In Breast Implant Replacement For Size Increase How Big Should I Go?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello! I had a breast augmentation done almost 4 years ago. I had beautiful results overall but the doctor went on a very conservative size (230 cc) due to me being naturally quite thin. I feel like throughout the years after the swelling went down and after I stopped taking birth control and gained 10 lbs, they’ve looked smaller and smaller. In addition my left breast is visibly larger than my right. What are my options for breast implant replacement now? Thanks!

A: The good news is that the breast implant replacement or breast implant exchange (secondary breast augmentation) is a lot easier than the first surgery. The implant pocket is already established so minimal tissue dissection is needed for re-entry and implant replacement. Since your desire is to go bigger, the key is not underestimate the size of the new breast implants that are needed. You should go a minimum of 100cc to 150cc bigger to even see a visible change. (maybe 1 cup bigger) Whether the new implants should be even bigger is a matter of further discussion. The chronic problem with some breast implant exchanges is that one thinks they need less volume that they do.