BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Shannon= I got the Allergan style 20, 600cc high profile implants. We did the fat grafting for more upper pole fullness, and a bit more clevage. Also put some in hollow awillary area. With the fat grafting last week I also have cv flaps. 2 months and I will be ready for tattoos.
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Carrol -- lol -- I didn't say make me a playboy bunny (I was happy to be smaller) but since I was also getting reduced on my native breast at same time as exchange I didn't want TOO much removed so I told my PS "bigger is better" too... I was filled to 850 cc's and ended up with 685 cc's. I am very happy. I'm a 38D.
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whippetmom - I had my BMX on July 14 and have Mentor Style 7200 (550 cc, 13.5x11.7x7.4cm) tissue expanders. I was filled to 400cc on the left but then sprung a leak and had to have it replaced two weeks ago. Now I am at 360cc on the left and 370cc on right. I was always behind on the right so he waited until after the left replacement to start with fills again. Anyway, I am fitting into my old bras, 36C, with the fills that I have now, but understand that the implants look smaller with the same amount of ccs.
I have an appointment tomorrow for another fill. I told my PS that I wanted to end up about the same as I was before BMX. I am unsure how much more I should be filled to achieve that result. I would really appreciate your recommendation. Everyone else on this board seems so pleased with their result when the PS used the type and size you suggest. I am 5'2", 135 lbs, 34" rib circum. I usually weigh about 125-130. I stress ate and gained about 10 pounds during the time between diagnosis and BMX. I haven't been able to lose it yet, but do plan on it as soon as I can excercise fully again.
Thank you for taking your time to help all of us. I know I have learned so much just from reading all your posts.
Janice
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Thanks, Whippetmom. I will check it out. I hope the 550's look good on me...
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Thanks whippetmom. I am also going to talk to him about the 550's. I hope he can do it without another fill. I'm filled to 450 now but I will take my antibiotic just in case he wants to do one more 50 cc.
Jenny
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Janice: Continue with fills, as the skin permits to close to the recommended fill level. I would recommend high profile silicone rounds with a volume of 600 ccs. Perhaps 650 ccs... but these TEs are on the ample side for your frame, which is fine, but I don't believe it will take much more than 600 ccs to give you the results you seek. After another two fills, let's see where you are and see how you feel about the size.
Deborah0 -
Whippetmom - First off, thank you for your advice in the past. I posted pics in the pic forum yesterday and would love you to check them out (sounds funny, I know). I also wondered what your advice would be for the divot currently on my right side. I'm 7 weeks from exchange to Mentor 450s, mod profile, with fat grafting. I'm 5'6, 135 lbs, 29 1/2" rib cage. I'm very happy with my size, but not for sure what it is. I've been measured once, but not confident that they did a good job. My PS doesn't want me wearing underwire for another month.
Thanks for any advice that anyone has!
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supersally: Check out my response on the pic forum...
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Hello Ladies! It's been some time since I last posted (probably last summer!) Several months ago Whippetmom helped me with some sizing issues and now I think I need a little more help!
I had a double mast last April and reconstruction (exchange) surgery on last August. I'm 125 lbs and 5'6" 30" rib circ. I was a small A before mast. I had 350 TE overfilled (slightly) to 370. My PS used mentor 400cc mod plus profile in the exchange.
Here's my issue: I like the look from the front view (naked). They look nice, have a nice slope (no shelf) and are quite even. BUT...from the side they look quite flattish (low projection). They also have a flattish look when I look down at them (due to no nipples, I guess) and I seem very flat in clothes. Is this the nature of the moderate profile implant? Hum. Well, a couple of weeks after the surgery I noticed a couple of small, but annoying, divots start to appear in areas of thin skin from the mast. (on both sides but worse on left).
I saw my PS for my 6 week appt and told him my feelings/thoughts. He said that he can fix the divots using fat grafting and, if I want to, at the same time he can swap out the mod+ 400 implant for a high profile implant. To "fit" my body diameter (12.8?) the HP would be 500cc and would have over 1 inch more projection. I'm inclined to do both the fat grafting and swapping of implant but I'm concerned about going to 500cc HP. I'm worried about looking too big and having a "shelf" (step-off?) look as he did say HP tends to look more "augmented". Do you think the 500 HP would be an appropriate size? Any thoughts, advice? Thanks,
Brett
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Hi whippetmom - there are going to be a few ladies PMing you to gain access to the picture forum - I told them you were the best!!
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Valerie -- tell them to PM me for access to the Picture Forum.
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Hi all.
Getting ready for my 1st fill and am currious what size I will be after my exchange surgery next month. I was a full 36 C/sometimes D dependent on the bra prior to this and hope to be close to the same post reconstruction. I am 5'2 and weigh about 128 lbs. Have 500cc TE's (likely Alloderm) and was filled 180 cc each during surgery. Not sure who to PM for the picture forum. Any reassurance is welcome .......
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odie16, I am sure one of the experts will be along to help you with your size question. You will be having exchange next month?? If you have not had your first fill this would be unusual. Most of us had multiple fills (mine were 3 weeks apart, because of chemo schedule), and then waited at least a few months before exchange. I am a 36C (post exchange), 5'2" and about 140, my implants are 600cc high profile implants. I was expanded to 525ccs, over the course of about 4 months.
Whippetmom will want the exact specs from you tissue expanders, you may want to gather that info, you PS may have given you a card or you can call them and ask.
