What Size Breast Implants Should I Exchange To For Bigger Breasts?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had breast implants placed three years ago which were 375ccs. I want to go bigger but am not sure what size implant to go to. Do you think 450ccs would be enough?

A: When one desires to have bigger breasts with indwelling implants, the question of how much bigger is obviously very subjective. But most women are not going to go through the effort and expense of surgery if they did no want to see an appreciable difference, at least being a 1/2 cup to a full cup bigger. One of the common mistakes with breast implant replacements for a size change is to not go big enough. While numbers like 500cc or 550cc can seem daunting, the reality is that represents only a 33% to 45% increase in your current breast size. As a general rule, you have to have at least a 25% to 33% change in volume to ever see much of a difference. Another commonly stated number is that it takes 150cc to make a cup size change, although this would be highly influenced by the size of the woman’s chest and her body frame. So you can see that changing from 375cc to 450cc is not going to make much of a difference when it comes to a breast size change. That will make your current a little fuller but that is about it. For those woman that want just a little change or more perky, a 75cc volume implant change may be adequate. But for most women seeking a breast size change through an implant exchange, it will not have been worth the money to do so.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana