BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Annicemd: Go slowly with fills. Every two weeks is good, when your skin tends to be taut. If you go weekly, no more than 50 ccs at a time. I think 50 ccs at a time is preferable even if you go once every two weeks. There is no rush to the finish line here and maintaining skin integrity is essential to the success of the expansion process. When I talk about lifting arms over the head, I mean within reason....you still need to perform range of motion exercises - but slowly. When you over extend your arms upward, you can feel the TEs pull and so just avoid excessive, exaggerated movement. Like, in my case, using a chuckit to throw a ball for your dog two weeks after surgery....0
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Thanks so much Deborah, you are a wealth of information and such a vital resource for us all.
I think my ps was planning fills every 2 weeks and 50 ccs so that gives me more confidence in him too which is really reassuring.
Annice0 -
I can certainly speak to the migration of the TE...I do pull ups, and all sorts of heavy exercises and it's moved about an inch out toward my armpit. My PS says it is ok, it's the stretch that's important since he's "cleaning out the pocket" for the exchange...but I dunno...that sounds like a pat on the head type answer.
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Whippetmom,
I posted some new details about my expanders - they are Natrelle 133MX-12 and filled to 360cc's. My ribcage is 29.5 and I am 5'1" and weigh 112lbs. I really like the size that my expanders are now. Before, when I thought I was in 133MX-11 and filled to 300, you said I should go with 325ccs, Style 20. With new details, what is your recommendation? Thanks so much!
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I know this may be a little off topic but also know with the depth of knowledge on this thread, the answer is here.
I have an acquaintance/friend that due to circumstances of where we see each other, our ability to talk in depth is difficult. Here is the situation as I understand it. She had a direct to implant (no TE) and her implant has a port for fills. Due to change of job, move, loss of insurance and life, the port was never removed and bugs her alot. The question is what is involved in removing the port? Remember she is now in a whole different state, new job, new insurance - really high deductible, and will have to find a new doctor. Is this only a PS thing or can a BS do it? Is it a day surgery or is there a possibility of having it removed as an office procedure?
Thank you so much for any info or direction you can provide.
Barbara
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starak my port was placed and will be removed by my surgeon who specializes in placing vascular access devices for chemotherapy. He is not my BS or my PS. In my case I do believe it isn't an office procedure although I have heard some having done in the office. It's done with local anesthesia. I went hope right after placement but did need my husband because you are still a little woozy from the anesthesia. It's like getting a colonoscopy.
So yes I do believe any general surgeon can do this.
I will keep my port for a total of 3 years unless I have issues. My onc prefers that.
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Thank you Lago - Because this is a port for fills on a permanent implant and not a vascular port for chemo, I am hoping that might make the removal easier because there is no messing with blood vessels. I swear I saw a brochure about this type of implant in my PS office. I was there to simply have center dog ears removed and so did not devote my full attention to the subject.
Am I mistaken about this? Is there in fact a type of implant that is the permanent implant but that has a port for fills to fine tune the size?
Barbara
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Yes there is a type of saline implant that can be filled and is not removed.
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Starak, that is the type of implant that I will be getting next month. My PS indicated that he can remove the fill port in his office when we are done with fills.
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sweetbean: Allergan Style 20 - 400 ccs or 425 ccs - and 425 ccs is preferable.
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Gracie: So sorry that I somehow missed your post! I hope you come back here to check for answers. If ever I fail to respond within 24 hours - just PM me and let me know you have posted.
With your TEs, if you were to exchange out to high profile implants, it would be 600 ccs in Style 20. But what would work also would be 492 ccs or 533 ccs in Allergan, Style 15.
What I want you to verify and discuss with the PS, is what YOU want in terms of implant type. When your PS' nurse gave you the volume range of 500 ccs to 540 ccs, this tells me she is referring to a saline implant. I would recommend a smooth round silicone implant - which is what most of us have here on the recon forums.
The only caveat I have here is referable to your lat flap, which you stated in the singular, which means it is on one side only. So this might require the use of two different sizes of implant. You can always email me photos...PM me for my email address if you want to do so.
Deborah
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klynnz: Don't worry about the lateral migration of the TE. It is very common and the PS can and will correct this at the time of the exchange.
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Starak: It sounds as though your friend has the Mentor Spectrum adjustable implants. So I would think that a breast surgeon could remove the filler ports, but I would personally prefer a plastic surgeon, as removal is via the original incisions. Her insurance WILL cover this - it is removal of an implantable device - a foreign body, if you will. It is a matter of making a few phone calls to plastic surgeons on her insurance plan, to get an estimate of the cost for removing this device.
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Whippetmom, you are awesome! Thank you!
Edited to add: So you really think that my skin will stretch from 360cc's (where it is now) to 425cc's? Even with rads?
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Thanks for finding my post, Deborah! PM sent, thank you.
