Maybe you have an idea of what you’d like your breasts to look like with implants, but how will you be able to translate your thoughts and ideas to a plastic surgeon? The consultation between patient and physician is one of the most important parts of the whole process when it comes to plastic surgery. Dr. Dustin Reid and Dr. Ashley Gordon of Restora Plastic Surgery in Austin, Texas, discuss breast augmentation size and how to choose the right sized implants.
By: Ashley Gordon, MD and Dustin Reid, MD
and Adam McMillon
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
It’s easy to imagine what you think would be the perfect size breasts, but a bit harder to put that down on paper. Fortunately, board certified plastic surgeons are experienced to ask the right questions and take measurements to quantitatively say what size implant you’re going to need. “The hardest part about breast augmentation is really trying to figure out the size a patient wants to be,” says Dr. Ashley Gordon. “It’s highly individualized and we really have to get into their brain to figure out exactly what they want. Sometimes they’re a bit shy and are erring on the small side, but you know ultimately they’re going to want to be bigger. On the other side of the coin, some people who want to be too big, and you really need to counsel them that what sounds like a great idea at 20 may not be so great at 40!”
Narrow or wide, big or small, there is one thing that the vast majority of interested breast augmentation patients want: a natural look. “Ninety percent of patients say they want a very natural look,” says Dr. Dustin Reid. “We have them bring pictures in so we can discuss it, and sometimes what they really want is not natural at all! Which is fine, so we do spend a lot of time trying to connect with the patient to discover what it is they’re trying to accomplish.”
Tackling Breast Implant Size: Time for Some Measurements
The consultation is incredibly important when deciding what size implants to choose. “We do a physical exam where we take different measurements,” says Dr. Gordon. “The measurement that helps us the most is the base width, or where the breast starts in the middle and where it ends on the side. You want a nice curve on the side, so you want an implant that spans the entire distance. We’re trying to avoid implants in the armpit, or the implants coming together in the middle.”
Besides adding volume to your breasts, many patients don’t realize the benefits of implants do not stop there. “I feel like patients should expect to look like they’re in a bra when not wearing any clothes,” says Dr. Gordon. “When they have a wire on, it should look like they’re in a push up. And when they’re in a push up… They’re going to Vegas for the weekend!”
“Breast implants are versatile. I think they’re a great accessory,” says Dr. Reid. “You can play your breasts up, play them down, you can hide them or put them out there, depending on the clothes you wear and the bra you choose.”