This is a very important question to answer in breast augmentation surgery. Every patient has their ideal goal in mind when they come to see me, but it’s important to know that we can’t make any size and shaped breast we want to on any one’s body. All cosmetic surgery tries to make the most of what is naturally yours and, while there are some things we can change, there are a number of others that we can’t. For instance, we can’t change the size and shape of the rib cage, and this is highly influential in determining which direction the breasts orient themselves (outwardly pointing, or more straight), how the breasts are positioned relative to each other (far apart or close) and how the bust line appears on the torso (best on a rib cage that tapers to a nice waist). We cannot change the tightness or quantity of the patient’s skin and we cannot change the over all body style, size and shape of a patient. All of these qualities influence the final result and that is why each and every result is unique. I consider it of vital importance during consultations to communicate this to my patients and help them understand how their unique shape will effect their ultimate result.

Then, there’s the whole size thing. It’s vital to know that we cannot stretch the skin of the breast as much as we want to with implants. Over-stretched skin gets too thin and provides inadequate and unstable coverage for the implants. In turn, this creates a situation that will increase the chance that the patient will need another operation to fix an implant problem in the future. The right size implant is one that has the right diameter to fit accurately under the breast and enough projection (thickness of the implant) to accommodate the tightness or laxity of the breast skin. There is already a significant re-operation rate associated with breast augmentation and I want to do the best I can to keep this as low as possible for my patients while trying to help them attain their goals. A great deal of information relating to the implants themselves and breast augmentation surgery can be found on the Mentor Corporation’s web site at www.mentorcorp.com. There’s also a lot of great information on www.loveyourlook.com.

So, the best size implant for a breast augmentation patient is one that helps her get as close as possible to her goal size, but respects her natural proportions and skin tone. Using these techniques, we can produce enhanced breasts that are in harmony with your natural proportions and keep the risk of future surgery as low as we can.

David Luethcke, MD, FACS