Is There a Right-Sized Breast?

The immense interest in breast augmentation in the US begs the question, is there a right-sized breast? According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast augmentation surgery is yet again the number one surgical procedure in this country. And while it is true that many women would like their breasts to be bigger, there are also many women who would like their breasts to be smaller. Where is the right-sized breast in the middle?

Dr. Brian Brzowski of Utah discusses this issue and how he helps guide his patients towards the right-size breast for them.

There Is No One Right-Sized Breast

One of the first questions that any breast patient asks is, “What size should I be?” As Dr. Brzowski explains, “there’s really no right answer to that.” Helping a patient to find the right-sized breast requires them to have some understanding of how the size of their breasts will impact their lifestyle, their activities, and their clothing.

A great breast surgeon’s job is to educate their patients because, “there is really no right size for one particular patient. Their are advisable sizes and there are sizes that patients want to be based on some goal that they have in mind,” shares Brzowski.

A surgeon’s job is to consider all the factors because finding the right size for his patients does matter; patients who do not receive the right size breasts may struggle.

Too Big Versus Too Small

Women who are too big probably struggle more than women who are too small. They’re more constricted in their clothing choices, can have muscular pain in their back and shoulders, and often suffer emotionally by feeling self-conscious and embarrassed. “When we look at patients who are going to benefit from becoming the right size, breast reduction patients probably benefit the most,” says Brzowski. “It’s probably one of the most sculpting procedures that we do.”

A lot of breast surgeries involve tightening and positioning, but breast reduction is a little like liposuction. It’s artistic because the surgeon is actually molding and reshaping the body. “I certainly find it to be a more challenging, but also a more rewarding procedure,” explains Brzowski.

Furthermore, breast reduction patients are some of the happiest. There are a few patients who are so “over” their big breasts that they want to make too much of a change, so part of the surgeon’s job is to talk with them about proportion and help them to understand what size breast is right for the shape of their body.

Finding the Right-Sized Breast with Implants

With implant patients, one part of a board certified surgeon’s job is to keep them from going overboard. Being too big can create all kinds of problems including stretched tissues, shorter life-expectancy of the augmentation, and potentially back and neck problems. If the implants are truly huge, it may even impact their figure in a negative way.

The goal with implants is to find the one that will give the patient enough fullness so that she is out of padded bras without going too far. Bottom line, the smallest size implant that will make the patient happy is the best implant in the long run. While many patients fret over teaspoons of implant volume, it’s up to the surgeon to show them there is no one implant size that will make them happy. There’s room for a range of implant sizes that can achieve their desired result. In the end, after an experienced breast surgeon has listed and explained all of the pertinent options, Brzowski says, “the patient makes the final call.”

 

One of the priorities with an implant is to achieve the look that the patient wants. There are geographical differences and differences based on a patient’s age and whether or not they’ve had kids. The surgeon needs to suss out what the patient is really after, and yes, volume and size matter, but so does shape.

A plastic surgeon’s job is to steer the patient towards those choices that will best deliver the final shape and volume that they desire. This is what ensures fantastic results and accompanying ecstatic patients.