550cc, wanting 600-700cc - is it correct that as I had a lift the surgeon was only able to go smaller?

Unfortunately, and this is not typically well explained by surgeons, clinics, or the general literature surrounding breast implants, combined with uplift, these two operations (breast uplift + breast implants) essentially fight against each other – there is an expectation to fill the breast with an implant, or perhaps a bigger implant, which already stretches the breast tissue in order to accommodate the additional size. At the same time, the operation tries to tighten and reduce the amount of breast skin available to accommodate the implant. So you have to compromise on the amount of uplidt and/or the size of the implant.

For this reason my default is to advise doing either the uplift or the implant first and then do a second op to complete - I believe you can get a more accurate and better uplift and also get the implant just the size that you want it. There are circumstances when I will combine these operations at the same time of course but only if there is a lot of excess skin/droop and if the patient chooses only a modest implant size (ballpark 250cc).

For this reason, the results of this operation are not easy to predict and patients typically will get stretching of the skin and scars and the extra stretch in the lower pole which is popularly called bottoming out. There is also a possibility that everything ends up being too tight, and the wounds fail altogether before they have healed. Other problems with combining these operations include significant stretching of the nipple pad and a higher incidence of implant capsule formation.

I know that the outcome you've had is perhaps not what you dreamed for however, I think you have been given quite prudent advice and treatment by your turkish clinic and a smaller implant has been used in order to safely accommodate the uplift part of the procedure and give you a safer and more predictable outcome albeit that the breasts are not as large as you had initially hoped for.

Hi - it is difficult to answer this question without the benefit of photographs or seeing you in person. However, fundamentally, making the breasts larger (for example by upsizing an implant) and performing a lift at the same time does introduce additional risks as the surgeon is attempting to increase the volume of the breast, whilst reducing the skin envelope. I would recommend visiting surgeons who will see you at least twice prior to your surgical date so that you can agree on the operative plan and how to achieve your desired outcomes well in advance of surgery.

You did not post photos of before and after, so I will have to defer to your surgeon's opinion. However, since you needed a lift, going larger would not have been wise. You would just sag again. Going smaller is best with a lift so it holds up longer.