Breast Augmentations: How We Help Patients Choose The Right Breast Size
You might think that a patient comes in with a pretty clear idea on what breast size she wants, and you would be right! However we go through a long process of examination and experience before we make a final decision.
The process begins with listening carefully to the patient’s concerns and desires. Usually we talk about a whole lot of different things, not just the surgery – family, social life, and what does she think will change in her life after the surgery, for example. We get to know each other pretty well, actually, over the course of treatment.
One of my initial recommendations to patients is, ‘Don’t focus on cup size, focus on your overall look! Although a few women insist on getting breasts more often seen in magazines, a flattering breast size actually balances with the rest of the body. We must consider the width of her shoulders, waist and hips. I advise with her total look in mind; we create breasts that are attractive on their own of course, yet we seek a natural body contour. Often a woman looks slimmer when her breasts suit her overall contour – this is a pleasant side-effect for most patients!
I actually believe that great breast surgeries involve both science and art. The science is a surgeon’s training and experience of course, knowing all the important tricks to achieve a successful outcome. Art comes in because every woman is unique, and I believe the skill of providing each patient beautiful breasts is an art.
Once we have a particular breast size decided, each patient gets the opportunity to actually experience what their larger breasts look and feel like. We take a lot of pictures, with the patient wearing sample sizers. She even will try out the sample sizers over the weekend, getting to sense her future look in her clothes.
By the time a patient is ready to “go under the knife”, she has a lot more confidence in her decision and has lots of information about why her future breast size is the right one for her.
