You may be wondering how to choose the ideal breast implants. Choosing the ideal breast implants requires deciding between implant sizes, styles, and types. Breast implant sizes can vary from approximately 100cc to 800cc. As you increase in breast implant size, you will observe a proportionate increase in both the diameter and projection measurements.
These measurements can be used to determine how to choose ideal breast implants. Our Surgical Team treats choosing your breast implants like choosing your shoe size. If your shoe is too large, then your foot will wiggle in your shoes, if your shoes are too tight, then you will undoubtedly stretch out your shoe. Similar concerns are alluded to when choosing your breast implants.
If your implants are too small, then they may move around throughout your chest can become malpositioned. If your implants are too large, then they will gradually stretch out your breast skin and mound and ultimately risk bottoming out your lower breast pole.
So how to choose the ideal breast implants is determined by your breast mound measurements. Our Surgical Team utilizes an analogy of a wheel to guide patients on how to choose the ideal breast implant size. He wants you to think of an implant as a wheel with the hub of the wheel located at the center of your implant and the hub equal to the radius of your implant (1/2 the diameter).
Now consider that your implant will overwhelm your breast mound and define your overall shape. The center of your new breast mound will be determined by the center or hub of your implant which should be positioned under your nipple and areola. This will ensure that your nipple and areola are located at the maximum breast mound projection.
The next consideration should be that your implant will be held in place by your inframammary crease. This is why the inframammary crease should never be violated and compromised or otherwise, you risk losing the support of your breast implant. Given these two facts, you will realize that the radius or spoke of your breast implant should accurately match your nipple to inframammary crease distance, just like the spoke of a wheel spanning from your bicycle to the ground.
If you follow these simple rules, you will be assured that your breast implants will fit your breasts like a glove, minimizing the risk of malposition as well as bottoming out, while achieving ideal aesthetics with maximum breast projection centered under your nipple and areola.
Next, we must determine the range of breast implant sizes that will get you to your desired breast mound size or cup size. This is done during your breast sizing appointment and involves using breast sizers along with a non-padded bra and tight shirt that allow you to accurately delineate your breast silhouette to belly differential.
Anatomic landmarks used by Our Surgical Team to guide you throughout the breast sizing process include your shoulder width from the front view as well as your buttock size and projection from the side view.
Once you choose your desired shape, we utilize the various implant styles, i.e. low/moderate/moderate+/high profile to determine which style will allow you to get your desired breast mound size yet accurately matching your desired implant radius to your nipple to inframammary crease distance. As an example, let us look at the implant sheet and consider a 25-year-old patient who wishes to have an approximate 400cc implant.
See this 25-year-old female 3 months after a bilateral breast augmentation.
