Breast implants and post op size - How many cc's is one cup size?

Hello and thank you for your question! This is a very commonly asked question. I tell my patients not to get so caught up in the cup size because a "D" will look different on different people. Many times, what women think a "D" will look like on them, ends up being smaller than they would have expected. For this reason, I have my patients try on implants and explain that if they find an implant size they believe to be "perfect" then they should go up a little bit more because about 20% of the volume disappears once the implant is placed. I have had VERY happy patients by having them choose their implant size in this manner. If my patients really want a rough idea on cup size then I use the rule similar to others who have already commented. About 150cc takes one up about a cup size. the smaller your chest diameter and the thinner you are the closer this estimate usually will be. If one of my patients was deciding between 160cc and 185cc I would inform them that 25cc is a VERY SMALL difference and that they shouldn't loos too much sleep over this. 25cc is LESS THAN A HALF of a SHOT GLASS!! If I HAD to estimate then I would say you are likely to be in between a B-C cup but closer to a B. Now, this also depends on if you TRULY are an "A" cup and how close you are to being a "B" cup. I hope this helps and good luck with your breast augmentation surgery. 

Thank you for your great question! In general, 150-200 cc may correspond to 1 cup size. But, there are many factors that go into the volume of implant and the translated increase in cup size.. such as: frame size, chest width, breast height, as well as native breast tissue present. Implant type also plays a role as some have more projection (fuller) and some are wider at the base. A simple but powerful way to get an idea is to try on implant sizers with your bra on in the PS office. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for your question. 100-150cc's will bring you up a cup size generally speaking. Everyone is different anatomically, so this would be a great question for your surgeon after he or she takes your measurements. 
Best of luck to you!

That is a tough questions with no real answer. Cup sizes are not standard and if you go from store to store you will be measured at a different cup size. Cup size is also matched with your chest size in some bras making it even more difficult. About 150 ccs should increase a person a cup size, but I tend to use sizers to help me gauge how much a patient wants to increase their size. With that knowledge, and knowing that I am going under the muscle, I use intraoperative sizing to give the patient their desired preoperative wishes. I hope that helped!

Remember that cup sizes are determined by bra manufacturers and do not actually correspond to volume, only projection from the cheat wall. Every bra maker has subtle differences in their patterns and so different amount of breast tissue will fit in any cup size. Years ago there were some interesting papers that attempted to correlate breast weight to cup sizes for breast reductions. They showed that the most important variable was the band length. What would be one cup size in a 40 inch band, would be nearly three cups for a 30 inch band. For someone your size, I would say that between 125 and 150 cc's would equal one cup. Your best bet is to try on sizers until you see how you want to look. Photographic three dimensional simulators help too. As for the sub muscular versus subglandular placement, if it's a biplanar placement, it won't matter much. If it's totally sub muscular, you loose about 25 cc.

It's very difficult to predict a specific cup size after breast augmentation. The answer depends partially on how large your breasts were before the operation and what size implants are being put in, but also what brand of bra. There is really no consistency anymore between what a certain cup size really is from one brand to another. One woman may be a double D in one brand and a C in another so rather than worry about what size of bra you wear in the end its best to just make sure the implants you choose at your sizing session look right for your frame. Hope that helps! 

Thank you for your question. The volume needed for a cup size increase will vary from person to person, but it generally takes 150-250cc to increase a breast by one cup size. In someone as small framed as you are, it will be closer to 150cc. Yes, the implant and the breast will appear smaller once the implant is put under the muscle, so generally if you like a certain size of implant in the bra, the doctor will go just a little larger to accommodate for implant compression by the muscle. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Sincerely, 
Olga Bachilo, MD

Patients often think in terms of cup size when considering augmentation. Unfortunately, devices are sized in terms of milliliters (cc) of volume. This can lead to some confusion when sizing. Additionally, it is important to remember that cup size itself is not standardized with variations from one manufacturer to another. Unfortunately, as many women can attest their cup size in an industry leader such as VS is not necessarily transferable to another brand.
Another point which is often under appreciated is that of anatomy and starting point. Any implant will add volume to the volume which is already present. The implant is additive. A particular volume will not necessarily confer the same cup size to different patients (often times it will not even confer the same cup size to different breasts in the same individual...remember they are "sisters" not "twins"). 
A general rule of thumb is that 125cc can represent somewhere between 1/2 to a full cup size increase. Smaller volume differentials (25-50cc) are typically less consequential representing a volume change of less than a shot glass. However, I have found these numbers, at least anecdotally, to be of little help. Patients often present with notions/goals which do not correlate with these sorts of sterile volumetric assessments.
When sizing patients, there are a number of useful tools including:
-3D imaging (has the added benefit of offering a volumetric analysis of the pre-operative breast)
-Breast sizers (rice bags)
-Goal photos
I also recommend that patients commit to a particular look rather than a cup size. Once a patient settles on a look that pleases them the overall cup size increase becomes less relevant.The key to obtaining a natural result is to stay within the parameters defined by your BWD. This will ensure that you avoid the dreaded "fake" look. 
With regards to your specific question, 25 cc is a very small differential (5 teaspoons). It is unlikely to make a significant difference in outcome. Everything is relative, larger framed individuals require more volume to affect a cup size change. Whereas smaller volume changes make more of a difference in smaller individuals.
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

For a larger woman, many feel that approximately 150 cc's equals a cup size difference. Unfortunately it is much more complicated than this. 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 350 cc implant to make her go from a “A” cup to a “C” 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.

At size 30 A each 100 cc’s of implant
corresponds to 1 cup size change.160 cc
implants would take you up almost 2 cup sizes to a C.I always recommend small round textured
silicone gel implants placed retro-pectoral since they look and feel more
natural, are more stable, less likely to ripple or have complications needing
revision.Implant profile is irrelevant
in the retro-pectoral position since the muscle compresses it.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.