Planning a breast augmentation can be an exciting process for a woman; often, she’s spent a long time—sometimes many years—thinking about making changes to make her feel more feminine, more confident, and more complete.

If you’ve been doing research on breast augmentation and have spent any time in the numerous online forums on the subject, you probably know that choosing correctly sized implants is a major topic of discussion. The decision is stressful because no one wants to be disappointed after committing to the time and expense of surgery and recovery.

What you may also find is that there is a lack of consensus among plastic surgeons as to what constitutes the best method for choosing implant size. Guided by a woman’s goals for her surgery and her anatomy, each surgeon has developed his or her own preferred way of helping a patient decide on a size. Some surgeons even prefer to make the final decision on implant size during the surgery itself, which makes it very difficult to consult with the patient!

Here at Ditesheim Cosmetic Surgery, we have developed a process that seems to work very well, judging on the positive comments I hear from patients after their augmentation procedures.

Minimal stress, natural results from sizing process
One of the best ways I’ve found to help a woman decide on the appropriate size is to let her “feel” the size. How is this done? I ask her to close her eyes when she’s trying on implants and observe how her body feels. Perhaps surprisingly, women are often able to make a quick, confident decision about implant size when they are allowed to take charge of the process in this simple way; in fact, they often remark, “This feels like me.” Although my trained nurse and I will provide guidance, we feel that you are the best judge of what feels right for your body.

The goal is to create the best possible result based on your aesthetic goals, your body type, and your breast anatomy, including skin elasticity. We don’t do “cookie cutter” breast augmentation: each surgery is customized. In addition to implant size, we will help you understand additional choices that affect the overall results of the procedure, such as implant type (saline or silicone gel), implant shape (round or anatomical), implant placement (over or under the muscle or fascia), and incision sites. We strive to make all these decisions easier and less stressful for you, with our many years of experience in evaluating variables and observing results.

Different strokes for different folks
We understand that every woman has an ideal in mind for her surgery. Some want a very natural, subtle result, while others want a dramatic difference in silhouette. Our goal is to minimize stress by helping you make self-assured decisions about your breast augmentation. As we discussed last month, it’s your body, so let’s do it your way!

Dr. Jeffrey Ditesheim is more than a credentialed plastic surgeon. He is a sensitive and experienced professional whose focus is always to help his patient feel more beautiful and confident. Learn more about Dr. Ditesheim and read his reviews.