Gracie
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sweetbean: Thank you for reminding me about your rads history. I have a brain like a sieve. I think that Style 20 - 400 ccs would be sufficient - at 11.9 cm - if your PS uses Allergan. I think it is entirely "doable", if your previously irradiated skin integrity is good. Perhaps a Style 15 would work.also - 339 ccs Allergan or 350 ccs Mentor. But I would want the PS to at least consider and attempt the Style 20-400 - at the time of the exchange.
Your TEs: 12.0 cm width and 5.2 cm projection
Style 20 - 400 ccs - 11.9 cm width and 5.0 cm projection
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Cool, thank you so much! Everyone tells me that my skin has healed exceptionally well and my exchange will be 7 months out from rads, so I think I should get good results. My PS certainly wasn't concerned. She definitely said she was going to use the Style 20, so I will push for 400cc's. She's a lovely person, but I think she prefers smaller breasts. Not that I want to look like a porn star, but I definitely want to be bigger than I was.
I really appreciate the time you take to answer our posts - you are doing a real service.
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sweetbean: I just edited my post above yours to include the dimensions of your TEs vs. the dimensions of the Style 20-400s. Anything smaller in Style 20 would be too narrow.
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Hello all. I'm new to this thread and a little hesitant to post as it seems you all are tiny, meaning I haven't seen a post by anyone near my weight.(Although I have just skimmed through) I'm just looking for advice on staying the size I was or going a little bigger. I'm about 5'5 and weigh 200lbs. I am working hard to lose weight and before surgery lost 10lbs. It's a start. Anyway, I've always felt my breasts were on the smallish side, small to med B, compared to the rest of my body. I'm concerned about proportion. I don't want to go huge but I want to look 'right' for lack of a better way of putting it.
I had my first fill yesterday and my ps said I'm just about at my pre-surgery size/volume. I go back in 2 weeks for another fill, maybe, or to start discussing the exchange. So I have a couple of weeks to get an idea of how I feel about the current size but I know the final product will be different. Maybe the fact that they are sitting up higher than they used to is throwing me off. Does any of this make sense? I feel like I'm babbling.
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chrissilini: You did not "skim" enough - because there are plenty of "bodacious" gals on this thread! You will need to provide me with your TE information - style and volume and mfr - Mentor or Allergan or "other"...I agree wholeheartedly about gaining proportion and so let's work on this, but I need your TE info. Also, your ribcage circumference - measuring under the TEs.
Deborah
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Hey Dawne-Hope....
I'm 5'10" and 140lbs....tall and skinny, so I didn't want to be very big. My tiny 200s are perfect for my lifestyle...I'm actually going back to modeling with my new hair. I think it's so cool how everyone is so different in their wants.....I just have so much mad respect for each and every one of you guys!
I'm single, and if any man is unhappy with my tiny little chest............NEXT!
Love you gals...thanks again Whippetmom....
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Very, very belated thanks for your help, Whippetmom! You are the best.
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Whippetmom, your awesomeness knows no bounds! God bless you!
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Hi I have the Becker expandable implants. Anyone know of these type? Any good? Just had my implant in.im a bit sore. Not taking any pain meds.
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Redninrah I never took the pain meds either. I too was sore and didn't classify it as pain.
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Whippetmom, Lago, DLL66 - Thank you all so much!! I knew you would have the answers.
Barbara
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redninrah, whippetmom previously gave me some info on the Becker implants in this thread, which I am copying for you:
Dec 10, 2011 08:43 pm
whippetmom wrote:
"DLL: I would look into the Mentor Spectrum contour profile textured implant. It could probably approximate the dimensions of the Allergan Style 45.
http://www.mentorwwllc.com/global-us/Breast.aspx
Also, ask your PS about the Becker expandable implant, which comes in a number of configurations and includes saline and gel/saline combos. There is a contour profile in this implant also. There is a gel "Spectra" expandable, according to Hilton Becker, MD, who designed the Mentor Spectrum. Now I see that there is an ongoing clinical trial for the Becker expandable gel/saline, and this might be the "Spectra."
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00750685
The Becker expandable implant is available, but it is very expensive [about $2,200 per implant] and so would only be used for breast reconstruction purposes. Someone seeking breast augmentation would not want to pay for such an expensive device.] So your PS would have access to this. HOWEVER, I am not sure that the dimensions of the Becker could approximate the projection dimensions of the Allergan Style 45. You certainly could investigate this further or have your PS investigate this further.
http://www.beckerbreastimplants.com/
It might be that the Spectrum is the best choice for you and in the presence of your lat flap, would probably work just fine.
Let me know what you decide to do.
Deborah"0 -
Thanks. !!!
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Sweetbean--I am exactly your height and weight..first implants were 350/375, revision was 400/450 in the Allergan 20s (much better)---I think Whippetmom is right on the money for you. My TES were expanded to 330. The 400s look like a very full B in clothing but I wear a C bra.
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takeadeepbreath, thank you so much!!! I will definitely push for 400cc's. That is EXACTLY what I want to look like. Whoohooo! (Sending you a PM about your PS - doing my recon in NYC.)
You ladies RULE!
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