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Comments

  • di2012
    di2012 Member Posts: 871
    edited February 2015

    Vinnie Meyers......the 3-D king of tittoos....requires 20 weeks after any procedure...before he will tattoo you....don't know about others

  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 290
    edited February 2015

    Even my swelling wasn't anywhere near gone at 10 days! It truly is process that requires lots of patience :)

  • RainDew
    RainDew Member Posts: 228
    edited February 2015

    hi ladies,

    With exchange coming up in 3 wks, I've realized I don't know as much about recovery as I did w bmx..

    Will I be able to wear normal clothes? (That I put on over my head) or do I need to restock button up tops and stretchy camis?

    Will I need to be dinosaur arms again, or can I reach for things fairly quickly?

    On bras and compression garmets (for the fat grafting), my PS is not bothered. I haven't worn a bran since bmx (TEs seem to have their own, and are crazy shaped anyhow...coobies and camis for me...). He kind of said 'do what you like'. I bet there are strong views here on both?

    Thanks!!

  • oceansky
    oceansky Member Posts: 77
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar,

    Yes, the shape of my 500cc Mentor rounds look very natural to me. In fact they look very much like my native breasts with the exception that they're a little bigger. They look good in clothing and also look fine in the mirror.

    Divecat talked about choices. This isn't a boob job and you don't get to pick and choose as if it were one. This is a big issue and a lot of it has to do with where your nipples are and the size of your ribcage as well as the size and shape of the rest of your chest. The PS wants to keep your nipples even and not facing down or to the side and this impacts how large or small he/she can go. So if your native breasts were slightly lateral (wide set) then that can not be changed without surgically moving the nipples or else the nipples will start to go very 'wonky'.

    Rippling has much to do with how thick or thin your skin is. Thin skin is more likely to ripple if your skin is thin.

    The PS I used is a well known breast PS (doesn't do cosmetic work) also told me that he has more control with immediate implants than with TE's. He said that with TE's the nipple can move and he can't fix it without surgically moving it. He's well known because he's one of only 12 PS's that is a micro vascular surgeon that is able to transplant lymph nodes in patients with lymphadema. People come to him from all over the country. He's very difficult to get time with but it was worth it for me to go to him.

    On the topic of PS's my sister also had BC and a double mastectomy and she used a general surgeon and a PS who did direct implants and hers turned out truly spectacular. So your PS doesn't need to famous to do a fabulous job.

    If your PS promises the moon and claims they can do pretty much anything, I'd be very wary. Rippling is usually not a reflection on their work and divots can happen based on your individual chest. My chest is boney and I have a small divot on the inside of one breast and I'll want to get fat grafting on it down the road. Ironically, my MO said 'if you wear a push up bra I think it will go away.' I have no interest in wearing a push up bra (am a D cup now anyway) and I want to wear bathing suits and tank tops.

    My far far bigger problem is that I had severe neurologic reactions to Tamoxifen and I had to stop. Even a half dose caused it...Aromatase inhibitors are a bad fit because I have severe osteoporosis due to a hysterectomy at a very early age. My MO explained that not taking these raised my chance of a recurrence to 18%...That's stage 4 if it happens. My goal now is to try 5 mg of Tamoxifen every other day and see what happens. Ugg...

    Sandgar are you going to exchange your rounds for anatomicals? Have you gotten many other opinions on this?

    Bright Blessings All...




  • sandra4611
    sandra4611 Member Posts: 1,750
    edited February 2015

    Leslie, your permanent implants WILL be smaller than your TE's unless the doctor puts in bigger implants than the cc's in your TE's. You don't have to be overfilled. Please go over to the Breast Implant Sizing 101 thread and read the entire top header post by Whippetmom.

  • sandra4611
    sandra4611 Member Posts: 1,750
    edited February 2015

    Your plastic surgeon isn't responsible for the rippling. When the breast surgeon goes the mastectomy, he/she leaves a flap of skin for the PS to work with. Depending on how much tissue the breast surgeon took from all over the chest, the flap of skin may have only a little bit of fat attached. It can be different on each side too. When there isn't much fat attached to the flap, this is called "thin skin." That fat layer may not be with same thickness all along the flap either. My breast surgeon didn't leave much fat below the skin on my upper chest and it looked sunken in. It's fine over one foob but the other is very thin and shows ripples and is cooler to the touch.

