BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Lago: I am also laughing at your Starbucks story. I actually had a coworker ask if when I am done with my exchange surgery and tummy tuck, if she can look at the ummm final in the raw result! I am not so sure about that, but I know she is curious. So far, I have not even shown anyone other than my daughter's and my SIL who stayed with me after the BMX surgery. Since I have had the TE's in, I find my self look at them more and for some reason, I subconsciously feel them --- oh, I don't know, to see if they are still there??! I also have muscle spasms and pain shoot up the side of the left breast. When that happens, I have to press my hand against the breast wall. Probably looks pretty darn weird to the casual on looker!
Phyllis
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Lago: That is so cute! Who knows, after all my work is done, I just might want to be a flasher!
Phyllis
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momoftwo526 - I was touching myself all the time with my TE's. Felt like I was constantly 'holding' my left TE because that sucker ALWAYS hurt. Glad to tell you that I don't do it anymore with my implants! It will pass!
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Hi Ladies!
I thought I would check in one more time before my exchange next Thursday. Tomorrow is my final consultation with my PS before the surgery. He really has been fantastic. He is even happy to bring in the Allergan 45 that Whippetmom mentioned even though he primarily uses Mentor.
Here is where I am at. I am currently expanded to 460cc in a TE of 11.7cm and I would say I was pretty happy when expanded to 400 but I like the 460cc too. At first my PS said he didn't want to use an implant wider than 12.5cm because of my size (5' 7" 118lbs ~30" ribcage) but at my last visit he said he would try the following.
Mentor High Profile 400 (12.2cm), 425 (12.5cm), 450 (12.8cm) and 475(13.0cm). He said he would also bring in an Allergan 45 of 500cc (11.9cm). He said he doesn't have sizers for Allergan because he doesn't normally use them so I'm not sure how he'll ultimately decide once we are in the operating room. He said he has used the Allergan 45 on a few other cases where he new it would result in the best possible outcome.
I was wondering if anyone could help me with questions to help me decide between the two options (Allergan 45 or Mentor High Profile). I like the projection I have but what I'm worried about with the Allergan 45 is that I may prefer more width to help me bring the implants closer together to create better clevage. On the other hand, could I handle a 13cm implant? I'm not sure how to best decide this.
Does anyone have any words of wisdom to share as I navigate this final step?
I can not adequately express how grateful I am to have been able to share a couple of posts here to help me on this journey. Thank you all so much. And an extra thank you to you Whippetmom.
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Besides my husband and my medical team my sister is the only one who has asked to take a peek. She has wanted to know every last gorey detail throughout this whole process. When we saw each other a few months back (still in TE phase) she asked if I would show her. She was amazed that they were larger than she was expecting, but otherwise "they look like boobs". It almost brought tears to her eyes because I think she was prepared to put on the happy face no matter what she saw.
I feel myself up a lot too
. I think for me it's a clothing check thing. Because there's no feeling I sometimes find myself checking things to make sure they don't need rearranging. It just became a habit. We were out recently and my husband said, "It doesn't bother ME, but are you aware that you've been touching yourself in public?" Oops! 
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TinaT--ha! That's hilarious. I'm going the same thing, feeling my foobs up even though they can't feel anything! How cool to have a loving sister to help. My younger brother's been a gem, but I won't be pulling a Starbucks on him, that's for sure. Lol.
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loveb: I am moving more towards 450ccs or 475 ccs- the latter if your PS can swing it. I agree you need the width. My ribcage is 30" and my implants are 13.5 cm wide. But if he cannot do at least 450 ccs in the HP Mentor, then definitely the Style 45 is the implant of choice.
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My exchange was yesterday and I like what I can see so far!!!!!! This surgery was SO much easier than the BMX. I also had oopherectoomy and that was easy, too. I am so glad that this is all behind me now! I can't wait to get the bandages off and get a look at these implants - they feel So miuch better already! Thanks for all of the advice and support!
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dgee: So did you have the oophrectomy the same time as you had your exchange???? Glad to hear you are so happy with your outcome. So things can only get better with each passing day!
Thanks!
