Exchange City
Comments
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any tips for me tomorrow?
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thanks everyone! Am so ready. Just want to be sure I tell him exactly what i want. Nervous about how his understanding of it will be. Like the size I am but don't want to be bigger or much smaller. I guess we shall see! Kind of emotional about next steps even though it's good right!
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Babyo you will do great! So much easier than the BMX. I brought a picture of breasts I liked and showed it to the OR staff and gave to my PS. She actually put in the biggest I had hoped for in one breast but because the cancer breast's muscle was much thicker she used one slightly smaller for it. So 425 and 375.
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that is odd. So are you the same size as your expAnders were?
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Many of you mention pocket work. Do you mention that you want more cleavage so they do pocket work or do they realize what needs to be done to make them look more natural? My PS didn't tell me much about what he is going to do so wonder if I should mention anything to him about it. I thought about pictures but it's hard to tell exactly how they look from a picture only. I assume as long as implant is bigger in volume than I am now it will be bigger. Just want to have this here!
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My last words to my PS before surgery was "go big or go home" ;-) She laughed and said she would give me the best esthetic look while staying safe with the skin closure. I knew she wouldn't go any bigger than 750cc. 700cc ultra high si is what Whippetmom recommended and that is what I ended up with, 700cc. Have faith. It's all going to work out babyo!
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Just curious, I had my pre-op for the exchange surgery today and was told that I will definitely have drains. Kind of surprised me since I know that so many of you didn't have drains. Anyone else have to have them? It seems that it will prolong recovery since at my MX my drains were in for 2 weeks and he said that would probably be the same for this surgery. Really find it depressing to even think about dealing with drains again
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KLJ, I had drains with my exchange too. It seemed easier than with the mx maybe partly because we are use to dealing with them at that point. Hang in there!
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I had two drains for both surgeries but the two for exchange were in a shorter time. As obnoxious as they are I was glad to have them so I didn't have to deal with fluid inside - hematomas, seromas, etc.
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I had 4 drains after my BMX. 2 were in for 1 week and the other 2 for an additional week. Then I had 2 again after the exchange for 1 week. I was really depressed about having to have them again a second time, but in some ways it was easier because I knew what to expect and already had figured out ways to deal with them... Trying to conceal them under clothes, how to shower without getting them wet...etc.
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babyo My PS talked to me at my pre op appointment about what she was going to do for pocket work. Then right before the surgery, when she was marking my chest up, she showed me again what she was planning on doing and why. Good luck tomorrow!
Kendra
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KLJ - I had six drains for BMX and my PS's standard for exchange is one for each side (if bi-lateral). The exchange drains came out one and two weeks after the BMX but on the third day after exchange. Both times I was absolutely forbidden to shower until a day or two after the tubes were removed.
babyo - My cleavage was great from the git-go but lefty rode a good 3/4" to 1" higher than righty throughout my expansion. PS and I discussed at several appointments prior to the exchange so I knew he was going to release a bit more muscle beneath lefty so she would drop to match righty.
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Did anyone continue with the stretches right after exchange? The walk the wall stretch, etc. I wasnt given instructions on this either and certainly don't feel up to stretching.
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Bethq, my PS did not want me to stretch my arms above my head. I stayed away from any ROM exercises for a few weeks.
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Yeah, I'd stay away from wall stretches like that too. You have incisions on your pecs that need to heal up from removing the TEs and placing the implants. Don't worry though, you won't likely have much trouble with ROM after the exchange if you didn't before. Any post-surgery tightness will resolve quite quickly once the restrictions are lifted and you get moving again.
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Aww such a nice pic. I can't wait to meet some BC friends next year in Oceanside, CA!
I really really did not want to be back asking for help on this thread (Am dreading more surgery) but I do need advice. My 12/13.reconstruction went well but the gummies were a little bigger and higher that requested and definitely too close. The shape around was lovely, the consistency firm and perky, the healing went well, and no complications. Well, months later they seem even closer together and my skin feels tight still. My surgeon said I have "synmastia" and it is ok to try and fix or maybe better to change for rounds implants (more likely to have rippling as they are softer). Has anyone gone through this? I don't know what to do. I can't wear a bathing suit or a regular tank top. What would you do if you were me? Thanks, Nisa
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Nisa - if I recall correctly that condition means you've got a bit of 'uni-boob' going on, right? The separation between the implants needs to be fixed? If it were me, I'd go for it. Other than that I don't have any advice. I don't have the anatomicals so can't counsel on the pros/cons of staying with what you've got or switching.
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NisaVilla - The person that comes to my mind is sandra4611. During the course of her 'journey' she's had both types of implants. You might want to reach out to her through PM and see what she has to say. Or maybe she'll see your post....