    When that skin in draped over an implant or TE, there can be "dents" or low spots from the uneven fat. Some call them divots. These can be like long creases, round like a coin - any shape at all. Those low spots can be filled in with fat.

    Drop and fluff are two different things. When round implants first go in, the muscles hold them in place tightly. they are usually pretty high on your chest. As the muscle relaxes, the implants "drop" down into the pocket the PS created. Since the muscle has relaxed, the saline inside rounds is not constricted anymore. It's allowed to respond to gravity and move from the top of the implant toward the bottom of the implant, giving a more natural shape. It kind of "fluffs" out, giving a smoother, rounded look. Most see these changes by 3-4 months but  will continue to "evolve" for some time.

    Cohesive gel implants do not fluff because the silicone doesn't move around inside the implant. The relaxing muscle does allow a change in the overall shape of your new foobs and where they sit on your chest. This takes months or maybe up to a year according to Whippetmom.

  • sandgar
    sandgar Member Posts: 53
    edited February 2015

    Ocean Sky, Sounds like you had a great ps. My ps doesn't do anatomicals anyway. But I feel mine could be a little bigger and not be shaped like a hamburger bun lol. Do you post pics on the picture forum? Can anyone recommend a great ps in Chicago.. Did you only have a uni? Good luck Ocean Sky on the tamoxifen issue.




  • bbbbun
    bbbbun Member Posts: 24
    edited February 2015


  • roadrash
    roadrash Member Posts: 31
    edited February 2015

    Sandra- wow to all that great information you shared with us. You explained that in a way that I was able to understand it. Not my ps or my bs explained anything like that to me. I understand why I had such serious complications when i had my bmx. My psurgery informed me that it took an additional 3 hrs because my breasts were so dense that my bs had to keep scraping and taking breaks and then go back at it. I There is one side on my right breast where it is a little thin because of the dense breast removal. That is why my ps is not sure if I can do a 700 because it is thin in that area. I also have rippling there in that exact area. I understand it better now. I knew that my dent wasn't caused by my TE but I knew it had to be something. I thought maybe a little fat injected there could help when I have my exchange on 2/19. I need to ask my ps. I had a second opinion this week as well. I feel better prepared to ask questions. Thank you!

  • oceansky
    oceansky Member Posts: 77
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar, am waiting a bit longer to do pictures (not on the picture site)...It's only been about 3 and a half months. I have before pics and will do after pics in the same location and light. Don't see any changes though but am going to wait regardless. Like I said I did have a good PS and it's worth 'shopping' for one and not necessarily going with the first one you meet. Get recommendations etc...A PS who does both direct implants and anatomicals is a good sign. They all do TE's. It takes more experience and expertise do all of the above. If you can find a PS who does all the flap surgeries as well then that's a huge plus!

    The tamoxifen is a huge issue. Sigh...Am now trying 5mg every other night and just started.

  • sandgar
    sandgar Member Posts: 53
    edited February 2015

    Can anyone recommend a good ps in Chicago. Thanks Sandy

  • robinblessed54
    robinblessed54 Member Posts: 485
    edited February 2015


    Oh my gosh!!  All of the hormone treatments are horrible for me!!  I am struggling to get my hands, wrists and knees back from arthritic pain and stiffness.  I still have a trigger thumb that hurts so bad that I have to make myself bend it.  Arimidex and Aromasin were killers for me.  Tamox only been on 1 week.  No other symptoms so far, but so hard to tell if this joint pain is also not being helped by Tamox. 

    My BMX/reconstruction was a piece of cake compared to what I am experiencing.  I am getting excited about my exchange on 3/5.  I know I will be small, but wasn't very big to begin with.  I just didn't want to be flat.  Anything is better than being flat.  Being 60, you don't want to be a Playboy model, just look good in clothes and when you see your reflection.  I hope we can both get our meds to a place where we can live a quality life.  I told my MO that if I didn't have luck with the Tamox, I would take my changes.  He said 15-20% chance of recurrence if I don't medicate.  8-10% if you do.  Is it worth the 10% difference to live in pain? 