Phyllis
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momoftwo: Yes, I had both done yesterday. PS went first and then as soon as he was finished my GYN removed them laproscopically. It was 3 hours total surgery time and I cannot believe how different the recovery has been. Still no hot flashes......but I am not looking forward to them! We are moving to London in 2 weeks, if you can believe that! Glad to be going to a cooler climate - maybe they will keep me warm! HA0
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dgee- you really give me hope; glad you are doing so well!
Momoftwo 526 and TinaT- I must confess I am also guilty of the public touching. Especially when I am talking to someone about the surgery or my scars. I had NSBMX and when I am showing people (over my clothes) how small the incisions are I tend to point and touch.Also I poke the expanders to show how hard and unforgiving they are. It really is wierd when I think about it and hope I stop doing it after the exchange.
No Starbucks experiences yet...all G rated as of now!
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dgee: wow, all of that surgery and then a move to London!! That's a lot to go through in such a short time. My DH and I love London-good luck with your move.
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Thank you TinaT!
And thank you Whippetmom. At my last visit it did look like my PS felt the 475 Mentor HP would be what he'd like to use if he can get the pocket opened up to fit it. He said he will have the others available too.
Based on what I've read on here, if he uses a 475cc implant, I'll probably look like I did expanded to 350 or so if an increase of 100ccs seem to be an equivalent from TEs to implants. I'm guessing it would leave me a B cup. So a little smaller than I would like but I have no right to complain.
My exchange is Thursday and I can't wait.
Thank you to everyone on here who has helped me along the way!!0 -
Hello dgee......I had my exchange surgery last Tuesday and at 3 days I was already incredibly mobile and feeling very good. A walk in the park compared to the BMX. What did your surgeon tell you about the surgi-bra that they discharged us with? Mine said keep it on for a week, take off for showering only. I am a chicken so I shower and put it right back on without looking !!! I am so afraid to look at my "breasts"......my first post-op visit with the doctor is this coming Thursday and I am going to wait for HIM to tell me all looks well.
I was VERY surprised that my instructions specifically said NO ICE.......not complaining, this was an added bonus, but I thought the ice helped avoid swelling and bruising? Anyhow, I, too, am delirious to have this over with. I was fitted with Mentor Siltex rounds (not happy about that.....I just read about Gummys being so much more better and natural-looking) and they are 450 ccs if I remember correctly what I read in the card I was given. So I hope I will have at least some cleavage !
Congratulations on your double surgery.....I am an ovca survivovr for 11 years now, one recurrence and now diagnosed with brca.0 -
AnaM - You have some resolve! There is no way I could NOT look! I'll bet they look a lot better than your TE's, even this early out!
Regarding the ice ... I'm thinking they don't want us to use ice because we have greatly diminished feeling and have no idea when we're actually TOO cold. You don't want to put ice on a numb area, you could do some damage.
I pray their debut will be an encouragement to you! xo
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Oh thank you, Dawne-Hope, for your cheering words. You are right, maybe the no-ice instruction is due to the DEFINITELY NO FEELING situation on our chest. I have small areas where I have feeling but mostly the chest is non-sensitive. I will ask the Dr if that will ever resolve? I have finished the chemos and even though it did cause me some damages on the right side of my body, some are reversing by now.....but I know the chest issue is from the BMX; I guess all those nerve endings being cut through or off. The PS guy kept reminding me every time I went for fills "Massage, massage, massage. Use heavy lotions, Vitamin E is ok, keep the chest moisturized for elasticity and help circulation"......that became my mantra. But mostly I have no feeling.....the skin looks great, though!!!
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jyg - I forgot to thank you for sharing your experience with synmastia. Now that most of my swelling has gone down, things are looking better on the new TE side. I'm thinking the repair may only be needed on the previously done side.
Getting my first fill today on the new side today. I never really had a lot of discomfort with fills on the other side, so I'm curious how this one will go.
Also going to ask PS about gummys. I honestly hadn't even considered them before and I don't know if he does them or not.
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AnaM: How can you not look? I was given no instructions other than no lifting over 10 pounds. Hmmm.....I go back Friday for post-op and will ask then about getting back to "normal." I cant't wait to start running again. My incisions look so good it is amazing - so much better than last time. I don't know how he did it, seriously looks like I am 2-3 weeks out, not just days! I should get my drains out Friday, too. But I have told friends how I get no instructions, no bra talk, no massaging, nothing. Interesting! DH has offerred to massage them!
