• Video
  • Breast Implant Sizing: Remember To Think 10 Years Ahead
{{ showTranscript ? 'HIDE' : 'SHOW' }} TRANSCRIPT
Bigger is not always better, and I feel really lucky to work in the Pacific Northwest where women tend to want to look more natural. I'm glad to be working with those sorts of patients. One, because it is the aesthetic that I also like, and I also think really large breast implants can tend to lead to problems down the line. I think that one of the most important things in plastic is that the surgeon and the patient both have a long time line in mind. You want it to serve you well, to look good, to feel good, 5, 10, 15 years down the line.

I think the problem with bigger implants are several-fold. The bigger the implant, the more effect that gravity has on the implant. That's just physics; nothing that we can really do anything about. And I think with bigger implants, you may get a tendency to sag more over time. The other thing with larger implants is they can really thin out the natural breast tissue of a woman, particularly a petite woman.

I've been in practice for 22 years now, and I have seen some of these long-term consequences in ladies that come back to me in middle age or even late middle age who have really suffered some damage to their breasts from having really large implants in their youth. I think that part of being a plastic surgeon is explaining this to patients and really guiding them to what's in their best interests, not just next month, next year, but down the line.

Breast Implant Sizing: Remember To Think 10 Years Ahead

Dr. Lisa Sowder reminds patients to think down the road when considering breast augmentation. The decision you make today will affect more than just the fit of your clothing 10 years from now.