  • Kazzy115
    Kazzy115 Member Posts: 69
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar, i had Dr. Neil Fine for PS out of Northwestern. I had TEs placed with bilateral last March. Just had exchange done on 1/2 after chemo and rads.

    I'm very pleased with the results.

  • sandgar
    sandgar Member Posts: 53
    edited February 2015

    Kazzy115, does your ps do anatomicals? Is that what you got? Do you have any pictures on the picture forum?

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,359
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar - Do go read Breast Implant Sizing 101. The header tells you about all the different types, as well as the newest additions. Also Whippetmom keeps a list of plastic surgeons all around the country so I'm sure she has names in Chicago.

  • Kazzy115
    Kazzy115 Member Posts: 69
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar, I believe he does as we did discuss them, however I don't have them myself. I don't have photos on the forum.

    Where in chicagoland are you located?

  • scvmom65
    scvmom65 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2015

    I agree that your implants will look wider and with less projection than a natural breast. I wanted to be the same size I was before ( a large C) so my PS used how many "grams" my breast weighed off the pathology report saying grams and cc's are very similar. Well I was a little over 600 grams and had been expanded to almost that.I am a tall woman 5-10 so even though that sounds big, it doesn't look too big on me. When I had the exchange however, the PS was only able to put in 500 ccs because the 550s or 600s were past my outside rib cage. So I did look bigger with my expanders in. I have the Mentor high profile silicone gels in so maybe a different kind would have a different result. I still wear a C because my width is the same, I just don't fill out the front of the bra so I get the kind with molded cups that have a little padding to them and I look the same. My hubby actually likes them better than my old ones and I never even got the rest of my reconstruction done! On another side note,for any one out there who is uncomfortable with expanders in ( I was!), I woke up from surgery in total relief! It was the easiest surgery in the world for me. I even went out to dinner that night. Best wishes in whatever you chose! Anna

  • bbbbun
    bbbbun Member Posts: 24
    edited February 2015

    This forum has been a lifesaver for me!!! So many questions...so many intelligent answers!

    I had TE's placed during BMX November 14th. Had 200cc's per side during surgery...then two more fills to get to 375cc. My fills were not uncomfortable but just decided at 67yo just wanted a comfortable size. I am 5'8 and 160lbs..

    I am awaiting exchange on March 3rd

    So I have a question that I haven't seen addressed: I know the TE's are supposed to look weird but should I be concerned that they are very lumpy...the lumps feel like water balloons all over the breast. I believe my TE's are 550cc and he plans about a 450cc silicone implant. Are the lumps due to the small amount of saline in the TE?

    Thanks so much and hugs to all!!!

  • horsemom
    horsemom Member Posts: 31
    edited February 2015

    Thank you everyone for the well wishes. My exchange surgery went really well. PS put in Allergan 410s,740ccs. From what little I can see they look to be about the same size as the TEs I had. I'm good with that. I'm tall and NOT thin so these look so far to be a C cup on me.

    PS did fat grafting around upper pole, and released scar tissue adhesions at the sides where the drains were, which unfortunately meant extending excisions.

    I was nauseous but did NOT throw up this time!!! A first! Anesthesiologist went as light as she could with narcotics while still keeping me under (um, yeah, waking up = bad).

    Minimal recovery time, burning but not BMX type pain, and time from leaving home to returning only 6 hours.

    All in all, I'm happy happy happy.

    PS I'm cross posting on a couple threads

    PSS I love you guys (norco talking?...maybe but I don't think so 😉)

  • sandgar
    sandgar Member Posts: 53
    edited February 2015

    Does your ps do anatomicals? Do you have pictures on the forum?

  • horsemom
    horsemom Member Posts: 31
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar

    The 410s are anatomicals or "gummy bears". I will be putting pics up when I'm a little less swollen.

