How to choose breast implant size?

How to choose the right breast implant size?

Katherine from Taos, New Mexico, writes, "At the request and wishes of my husband, I have decided to get breast implants, but I don't know what size to pick. He wants them to be really big but I am afraid that I will look awkward, particularly in front of people that have known me forever as a petite woman. How do I decide what size of implants will look good on my body?" (Related: Plastic surgery tips from Joan Rivers)

Breast augmentation enables a woman to choose the size that she feels will boost her body image and self-confidence. However, some women find that, following surgery, their ideas about the ideal size have changed, and this can lead them to request additional surgery. That means additional risks, so surgeons are always looking for ways to help women make better choices about size at the time of their initial augmentation surgery, according to experts like Los Angeles plastic surgeon Peter Fodor. (Related: Best implant brand)

A recent study showed that, while satisfaction with surgery was extremely high, nevertheless 34% of those who underwent re-operation did so simply to change the

Photo of a blonde woman showing the results of her plastic surgery with breast implants.

size of their implants. In most cases, women who change implant size switch to larger implants, says Dr. James Baker, Jr., author of an article on choosing implant size. He warns, however, that implants that are too large can leave a patient looking "proportionally disfigured....If a patient demands a size unsuited to her body type, I cannot in good conscience perform the surgery," he says. In other words, your surgeon is in the best position to lay out all the options for you and help you pick an implant size that is good for you both from a technical and aesthetic standpoint. (Related: Breast augmentation pros and cons)

While there are different opinions among experts on selecting the appropriate implant size, most plastic surgeons agree that the base diameter should be the key measurement determining the selection. If you do not have enough skin to accommodate the implants, you can not have a large implant. That is why a doctor needs to examine how much skin you really have and what can be fitted in without causing stretch marks. That is why there is no easy answer to Katherine's question. Only when a surgeon has a chance to examine her, can he decide what is best for her body.

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