What Should the Lower Pole Measurement Be for Full D and DD Breasts?

Question

I had revision breast aug surgery 2 weeks ago. I exchanged my 325cc saline unders for 550cc silicone (gummy bear) unders. My breasts dropped almost immediately, after about 10 days. In the last couple days I noticed a lower pole difference. My right lower pole is 1cm bigger/longer than my left. The right is measuring 8.5cm and the left 7.5cm. I'm sure the left will catch up to the right but I wanted to know what the typical measurements for the lower pole are.

Ronald Schuster, MD · Answer

I wouldn't worry too much about the measurements. How do the breasts look? If they look good - great. If one implant looks too high - massage it downward. If one looks like it might be dropping too low - support it with a good sports bra. Check with your surgeon. He/she will be able to best direct you.

Steve Laverson, MD, FACS · Answer

Nipple to inframammary fold measurements are position dependent, and can be performed in the coronal plane or against your skin surface.  7-9 cm is within normal range, but whatever the distance, you want an approximately equal distance from the nipple to the upper margin of your breast and an equal or greater distance from the nipple to the medial margin.  Cup size is more a function of breast volume than dimension.  A flat breast on a broad chested woman may have a long nipple to crease distance and still be a B cup.

Sean A. Simon, MD · Answer

Like many aspects of plastic surgery, breast surgery is a mixture of science, surgical technique, and art.  There are no 'ideal' measurements that will fit all women's breasts.  There are certain normal ranges but these numbers vary widely from patient patient.  Many women have asymmetries between their breasts that should be noted prior to surgery.  These measurements may have changed after your second breast surgery, and two weeks after surgery is too early to determine the final result.  This result and the position of the implants can be positively altered by proper postoperative care and breast massage as directed by your surgeon.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

The lower pole measurement you are undoubtably referring to is the nipple to inframammary fold distance. There is no specific correlation between breast cup size and this linear measurement in any patient. Every woman's breast and chest dimensions makes this a variable number. On a practical basis, what matters is whether the nipple is positioned close to the center of the breast mound and do both breasts have reasonably symmetric inframammary fold levels. With significantly larger breast implant exchanges, it is usually necessary to lower the inframammary fold. Disrupting the inframammary fold can be unpredictable procedure and may take some time to settle into their final position. At two weeks after surgery, your inframammary fold levels and their symmetry between the two breasts has not to become finalized. You will have that answer by 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question. Unfortunately, there is no specific nipple/areola to inframammary  fold distance  that correlates with specific cup size.  It is very likely that with larger implants the distance from the nipple to inframammary  folds have increased.Hopefully with time your breast implants will settle symmetrically.

	Best wishes.

What Should the Lower Pole Measurement Be for Full D and DD Breasts?

Answers (7)

Answer: Breast Implant Exchange and Inframammary Fold Lowering

Answer: Breast Implant Exchange and Inframammary Fold Lowering

Answer: Breast augmentation revision

Answer: Breast augmentation revision

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implant Revision

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What Should the Lower Pole Measurement Be for Full D and DD Breasts?

Answers (7)

Answer: Breast Implant Exchange and Inframammary Fold Lowering

Answer: Breast Implant Exchange and Inframammary Fold Lowering

Answer: Breast augmentation revision

Answer: Breast augmentation revision

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implant Revision

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.