Breast Augmentation with Different Implant Sizes, 275 cc and 295 cc, for a Patient with Uneven Glandular Tissue Between Both Sides
Do uneven breasts necessarily require implants of the same size? Not necessarily. When there are differences in the glandular tissue, chest structure, or shape between the two sides, the surgeon may consider using implants with different sizes and different projections to help correct the asymmetry and achieve a more balanced breast shape.
Ms. NC, born in 1993, 1.63 m tall and weighing 56 kg, had uneven glandular tissue between the two sides. After direct examination and assessment, the surgeon selected two different Mentor implants:
- Right breast: Mentor MemoryGel Xtra 295 cc, moderate-high projection.
- Left breast: Mentor MemoryGel 275 cc Classic, moderate-high projection.
- Breast augmentation was performed using an Ultrasonic Surgical Scalpel to assist with dissection and implant pocket creation.
Why Might the Two Breasts Require Different Implant Sizes?
Natural breast asymmetry is quite common. The differences may result from glandular tissue volume, chest structure, breast base width, inframammary fold position, tissue thickness, or the shape of each side.
In Ms. NC’s case, the glandular tissue on the two sides was uneven. Therefore, if two identical implants were selected, the pre-existing difference between the two sides could still remain visible after surgery.
The goal of using different implant sizes is not simply to make one side larger than the other, but to intentionally compensate for the pre-existing anatomical differences.
Why Was a Mentor Extra 295 cc Implant Used for the Right Breast and a Mentor Classic 275 cc Implant for the Left Breast?
In Ms. NC’s case, the surgeon not only selected two different implant volumes but also used two implant types with different projections:
Right breast: Mentor Extra 295 cc, moderate-high projection
Left breast: Mentor Classic 275 cc, moderate-high projection
The difference between the two sides is 20 cc, but implant volume is not the only factor that determines the breast shape after augmentation. Implant projection, implant base diameter, the amount of existing glandular tissue, and the size of the implant pocket all affect the final breast shape. Therefore, the surgeon needs to evaluate the implant + glandular tissue + chest structure + implant pocket as a whole.
How Do Mentor Extra and Mentor Classic Differ in Breast Shaping?
Within the Mentor implant system, different profiles are designed with different proportions between the implant base diameter and projection.
Therefore, selecting Mentor Extra for one side and Mentor Classic for the other should not be understood simply as choosing “295 cc because it is larger than 275 cc.”
When reshaping asymmetric breasts, the surgeon may need to adjust several factors simultaneously:
- Implant volume.
- Implant base diameter.
- Projection.
- Implant pocket boundaries.
- The amount of glandular tissue covering the implant.
- Structural differences between the two sides.
The ultimate goal is to create an appropriate balance between the two breasts after surgery.
How Many cc of Breast Implants Should Be Selected for Patients with Uneven Glandular Tissue Between the Two Breasts?
There is no single cc formula for patients with uneven breasts.
The surgeon needs to directly evaluate:
- Which side has more or less glandular tissue.
- The breast base width on each side.
- Tissue thickness and expandability.
- The thoracic skeletal structure.
- The position of the nipple-areola complex and inframammary fold.
- The diameter and projection of each implant type.
- The patient’s desired breast size and shape after surgery.
Therefore, the use of a Mentor Extra 295 cc implant on the right and a Mentor Classic 275 cc implant on the left in Ms. NC’s case was a plan selected based on the individual characteristics of this specific case, not a formula that applies to all patients who are 1.63 m tall and weigh 56 kg.
Breast augmentation with different implant sizes is not simply a matter of placing a larger implant on one side and a smaller implant on the other. It is an individualized approach based on the anatomical differences between the two breasts.
In Ms. NC’s case, with uneven glandular tissue between the two sides, the surgeon selected a Mentor Extra 295 cc implant with moderate-high projection for the right breast and a Mentor Classic 275 cc implant with moderate-high projection for the left breast, combined with creating a separate implant pocket for each side with the assistance of an Ultrasonic Surgical Scalpel.
The goal is not to make both sides the same by using the same implant size, but to select an implant that is appropriate for each side in order to achieve a more natural and balanced overall result.
Do uneven breasts necessarily require implants of the same size? Not necessarily. When there are differences in the glandular tissue, chest structure, or shape between the two sides, the surgeon may consider using implants with different sizes and different projections to help correct the asymmetry and achieve a more balanced breast shape. Ms. NC, born […]