Feels so good to be on the other side of reconstruction! All you ladies still waiting - be patient, but it is a great feeling without TEs!!!!0 -
Whippetmom,
I 've had 2 more visits with new PS since I last posted. Today we decided on the final size. He pulled out some calipers and measured my "breasts" ( I love that he called them that and I'm just gonna go with it). The wider side was about 12.8 mm wide. He felt that mentor high profile 550's would be best for me, as he said that 650 or even 600 would be too wide. He said I would still get good projection with the 550's, but couldn't tell me how the projection would compare to my current appearance (570 and 510 cc's in my Dermaspan expanders, on my 5'2", 118 lb., 28 1/2 " ribcage). I am very happy with my current size and hope that the 550s get pretty close.
He is planning to do some fat grafting also at exchange, as I already have visible ripples on one side. I don't know how but I completely forgot to ask him what he's gonna do about one side being higher than the other. I asked him last time and he didn't want to commit to anything, except to say that radiated side would always be higher, until I could have my records sent (which was a paltry couple of pages that didn't include either my last visit or my fill history). They look pretty uneven and
I hope he can do something. He said he would also inject some fat under my port scar, as it is currently a big red and white indentation on my chest. Overall, I think I am happier with this Dr, tho his opinion seems not to differ much from the first one, but at least he communicates with me.
Any final words of wisdom? I am waiting to hear from his office for a date, he said probably end of Oct or early Nov..
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pinkbutterly - whippetmom is the expert here and I know little about radiated breasts but I think surely he could do something about evening them up. My TE's were uneven and my PS corrected the IMF at the exchange. I would totally hound him now on fixing it. xo
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Thanks Dawne-Hope. I feel i am getting so tired of all these Dr. Visits, asking the same questions, and getting these non-committal answers. Thanks for reminding me that I need to keep it up, hopefully this is the home stretch!
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Whippetmom
Now beginning to get little confused. Yesterday I filled to 450 and it looks plenty big. The nurse said to allow about 50 cc's for expanders so PS would probably go 500 or 550. You said the expanders were more like 100 to 150 cc's. Also the previous nurse I thought told me I would fill my 500 expanders to 500 regardless and the nurse yesterday told me no, if I was happy I would stop now and meet with PS, that I wouldn't want excess room/skin.
I know I still need to meet with him and I'm thinking that a 500 or 550 is plenty big. Any suggestions? I'm also worried that the style 20 high profile might be too wide. But isn't that what you have on same size ribcage?
My info again: 5'8" 136lbs, 30"ribcage, 133 500cc expanders.
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pink: It all sounds good to me. I mean - the volume your PS plans to use and the fat grafting. He can manipulate the symmetry as best as possible. Fat graft transfer - discuss this with him. Search for my thread "Fat Graft Transfer and the Radiated Breast"....
Deborah
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jenny: 550 ccs sounds the best to me. Style 20....Allergan - or high profile Mentors. I would honestly not go any smaller. This is the size I have - same ribcage circumference as you.
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whippetmom - It's funny but i think I am the only one that told my PS to make me as big as he can and that I did not mind if I came out looking like a playboy bunny lol. I was a 36DD and the biggest he said we could go was a large C small D. I am 5'7" , 150lbs, with a 32in ribcage. My TEs are 650cc filled to 700cc and my implants will be 650cc. So I am expecting to be 50cc smaller than I am now which seems a lot smaller than I was but I think will look very good on me.
Anyone else feeling this way?
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Carrol2, The last thing I said before I went to surgery for my exchange was "error big". I came out with 600cc high profile Allergan silicones. (I am 5'2" and about 140, big but and hips) They are not as big as I had, but look good. I had some fat grafting 2 weeks ago, and am happy. Nice thing is I can play them up or down. What I mean is I can wear a nothing bra and look sportish, or padded bra and look bigger. Pre BC I always had to wear underwire and minimize type bras.
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Christine - what style implant did you get ? Why the fat grafting ? I am about the same size as you !
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