How to Choose the Perfect Size Breast Implants

Breast Augmentation by New York Plastic Surgeon Dr Nicholas Vendemia of MAS Manhattan Aesthetic Surgery, breast implants, breast enlargement, plastic surgery, dr plastic surgeon, how to choose the right size breast implants There are so many shapes and sizes of breast implants available that it can make your head spin!

Have no fear though! Choosing the perfect size is a lot easier than it sounds.

Continue Reading to learn more about how I help my patients choose the right size… not too big… not too small… just right!

Spend Time With Your Plastic Surgeon

I think this is the most important part of choosing breast implants. The best way to pick the perfect size is to be on the same page with your plastic surgeon, and you can’t possibly be on the same page unless you get to know each other. It’s almost impossible for your surgeon to get a feel for your personality during a quick 30-minute consultation, but your personality is one of the main things that helps an experienced breast implant surgeon anticipate “the look” that you’ll be happy with. I routinely spend 60-90 minutes with breast augmentation patients, and I think it helps us both feel confident in the ultimate size choice.

Let the Measurements Be Your Guide

Measurements are key. The “right size” for you has nothing to do with your cup size… it has to do with body size… more specifically, it has to do with the measurements of your breasts in relation to the rest of your chest and rib cage. Everyone knows that breast implants look fake and unnatural if they are too big, but what most women don’t realize is that implants that are too small also look fake! The best way to avoid this problem is for your surgeon to take measurements during the consultation and use them to determine an appropriate range of implants to begin choosing from. I always show my patients exactly how I use those measurements to start selecting appropriately sized implants, and we choose the best set of implants together. Be weary if your surgeon doesn’t take any measurements, and make sure you ask for an explanation as to why they didn’t. Choosing breast implants without measurements is almost the same thing as making an educated guess.

Look at Sample Breast Implants

I always show my patients sample breast implants of all different shapes and sizes, and I usually have them place a few sizes in their bra during that visit. This not a very accurate way of choosing a size, but it can certainly point us in the right direction, especially when we consider your measurements at the same time. If your surgeon has sample saline and silicone implants, take the opportunity to feel both of them. This is a great way to make the other important decision in breast augmentation surgery… saline vs silicone.

Look at Before & After Photos

I spend a long time looking through Before & After photos with my patients, and I encourage them to spend lots of time on their own looking at photos on the website before and after their consultation. It is tremendously helpful for me to know which photos you like and which you don’t. We talk about the different shapes, sizes, spacing, roundness, fullness, etc etc etc, until we have your favorite 3 photos nailed down. Since I know exactly what size breast implants I used in all of my Before and After photos, this definitely helps us pin down a size.

Look at Magazine Photos

I always ask my patients to bring in magazine photos that they like. This isn’t so much about the size as it is about the look… I want to know how my patients want to LOOK after surgery… sexy, natural, defined cleavage, close together, big, small.. all of these things are part of “the look” you want. Similar size breast implants can look very different on different body types, so looking at pictures that my patients find attractive is really important in helping me choose an implant that will give them the look they’re after. Believe it or not, ti is actually more helpful for you to look through photos don’t include clothing like bras and bathing suits, so don’t be embarrassed to flip through the pages of Playboy if you’re spending time finding pictures. Most experienced plastic surgeons will not be surprised if you bring in photos from magazines like this, so don’t worry about it.

Meet With Your Plastic Surgeon More Than Once

Let’s face it… sometimes things change. That’s why I always meet a few times with my breast augmentation patients before surgery. The vast majority of the time, we don’t make any major changes, but every once in a while a patient will say that they want to go slightly larger or smaller than we initially planned. Even though this happens infrequently, I still believe that meeting more than once helps us both feel 100% confident that we’re choosing the perfect size.

Consider Adjustable Breast Implants

Adjustable breast implants are a great option for women who just can’t come to a size decision that they feel comfortable with. Having the ability to make minor adjustments to the size of the implant after surgery can be a great thing, but it has some disadvantages too. The first major disadvantage is that you can’t have silicone implants if you want them to be adjustable. If you aren’t sure why that’s important, click here to read more about the differences between saline and silicone. The second major disadvantage of adjustable breast implants is that you will need a second surgery to remove the port that is used to adjust the size of the implant. This port is placed underneath the skin next to the implant (usually in the armpit). Each time you want a size change, your surgeon uses a needle to access the port and add or remove saline. Once you’re happy with the size, the port has to be surgically removed. My personal opinion is that it’s better to spend a little more time taking measurements and looking at photos with your surgeon before the surgery than it is to spend time inflating and deflating your saline implants after surgery. That being said, I always offer them to patients who are really struggling with the decision over what size they want.

If you have any questions about breast implants or breast augmentation surgery, feel free to send me an email at DrV@ManhattanAestheticSurgery.com, or give us a call or text at 917-703-7069. You can also visit our website anytime for more information at www.ManhattanAestheticSurgery.com.