CC difference - why does it look so different when I do the rice test?

Based on the photo submitted, it appears that you are using two different types of rice in one of the bags and one type of rice in the other. I would like to suggest standardizing the type of rice in the two bags. There may be a difference in the air gap between the grains. A difference of 25 cc is quite minimal and less than 2 tablespoons. A tablespoon is approximately 15 cc.I do find that the rice test is valuable in establishing patient preferences for implant volume. It is not exact but will get you in the “ballpark”. Your surgeon will guide you more precisely after the rice volume trials at home.

Hello, I agree you can easily see that one bag has more rice, just like you can see that a 205cc implant sizer is larger than a 165cc sizer when they are compared side-to-side. However, when the actual implants are placed in a person's breast, the existing breast tissue also adds to the total size of their breast. This makes the difference in the size of the two implants (or rice bags) less obvious. If a person has very small breasts they will have more of a final size change than a person who already has ample breast tissue. In my experience with people who already have breast implants but want to go bigger or smaller, most will choose implants that are significantly different in size or projection in order to achieve the desired outcome. Each person's goals and anatomy are unique, so an in person assessment is necessary to provide specific advice about implant sizing.

Dear lauraleep,
breast implant type and sizing selection is a complicated process and requires a detailed consultation that includes a discussion of your goals, a detailed examination, and a lengthy discussion. But the decision will always start and end with the patient. When it comes to sizing, we have all of our patients find 3 photos of their desired breast size. We ask for naked breast photos because clothing can obscure the true size (push up bras). Next, we consult with patients and go over the photos and take detailed breast measurements during a physical exam. Next, we using a sizing algorithm to determine a range of implants that will work based on the exam and the measurements.Lastly, during the operation, we use silicone sizers in the operating room to see how the size actually looks in the breast. We sit the patient up in the operating room, while asleep of course, and compare the sizer result with their desired look photos. If it is too small, we start the process over with a slightly larger implant. We don't stop until we get the perfect match.Of all of my breast augmentation patients, every one of them has been happy with their size due to this detailed and meticulous process. You don't want to invest time and money into a result that is either too big or too small.You should discuss your concerns with a board-certified plastic surgeon and make sure that your surgeon understands your goals.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thanks for your question. I really like addressing size selection for breast augmentation. Rice bags can give you an idea of how much volume you want, but it's pretty non-specific. I prefer the use of sizers and three dimensional photographic simulation (Vectra). These methods can make more specific selections which you can actually see.
It is true that 25-50 cc might not make a big difference in many cases. If you have a small frame or small breasts that volume can make a very big difference. The other issue is symmetry. If your breasts are different sizes, augmentation can help achieve better symmetry by using different sized implants. The choice is ultimately yours, Choose carefully.

I recommend an in person consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and be measured. After I measure and discuss goals with my patients, we then look at pictures of women (my patients) with similar measurements with different size breast implants. They also get to see what they would look like when the breasts have fully dropped and fluffed and in clothes. You get to see actual results and the surgeon's experience and not a virtual idea of what can be achieved. Women tell me that this process is very helpful in determining what is right for them. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee. Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Hello, thank you for your question. The rice test helps patients to visualize the size. Of course a 50cc can look a bit fuller but its really not a huge difference. Speak to your plastic surgeon about what you are wanting. Be sure to bring in some wish pics.

When selecting an implant it is difficult to get an accurate picture of what you will look like after surgery. This is why it is important to select an experienced board certified plastic surgeon who can help you in the decision making process. The rice tests, etc are used just to help you "get a feel". Remember that you are placing these rice packs above your skin and they are not in the shape of the implant. When an implant is placed in the body and under the muscle they are compressed somewhat. Keep in mind that 15cc equates to about one tablespoon of volume.

Placing implants behind tissue is different than placing rice bags in a bra where they can bounce around. tissue holds the implants more in place with less bouncing.

Hello, Using a silicone implant inside your bra, or bags of rice for that matter, has absolutely ZERO correlation as to what size breast implant (in cc’s) will fill out your bra in the same way post operatively. Think about this for a moment: an implant will go UNDER your pre-existing breast tissue and even you pectoralis muscle. There are different profiles to implants so that a 285cc high profile silicone implant will act on an individual’s overlying breast tissue and muscle very differently than a similar volume low profile breast implant. A patient who has never had a pregnancy, who has very dense, glandular breast tissue, and a tight skin envelope will respond very differently to an implant of the same size and profile as a woman who has breast fed a couple of children, whose breast tissue has atrophied, and their breasts are very soft, with lax and “stretchable” skin. If you place a bag of rice , or a silicone implant over either one of these breasts, the change in perceived breast size within the patient’s bra will be quite similar. You place the same volume implant with similar profiles in each of these theoretical patients, and the post operative outcomeWill be vastly different. Using the aforementioned pre operative “sizing” techniques is a way if making a patient feel like they are more involved in the pre operative decision making, when in reality, the patient’s surgeon should be taking the time pre operatively to thoroughly examine the patient’s breasts, and taking into consideration the many variables which affect post operative outcome and also very much impacts the volume , profile, and even the shape of the breast implant chosen for each particular patient and her desires. I tell my patients that when done correctly (meaning the pre operative examination and taking into account the myriad of variables each patient presents) that the patient’s breast selects the implant, not the patient or surgeon. Performing a breast augmentation surgery is not at all a difficult procedure in the grand scheme of things within a board certified plastic surgeon’s armamentarium, knowing how to properly determine the best breast implant to meet each patient’s particular outcome desires is another story.

My advice to all my patience , don’t think about size and cc , because the same size can look differently on every patients. The amount of existing breast tissue you have at the time of your breast augmentation is only one factor affecting your final result.
Other factors that affect breast augmentation results include the following:
Height and weight – The same size implant will look different on a smaller, thinner woman than it will on a taller, curvier woman.Size of the chest wall – The smaller and narrower the chest wall frame, the larger an implant will look.Skin envelope – When placed under tight, dense skin, a small implant can look very round and fake; when placed under skin with more laxity, the same implant will not look as big or fake.