muscle means above the muscle and under the breast tissue. This placement may make your surgery and recovery shorter and you will likely have less discomfort. This placement can provide a slight “lift.” Sub-glandular placement can result in more palpable implants, increased risk of capsular contracture and more difficult imaging of the breast with mammogram. This placement is often recommended for those patients with mild breast sag, but do not want a breast lift (mastopexy) and for tubular breast deformity.

Thank you for your question and photographs. Breast implant selection is an exciting, but stressful part of the breast augmentation process as there are so many choices. Unfortunately it is impossible to recommend the best implant style, size or shape without an in-person examination that allows for the measurement of key breast parameters, as well as permits an in-depth discussion as to your desired goals and outcome. Remember that there will be a very good size implant that will appropriately fit your anatomy, and your surgeon will help you select them.  Placing large implants in an otherwise tight breast pocket will have difficulty in looking natural, and going larger is often not the best decision from a long-term point of view.  Be sure you understand the risks. Best wishes

Factors relating to choosing the right implant size/style fall into two general categories: your goals and your anatomy.  As far as goals are concerned, focus more on the "look" you are trying to achieve.  Equating cc's with cup sizes has been shown to vary widely and be very unreliable.  Instead of having a goal cup size in mind, try to convey to your surgeon the look that you are going for.  In my practice I ask patients to bring in goal photos from the internet, magazines, etc.  I also use specially made bra sizers as well as 3D imaging to help patients more narrowly define what they are looking for.  Usually between those three modalities, we are successful in narrowing the implant size down to a very specific range.  Second, however, is the consideration of your anatomy.  Specific measurements such as breast width, nipple to fold distance, skin laxity, and others are required to determine the implant sizes and styles that fit within the confines of your anatomy.  At the end of the day, you can't put a size 12 foot in a size 6 shoe so to speak.  Without this information I referenced which would require an examination of your anatomy as well as a discussion of your goals, it is difficult to answer your question faithfully.  I would offer that for an A cup breast, a 375cc implant is a sizeable implant if that is any consolation.Good luck!

Everyone's body is ideally designed for a certain implant size. You can "push the envelope" and try to over do it, but that can lead to problems. Starting out an A cup and going to 375 is already a big jump. Unless you have a good distance from your nipple to fold, I wouldn't try and go as big as possible.

Thank you for the question. "Tissue based planning" relies on your chest and breast measurements is the safest way to ensure good long term results. Your surgeon should determine what size and projection are necessary to give you your desired result based on your body's measurements. Choosing an implant too wide or too large will lead to problems in the future which will require additional surgery. The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam. Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic breast surgery. Hope this helps and good luck with your surgery.