  • TeriMP
    TeriMP Member Posts: 10
    edited February 2015

    Hi ladies,

    I am new to this thread, I had a BMX on Nov 12/14, unfortunately my plastic surgeon broke his hand 2 days prior to my surgery and they were unable to get another surgeon to fill in. I have not had my reconstruction yet as I am still going through chemo.

    My PS is going to be using an expander that is called Becker tissue expander. It is a tissue expander that stays in and becomes a permanent implant. The centre is filled with saline and the outer portion is made of silicon. They seem to be quite popular in Canada ( have any of you ladies had these or heard of them?

    Thanks!

    Teri

  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 290
    edited February 2015

    Teri,

    I have definitely heard of Becker Implants, and seen some women use them, but I don't know if they are that popular in Canada (I am in Canada too, and I don't know many of my Canadian peers who have had them in), as I don't see/or hear about them that much. I have known a couple women personally who used them, but did later switch them out. I think one advantage to them is that if you have them put in, and expand, and you are happy with how they look and feel, you can keep them in and not have another surgery to exchange (though I understand you still need some type of surgery to remove/close off the ports, but I think it is a pretty simple surgery?). It is also easy for them to correct any issues with asymmetry - by adding or removing a little from one implant. I think they also make an anatomical shaped Becker implant. It seems to me from my time on this and other boards, some PS's really like them, and others don't use them at all.

  • Leslienva
    Leslienva Member Posts: 343
    edited February 2015

    I had my last fill two weeks ago and am still feeling a lot of discomfort--so much that I'm sleeping on the couch with a back rest so that I don't roll over on my sides. I'm due for a fill on Monday. I'm not at the size I want to be yet, but I'm afraid I'm stretching my skin too much. Any advice??

  • robinblessed54
    robinblessed54 Member Posts: 485
    edited February 2015

    Don't go faster than you can take. At first I was going every week. I had to start spacing my fills 2-3 weeks apart. I got my final fill Dec 2,14 and I knew it was the last one because it was thight for so long. Still tight but manageable. Exchange surgery 3/5/1

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,359
    edited February 2015

    Leslie-take another week off. Then decrease the amount of fill. If it takes longer at 25 or 50 cc's - so be it. Unless there's some compelling reason to rush, take the time to see if you can get where you want to be.

  • cateyz2
    cateyz2 Member Posts: 253
    edited February 2015

    Sandgar Dr Stephen Madry is my PS and he has offices in Elk Grove Village and Barrington. Also he does both rounds and anatomicals in addition he also is Board Certified and highly recommended. I do know of 3 other ladies here on the boards that have him as their PS


     

  • Blondie7
    Blondie7 Member Posts: 6
    edited February 2015

    Leslienva:

    I would think that as long as your PS thinks your skin is handling the process ok, then spacing out your fills and/or doing smaller amounts at each fill would be the way to go in order to move toward the goal of where you want to be. Toward the end of the process for me, I had to space my fills out to 3 weeks and go with slightly less at each fill due to muscles spasms and pain. I was not under any time table, just paced myself for what my body would let me do. Hope you are able to get the outcome you desire and deserve.

  • Gatorgrl
    Gatorgrl Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2015

    just wanted to thank everyone here for how much information I have gained. My exchange is set for 2/25. Pre-op tomorrow. I am overfilled to 620 cc in a 450 expander. My PS is going to bring in several different sizes and will use a mentor Ultra high profile. I am looking at 535,590 or 650cc's. I have seen a lot of folks referring to high profile but if your PS uses the ultra high profile , it is my understanding that this give the best projection in a narrower base width. I have major porn star boobage going on now. I was large busted before and am only 5'2. I do hope to get back to just slightly smaller than my original size. Whippetmom says I should do well with the 590 Ultra high profiles based on my size and dimensions of tissue expander. My plastic surgeon agrees. Will report back when I am done. I haven't been able to sleep on my sides since my BMX, so can't wait!

  • Leslienva
    Leslienva Member Posts: 343
    edited February 2015

    It turned out I have an issue with an embedded stitch andnow I'm on antibiotics to prevent an infection. So no fills for me for at least another week. And there is no rush, so the plan is to go slower.

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