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Nisa - I have no personal experience with your situation, but I have wrestled with the decision to have a revision for rippling. It was a tough decision and not one made lightly, but I'm so happy I went for it. If your implants started out well-place and you have developed symmastia, isn't that due to capsular contracture? Seems that's something that needs intervention before you start experiencing pain. If I was in your position, I would bite the bullet and have it corrected. Sorry I can't give an opinion on gummies vs. rounds as I've only had rounds.
Best wishes!
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it went great today. Just feel out of it. T
He used 535 mentor ultra high which seems like a lot! I look as big as I did before but have some thick gauze there. I told him I like size but don't like it in my arms and like projection but don't want to look too big now either. I tried to peak but didn't yet lol
I don't really want the fluff either as. Feel a little too big now but that's cause of the projection but I wanted it. Lol I have more upper pole so that is good. I am def bigger than I was but slightly smaller than the TE which is what I want. With settling do they always get bigger or does it vary and some can get smaller when swelling goes down? I can't tell if I have swelling now.
Am happy with it though! I got what I asked for. He did s,e pocket work to bri g them together. Can't see the pocket work but imagine the width fills that. They are 12 cm wide and 6.1 cm projection so that is a lot! The projection is what I was concerned about but could have done with a little less. Haven't taken Any meds yet but will as a preventative in a bit. Feels much softer!
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Yay babyo! Congratulations on your exchange! It feels amazing to get those expanders out, doesn't it? It sounds like your doctor took great care of you. I'm sure you are going to look awesome!
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that is great Babyo!! So glad to hear you are pleased so far with the exchange. I can't wait to get these TEs out..I can't even remember what it's like to be squishy..
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Nisa - After my first exchange to shaped implants, I was close to having symmastia and had some capsular contracture. It wasn't bad enough for me to want surgery again, but my PS encouraged me that we could do better. So, after a few months, I went for it. He broke up scar tissue, did pocket work to add more space between the implants, and, at my request, went for a smaller size. Going into the procedure, he took several implants -- in a variety of sizes and both shaped and round. In the end we also changed out from Sientra shaped to Mentor smooth rounds.
I am really happy with the decision -- more because of the added separation than for the difference in implants.
Good luck!
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Thank you Lisa Jayne for encouragement and AR4686 for referral to Sandra 4611. I read her profile and with all that she went through, I'm feeling like a complete wimp complaining about my complication. TinaT, I don't have capsular contracture. Improper placement of implants is most common reason for synmastia. Surgeon did not admit to error so we are both pretending this happened out of the blue. I just don't know much better they will be after a revision. Will think hard and then decide. I have not seem cases of synmastia on this thread. Thanks all!
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emmalou1 - sorry I missed your post, thank you. Glad to hear you did well with the procedure. I think you probably have a more communicative surgeon who considers your wishes and options. Mine is more the "we do as I say type surgeon." This is a renowned and respected person so I do fully trust surgical skills. But the bedside manner sometimes gets in the way of treatment planing participation. Thanks again!
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TinaT,
Symmastia is more the result of over-dissection of pocket near sternum by the PS, or result of using too large and/or wide of an implant that places stress on tissues. The muscle on ribcage between breasts - which normally creates a natural separation - gets lifted so the implants drift close together and you get bridging between the breasts. It can show up quickly, or just progressively get worse. Capsular contracture is not required! Of course, someone can have both at same time anyway.
NisaVilla,
I would go for it. I have never had gummies, but love my rounds. I read things from both sides, but I have also read a lot of times texture gummies increase risk if rippling over smooth rounds with thin tissues, as the tissues grab onto the texture. So if you have rippling now, it is not guaranteed your rippling would be worse with rounds. You should be looking at smaller implants and repair of the interior pocket area, Alloderm is often used as well. You probably do not see this a lot in these threads as it is more common in subglandular implants, and/or very large implants (like in those looking for a very visible augmentation, not those looking for a slightest enhancement, or doing reconstruction)
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Awesome! Yup there is more swelling than you think. Happiness when you come out is the first step! Give it four weeks and you'll have a much better idea what it will be like but mine didn't change that much just extra little bit of swelling went away so I suspect you will still be really happy! Glad your done babyo20!
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babyo20...
Glad it went well. You are going to have a lot of swelling right now, more so if there was additional pocket work. It can take weeks for this to go down, so don't judge size at this point too quickly.
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Especially if you haven't taken the bra off yet!
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babyo - YAY!!!!! You made it!! And your initial reaction is happiness!!!! YAY!!!!! Now - rest and heal and let things settle in and relax and DON'T WORRY about any imperfections you might think you see over the next several weeks
. What you see one day will likely look different the next. Happy for you!0