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Brett: You will be very happy with 500 ccs in a HP style implant. The size would be perfect for your frame - not too large at all. I seem to recall that you needed a moderate plus profile because your PS would not place you in a HP implant with the required width at the time? Well, now that you have had a year to allow your skin to stretch, you can easily switch over to a 500 cc HP.
Deborah
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Valerie: I am not a gatekeeper to the pictures forum at present. Had to take a hiatus due to being kept so busy here on this thread and with private messages. But Lilah or Timtam can help in this regard.
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I am getting so excited for my exchange surgery. I was a 36DD. Funny thing is I work in a bra store and I have not worn a bra now since my bmx over a year ago. I was feeling bad that the biggest I could go would be a large C small D, but now I am thinking it will look very good on me. I am 150lbs (soon to be back to 140 i hope) 32 in rib cage, 5'7". I am getting 650cc HP implants. I can;t wait to not be lopsided again.
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odie: Although I cannot predict your ultimate bra size [see the header to this thread above], I can say that you would be quite happy with around 550 ccs or 600 ccs in a high profile smooth round silicone implant. You really need to wait until you are filled to around 400 ccs to gauge how you feel about the size of the TEs. As Christine mentioned, I will need your TE mfr and style to ensure that we have the exact width of your TEs.
Deborah
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Thanks Christine & Whippetmom for the responses.
I know normally the exchange would be later but since I do not need chemo or rads, my PS can do it in one month after a couple of fills (will fill weekly for next 3 weeks). I have 13 inch width (?) Alloderm 500cc TE's... I am not sure on the height but do know he did tell me he was doing a lift as well. Not sure if it matters but I am planning to do saline implants. Hope the additional info helps and I understand you can't predict exact sizing, I just am hoping to be back to close to my norm if possible. Really do appreciate the help as it eases my mind.
Thanks so much.
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Has anyone else noticed that they are no longer receiving emails when a private message has been sent? I'm so annoyed... I have the box checked (in preferences) for email to be sent to notify me when someone PMs me... but I'm not getting ANY email notifications.
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Thanks for your reply, Deborah. At the time, my PS thought that I would be happier with the lower cc (400) in the moderate+ style. To go to the HP meant jumping to 500 and has sometwhat more of an "augmented look". (not as smooth transition). What do you think about this????. He made the call during the surgery to go with mod+.
After speaking with him about being unhappy with the "flatness" of the moderate+ style, he said he has no problem switching me out to HP and felt that it would work well for me if I was okay going somewaht larger. I think I am as the 400s look a bit small for my frame. (and flat..did I mention that?
Would I need to consider the possibility of rippling if I go larger? I currently have a couple of divots but no rippling all over. Also, in the HP, what about the "step-off" issue? As he is already doing fat grafting to fill divots, should talk to him about using fat in the upper-pole to alleviate a step-off look? I'm not sure I even have the terminology correct...this is new to me.
Also, I'm not quite a year out. I had mast/TE in April, 2011.
Thanks, Deborah
Brett
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Brett -- rippling shouldn't be an issue since many women go larger to solve rippling problems. Step off MAY be an issue (can't really say without seeing how you look now -- and you might want to PM Whippetmom for an opinion on that)... but often fat grafting can help with that issue. Though I've seen a lot of posts on the subject and most say that the fat grafting will take better if done as a separate procedure (i.e. not at the same time as the exchange). This may be because the tissue needs to heal first from exchange.
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I'll add to what Lilah said above Brett - that I do not foresee any problems with going to a HP style implant. I don't think that the "augmented appearance" is an issue. Gaining projection with breast reconstruction is one of the most difficult things to achieve and so this is why the HP style is used so often with breast reconstruction. It is not as if your PS is going outside of the proverbial box here - it is the most common style used and for good reason. So go for it!
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Thanks, whippetmom and Lilah...I think I will go for it! :-) Thanks for your help.
Brett
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Hi,going to do implants at some point and wondered what I should expect/ask? New to this forum and don't understand some terms used on here. I'm 5'7 about 115lbs and pretty thin. I was an A-32 (I think) before and would like to be a little bigger for sure. Of course people have said it may not happen because i'm too thin for skin to stretch. Or if stretched the implant could come out??? Anyway any advice appreciated before it happens.Thanx.
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undercoverebel you really need to discuss this with your PS. It really depends on your skin and if you are having radiation. I was a small 34 A/B. I didn't have rads and my skin was good. I went bigger. My PS says I'm around a C but I'm wearing 34 D bras. I went fuller as well as a bit more projection.
The implant is placed under the muscle. Listen to your PS (and whippetmom). Your band size will also dictate what you can do. Us thin gals do have an issue with rippling. My PS does fat transfer. I was starting to get some minor rippling but so far the fat transfer seems to be keeping at bay.
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undercoverebel - Whippetmom has a lot of valuable info posted right at the top of this page that should give you a good head start on what to expect and ask. Best wishes!0
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Undercoverrebel: Read the header to this page regarding information needed, e.g., your tissue expander data.
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I missed the memo. Is the pict forum down for maintenance?
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Where is the picture forum? I would like to see some before and after photos is anyone can let me know a good place to find some. My PS appointment is coming up and I would like to be prepared
Christine0 -
Thanx everyone,haven't been assigned a ps yet so i'll have to wait to get all of my questions answered. But these forums help.
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