Petite - Is 325cc Too Large?

A 325 cc breast implant is the most common size used in the USA. Now a 325 cc implant looks different on a petite frame versus a large frame. Measurements need to be made a physical examination can help predict size. You can also try on sizers in a bra, but your plastic surgeon may not be able to get you that big. Go visit him/her again and resolve this matter. Maybe he/she can use a sizer during surgery and try to get you to a 325cc implant without risking wound disruption, synmastia, nerve damage. In general, smaller implants mean better- less pain, fewer complications. you can always upsize in the future after your skin stretches.

Leo Lapuerta Jr. MD FACS

Triple Board Certified Plastic SUrgery

The easiest way to get you and your surgeon on the same page is to show them photo's of breasts you like and breasts you do not. Then ask if their approach can attain what you are looking for. There can never be a guaranteed result but we find that by patients showing us their likes and dislikes, it helps us meet their expectations. We typically approach the procedure endoscopically through a small hidden, armpit incision. To learn more about our approach, please visit our blog.

I do a threefold approach.  The first step is to measure the breasts and use a sizing chart.  The next is to bring in a picture of what you want to look like.  The last is to try them on..   after all this about 10% of women wil wish they went a little bigger anyway, but it helps a lot. 

Sizing patients for breast implants can be challenging. In my opinion, your surgeon should base this decision by measuring your breasts and evaluating your chest anatomy and skin quality. Often, this results in recommending implants that are smaller or sometimes larger than a patient may request. Finding the "right fit" will help give you a result that is proportional to your frame and can help avoid some implant related complications.

... may be perfect for you depending on your height, weight and body frame. It also depends on whether you are using saline or silicone implants. My experience is that a 325cc saline implant gives the same projection as a 350-375cc gel implant due to differences in the turgor of the device. However, without examining you it is hard to say what size is ideal. It can be helpful for you to try different size implants in the plastic surgeon's office with a snug top and a bra that is one cup size higher than your baseline, to get a sense of how you might look in clothes, and that can be a ballpark for you and your surgeon to select optimum sizes. The size decision is usually a joint one between the surgeon and patient, and requires solid communication prior to surgery.

Have you tried this approach? What did you think with a 325cc implant?

The breast footprint is the shape of how the breast sits on the body. It is similar to the foundation of the house. If the house is too big for the foundation, it will fall over. Likewise, if the implant is too big for the breast footprint, it will fall over the side and push out towards your arm. This is unnatural and uncomfortable. We determine the breast footprint by measuring across the breast from side to side. I will recommend a size that matches the footprint. If the patient wants to over 100cc more than what I recommend, we have an additional discussion of the side effects of large implants, such as overhanging the side of the chest wall, bottoming out below the fold, and stretching out the breast tissue.

Another option to increase size while respecting the breast footprint is to use a high profile implant. The trade-off here is increased superior projection- aka the "Baywatch Breast".

Most patients who choose an implant size that matches their chest wall are very satisfied with the natural outcome.