Can I ask for more cc's last minute before surgery if I am getting saline implants?

Hello,It's not so easy as picking any size you want. You will need to be examined to see if you have adequate tissues to accommodate a larger implant. This is called tissue based implant selection or biodimensional planning.  In terms of determining your aesthetic goal, you should have been sized in the office in front of the mirror to see your potential results with a 300 cc implant. If your doctor isn't an ABPS certified/ASAPS member surgeon,  you should keep shopping. As an aside, don't get saline; you are likely to be unhappy with it. Finally, you want the incision that minimizes your risk of capsular contracture: inframammary incision.Best of luck!

I would recommend you speak to your surgeon, let him know what you are looking to achieve speak to him with enough time before surgery so that you are both in agreement before the surgery date.  Don't leave it for the last minute.  *

You can absolutely ask for more volume on the day of surgery. Very often we overfill the implants more than the suggested amount to reduce the risk of rupture and ripples.  It will give you a little more of a higher profile appearance and may be slightly firmer to the touch.  

so you should be able to ask to have the implants filled to the max and if you really want larger, perhaps your surgeon has the next size up that could be used in your procedure.  Remember, you are the patient and paying for this procedure and your surgeon should do everything possible to provide you the result you want, is the implants are available.

I would suggest that  you discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon who should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). You should discuss it before your surgical date.

Robert Singer, MD  FACS



La Jolla, California

Generally it is not a problem for a patient to decide on larger implants on the day of surgery. Most practices keep a large supply of implants in varying sizes for just that reason. Check with your PS to be sure.Good luck!

Best to notify your doctor for a slightly larger saline implant.Saline can be overfilled, but in the future your warranty could be voided if you are filled more than the maximum recommended by the manufacturer.

Thank you for the question.  Practices will vary when it comes to the selection of breast implants available in their operating room. In our practice, we have a full selection of breast implants available so generally speaking, changing the plan on the day of surgery is not a problem. This may or may not be the case with your selected plastic surgeon; therefore, I would suggest that you spend additional time communicating your goals/concerns directly with your plastic surgeon, preferably prior to the date of surgery.  It will be important that you and your plastic surgeon are on the same page prior to proceeding in order to avoid postoperative disappointment.





Generally speaking, the best online advice I can give to ladies who are considering breast augmentation surgery ( regarding breast implant size/profile selection) is:







1. Concentrate on choosing your plastic surgeon carefully. Concentrate on appropriate training, certification, and the ability of the plastic surgeon to achieve the results you are looking for. Ask to see lots of examples of his/her work.



2. Have a full discussion and communication regarding your desired goals with your plastic surgeon. This communication will be critical in determining breast implant size/type/profile will most likely help achieve your goals. 



In my practice, the use of photographs of “goal” pictures (and breasts that are too big or too small) is very helpful. For example, I have found that the use of know words such as “natural” or "C or D cup” etc means different things to different people and therefore prove unhelpful.



Also, as you know, cup size varies depending on him who makes the bra; therefore, discussing desired cup size may also be inaccurate. Again, the use of computer imaging has been very helpful during the communication process, in our practice.



3. Once you feel you have communicated your goals clearly, allow your plastic surgeon to use his/her years of experience/judgment to choose the breast implant size/profile that will best meet your goals. Again, in my practice, this decision is usually made during surgery, after the use of temporary intraoperative sizers.







I hope this (and the attached link, dedicated to breast augmentation surgery concerns) helps. Best wishes for an outcome that you will be very pleased with. 

You cannot just add more fluid to your saline implants with out compromising your results; saline implants are traditionally over inflated by approximately 20cc in order to get the slack out of the shell so that you don't have the shell of the implant rubbing on itself (this is felt to be the cause of a tear); over inflating by anymore will result in firm implants that you can feel (they will feel like water balloons); just ask you surgeon to use a larger implant.

Each office will differ however in my practice it is routine to have a variety of implants available to make last-minute adjustments.  Your surgeon may work differently and may already be planning to add to the 300 mL implant to reduce the risk of rippling. Consquently a 30 mL size increase might imply the need for a 330 mL implant's availability.  I would suggest that you contact your surgeon's office to make them aware of your possible change of heart so that they are prepared and not liking implant at the last minute.  Best wishes and enjoy your results,Jon A Perlman M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)ABC-TV Extreme Makeover SurgeonBeverly Hills, California