Considerations in Breast Augmentation Surgery

Considerations in Breast Augmentation Surgery

Physical condition

A taller patient or a patient with a higher weight should naturally have larger implants. In a short patient, D-size breasts can give a very uncomfortable appearance. B-size breasts may appear very small in a tall patient.

The shape of the rib cage

This is one of the points we pay attention to when choosing the breast size. Some individuals are tall but have narrow rib cages. Or, a patient who is short but has been doing sports for a long time may have broad shoulders and a wide chest. Additionally, the rib cage may sometimes curve inward along the anteroposterior diameter or, conversely, protrude outward. These variations can significantly influence the choice of implant size.

The size of the existing breasts

If there is sufficient size and breast tissue before the operation, we can be more comfortable in choosing the size of the prosthesis. On the contrary, having a very small amount of breast tissue may cause a large prosthesis to be visible from the outside. The smaller the breasts, the better the placement of a smaller prosthesis for the patient in some cases.

Sagging condition in existing breasts

Breast augmentation surgery is not only effective for enhancing volume but also provides the added benefit of lifting the breasts.

For patients requiring a lift, a noticeable elevation can often be achieved without resorting to mastopexy, avoiding the scars associated with that procedure.

However, as the degree of sagging increases, larger prostheses are typically needed to produce the desired outcome. If a breast lift is also part of the augmentation process, patients should be aware that their breasts may need to be slightly larger than their initial expectations to achieve optimal results.

Conversely, in cases where there is significant skin laxity, excessively large implants can lead to future sagging due to the additional weight. Careful consideration of implant size is therefore essential for long-term outcomes.

Asymmetry in breast size

Many women have asymmetry in their breasts. This is extremely natural. In the majority patient group, this size difference becomes more pronounced during the menstrual period.

If this size difference is not clearly visible when looking from the front, there is no need to correct the asymmetrical size of the breasts. For patients with significant asymmetry, a larger prosthesis might be needed on the smaller side to achieve balance.

Breast measurements

• Between the jugular point and the nipple,
• Between the midpoint of the collarbone and the nipple,
• Nipple-breast inferior sulcus (distance between inframammary fold),
• Measurements of the lower and upper diameters of the nozzle
• Measurements of medial-lateral diameters.

The measurements discussed here are taken both prior to and during the procedure, after the pouch for placing the prosthesis has been prepared.

These measurements are the most important point in the evaluation because the first 5 items are all about the doctor’s aesthetic perception, while the last item includes purely mathematical measurements.

The most important sentence to remember is this. In breast augmentation surgeries, while the size of the rib cage does not change, the size of the breast, which used to be A size, increases as B – C – D.

The Harms of Oversized Breast Implants

• It causes the recovery period to be longer and more difficult.
• The patient has more pain, bruising and swelling.
• It takes longer to return to a completely normal life.
• Since the tension in the wounds will increase, the incidence of wound healing problems increases, especially in smokers.
• In addition, the remaining incision scars will be worse.
• Sensation defects will be more likely to occur due to excessive pressure on the nipple from below.
• Prostheses that are too large may lead to sagging earlier than expected. The added weight causes the prosthesis to shift downward, resulting in a distortion of the breast‘s shape.