Options With Extra Large Saline Breast Implants
Not everyone wants a natural look following breast augmentation. Whatever your personal reasons for wanting extra large breast implants, the most common choice is saline filled implants.
Although extra large breast augmentation can be performed with saline or silicone filled breast implants, the silicone implants are only premade to 800cc. Anything over this will require custom made implants and are only available up to a maximum of 1500cc. Silicone implants will also require a larger incision and are likely to limit your incision choice to the submammary (breast crease) location.
Saline Breast Implant Options
Overfill Options
Saline implants can be overfilled to the maximum your body can accommodate which can be anything up to around 2500cc. This will usually depend on how much your skin will stretch.
Incision Options
Because saline implants are filled up once in place, they also require a smaller incision and can be used with all of the below implant incisions.
Submammary – Creating the incision in the submammary (crease of breast) position is often the most preferred option as it allows full access to create a pocket and place an extra large implant in the best position. With extra large breast implants there will normally be a deep crease so the scar will be completely hidden.
Periareolar – As saline implants do not require a large incision, due to being empty when they are inserted, the periareolar incision around the lower crescent of the outer edge of the areola is also a common option. This allows full access for creating the pocket for optimum implant placement, but the scar is often less visible, although if it doesn’t heal well it is always on view.
Auxiliary – This incision is made in the armpit and is popular as the scar is located away from the breast and is extremely difficult to see once healed. Due to the lack of access to the breast this incision option is not used as often when overfilling saline implants for extra large breast augmentation.
Transumbillical – Transumbillical breast augmentation (T.U.B.A) is a method of breast augmentation which uses an incision in the belly button. Due to lack of access to the inner breast and small numbers of plastic surgeons offering this method it is unlikely this will be an option if you want extra large implants.
Tissue Expanders – Expandable Breast Implants
For implants over 1500cc it is unlikely you will be able to accommodate this with one procedure. Women who are slim, have little breast tissue or loose skin may not be able to accommodate an implant in the subglandular (above muscle) placement and are likely to need to have tissue expanders to achieve a large implant size over time.
Tissue expanders can be gradually filled over separate appointments normally in the plastic surgeons office or clinic. This allows skin, tissue and muscle to stretch gradually and makes it possible to have significantly larger implants. Another advantage is appointments to have additional saline are not as expensive as procedures required to overfill standard saline implants, described below. As there is no need to reopen the incision tissue expanders also provide a way to go larger without needing a recovery period as the incision heals again.
Standard Saline Breast Implants
Standard saline implants can also be filled to a larger size in a second procedure.
When only a small increase is desired then your plastic surgeon might recommend using the same incision, finding the fill port and then adding more saline before closing the incision. This can be performed under a local anesthetic. The main disadvantage is the amount of extra saline that can be added will be limited.
When a larger increase of saline is desired then you will need to have your internal pocket opened to allow for expansion, this is called a capsulotomy. Normally this is performed under a general anesthetic.
Extra large breast implants come with extra risks and complications and are a specialized procedure. Prior to booking your procedure check your plastic surgeon has overfilled saline implants before or used tissue expanders without any issues. Ask for a comprehensive breakdown of costs and what you are covered for if there are complications or you require revision surgery.
Additional Resources
What Are the Options and Risks of Extra Large Breast Implants?
Extra Large Breast Implant Options
My Opinion
Tissue expanders offer the simplest way to have extra large breast implants without the need for additional invasive procedures.
Annabelle Baugh | Founder
