I'm a Small Girl, 90 Lbs and 5 Foot Tall. Will 300 CC's Be Too Big?

Hello Carrinohio,

I don't know if a 300 cc HP implant is too big, but my concern is not about how you will look.  It's about whether this implant is too big for your anatomy.  Because your body frame is small and you don't have much fat or breast tissue, I am concerned that you are too small for that implant.  This question is easily answered by a physical examintation that looks at a few parameters: your breast width and height, tissue thickness in both upper and lower parts of the breast, and tissue elasticity. 

Evidence based medicine suggests that the best way to minimize complications and reoperation is by prioritizing your body's anatomical limitations over the desired aesthetic goals.  Complications associated with an implant too large is excessive tissue thinning, palpable or visible rippling of the implant, implant malposition, or inframammary fold disruption, causing a double bubble.

Having said all that, a 275 or 300 cc implant might be fine for your anatomy.  Ask your doctor about that.  In terms of aesthetics, there is not a lot of difference in size between the two.  I always tell my patients like you to err on the smaller side, though.

Best of luck!

This will depend on many factors.  Are you athletic, engage in racquet sports, golf,  and how much breast tissue are you starting with?  These and other factors will be factored in to whether you are going to be “too big” with 300cc  implants.  You are small at 5 ft. and 90 lbs.  and I would guess that a 300cc implant would be a lot of implant.  This is a question for you and your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss and evaluate options.

Much of the final “look” achieved after breast augmentation surgery  depends on several factors:
1. The initial shape, size (volume of breast tissue), symmetry of the patient's breasts. In general, the better the  preoperative breast appearance the more likely the breast augmentation “look” will be optimal.
2. The experience/skill level of the surgeon is important in determining the final outcome. For example, the accurate and gentle dissection of the breast implant pockets are critical in producing  long-term  well-placed breast implants. I personally think that these 2 factors are more important than any others, including type (saline or silicone)  or model (low/moderate/high profile)  of implant.
3. The type of implant used may  determine the final outcome, especially if the patient does not have significant covering breast or adipose tissue. For example, some surgeons feel that silicone implants have a more natural look and feel than saline implants because silicone gel has a texture that is similar to breast tissue. Each patient differs in the amount of breast tissue that they have.  If a patient has enough breast tissue to cover the implant, the final result will be similar when comparing saline implants versus silicone gel implants.  If a patient has very low body fat and/or very little breast tissue, the silicone gel implants may provide a more "natural" result.
On the other hand, saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the breast often looks and feels the same because the silicone gel may leak into surrounding areas of the breast without a visible difference.  Patients may need an MRI to diagnose a silicone gel rupture.   Saline implants are also less expensive than the silicone gel implants.
Other differences involve how the breast implants are filled. Saline implants are filled after they’re implanted, so saline implants require a smaller incision than prefilled silicone breast implants.
On May 10, 2000, the FDA granted approval of saline-filled breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and McGhan Medical. To date, all other manufacturers’ saline-filled breast implants are considered investigational.
As of 2006, the FDA has approved the use of silicone gel implants manufactured by the Mentor Corporation and Allergan (formerly McGhan) for breast augmentation surgery for patients over the age of 22.
4. The size and model of breast implant used may  make a  significant difference in the final outcome. Therefore, it is very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon.  In my practice, the use of photographs of “goal” pictures (and breasts that are too big or too small) is very helpful. I have found that the use of words such as “natural” or “C cup” or "fake looking" means different things to different people and therefore prove unhelpful.
Also, as you know, cup size varies depending on who makes the bra; therefore, discussing desired cup  size may also be inaccurate.
I use  intraoperative sizers and place the patient in the upright position to evaluate breast size. Use of these sizers also allow me to select the breast implant profile (low, moderate, moderate plus, high-profile) that would most likely achieve the patient's goals. The patient's goal pictures are hanging on the wall, and allow for direct comparison.
I have found that this system is very helpful in improving the chances of achieving the patient's goals as consistently as possible.
By the way, the most common regret after this operation, is “I wish I was bigger”.
I hope this helps.