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BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

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Comments

  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 596

    Aww Thanks Blessings! I am glad the PS will have an opportunity to correct any issues at the exchange. I'm so glad to hear things are going well for you.



    I sent some pics to Whippet and she was able to allay my fears re: extra skin. Thanks again WM!

  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 596

    Aww Thanks Blessings! I am glad the PS will have an opportunity to correct any issues at the exchange. I'm so glad to hear things are going well for you.



    I sent some pics to Whippet and she was able to allay my fears re: extra skin. Thanks again WM!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    I will be whippet racing all weekend - and so I will likely not be able to get back here to check messages until Sunday evening.  Have a great weekend everyone! 

    Deborah

  • Barb59
    Barb59 Member Posts: 1

    Wippetmom,

    Unfortuntely, I did not know about this site until after my reconstruction which was done in Sept 2011, 5 months ago. I am 5'1", 125 lbs and have a 30" ribcage. On the MX side the PS put in Mentor 500cc HP round silicon implant and augmented the other side with a 150cc MP round. The MX side has never dropped. It's high on the top, flat in the front(about 2-21/2 inches in diameter) and missing about half of the IMF. PS has finally said he thinks I need a slightly smaller implant, plus sutures on the bottom to create the IMF. I would appreciate your option on this. Do you think a smaller implant would help reduce the excess volume on the upper part of the breast? I'm not sure if I should look for another PS or stay with this guy.

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    Barb:  I am sending you a private message.

  • B123
    B123 Member Posts: 239

    I had the exchange done on Thursday the 10th and they are looking great and Im so far very happy with the size.  However Im noticing pockets, is this normal?  As anyone had this?  I hope nothing is wrong with the implants.

    Thank you whippetmom for your help this far!

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    B123 I'm not sure about what you mean by pockets but they do change over the next few months. Do you mean rippling? This is common in us  gals who are thin on top (and thin skin). I had fat transfer done (twice) but even I still have a little rippling.
  • B123
    B123 Member Posts: 239

    Lago, I do have rippling, Im hoping that it wont need another surgery to fix.  But I feel pockets of air between skin and implant from the middle of my chest.  How is a fat transfer done?  You are right, thin (boney) on top, I dont know if she should have taken that into account and did the fat transfer on the same day?

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653

    They take the fat from another part of your body like your tummy, love handles or thighs. It's like lypo except you don't really notice much fat loss. Then they do something to the fat before they place it in areas around your breast. There are other fat transfer procedures but that 's how my PS does it. My PS did some fat transfer at exchange but could find enough. He did a lot more when I got my nipples done.

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    NEW CLINICAL TRIAL ENROLLING PATIENTS FOR STEM-CELL ENRICHED BREAST AUGMENTION/RECONSTRUCTION.

    This is for women who have been cancer-free for 5 years and do not have breast implants currently.  So if you have had a prior lumpectomy with radiation damage, and want some restoration of volume and correction of the lumpectomy defect, this might be a very good option to consider.

    http://www.hollywoodpresbyterian.com/breastaugmentationclinicaltrial/ 

  • bludaizy
    bludaizy Member Posts: 15

     Whippetmom - Hi. I messaged you a while back before my BMX. I am now well into my fills. I have Natrelle Style 133FV, 400 cc expaners. I am 5'4". Current weight is 145, but I lost 15 lbs in the last few months and not sure it will stay off :)  The bras I wore pre-BMX were 38B, but I didn't completely fill those (and i probably wore the wrong size).  I measured under my bra line and got 32". I really enjoyed running prior to all this going on and hope to pick it back up once I'm through all this. I'd like to come out of this able to fill a B cup completely...so full B or small C would be my pick.

    Now that I know more about what is going on, I just wanted to run this back by you and see what you think. Right now I am filled to 425 cc's. I thought we were only filling to 500, but today he said something about maybe filling more than that. How much over can they fill the TE's? My husband thought maybe PS got confused thinking I had 500 cc TE's???

     I kinda like the size they are now other than them being so high up and looking a little flat across the middle, but I think that is supposed to change once I do the exchange?  When I was asking PS some questions today, he said that he always uses high profile implants and said something about them having a narrower base. Does that sound right, or do you think I misunderstood what he was saying?  He said that he uses Mentor implants. If it's high profile, I know you said this:"If you opt for an HP, this would translate to at least 500 ccs - Allergan Style 20. If he uses a 500 cc variable projection TE, this would mean around 492 ccs in a Style 15 or 600 ccs in a Style 20.  " What would this be for the mentor and how far would you recommend going on my fills for my TE's? Thanks so much!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    bludaizy: I think I am going to stick with 500 ccs, Mentor high profile smooth round silicone implants.  It is a good size for your frame and you should be approximately where you are currently with your TEs. 550 ccs would be a good size also - but let's find out what your PS has in mind.  I honestly do not think you would need to overfill beyond 500 ccs - that should be sufficient to exchange you out to the implants aforementioned.  But your TEs knows your skin and must have a plan.  Ask him though, why he feels the need to overfill beyond 500 ccs.  I would be curious as well.

    Deborah

  • mebmarj
    mebmarj Member Posts: 143

    Whippetmom,

    I sent you a PM. I have learned so much here. Thanks!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    I responded mebmarj!

  • bludaizy
    bludaizy Member Posts: 15

    Whippetmom -  I know he won't fill beyond 500 ccs at the next visit, so if he still says we're going to fill more, I will ask him why and let you know what he says. Thanks!

  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 293

    This might be a little off topic, but Whippetmom is so knowledgeable, that I had to ask.  I am fully expanded with 650 cc and had Rads.  Reading my report I see that I had MatriStem and Dermamatrix inset at the time of my tissue expander.  Is it normal to have what seems like a small lump under my skin?  Now in the last week I notice a small line type lump near my scar.  I KNOW I need to ask the doc about it, but I feel like such a hypochondriac!

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    mammalou I don't know what it is but you are NOT being a hypochondriac. Lumps on scars must be checked out. I would call your BS on that one.
  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    mammalou: I do not know where your mastectomy incision/scar is located on the mound, in relation to what you are feeling/seeing. I read up on the application for MatriStem [you are the first I have talked to where this product has been used for recon] and see that the TE is positioned under the MatriStem and then the MS is sutured to the pectoral.  I could see where this linear raised area could be attributed to the MatriStem,e.g., undissolved sutures.  But, as lago stated, anything which appears out of the norm, especially in relation to the incision site or scar tissue, should be evaluated by your PS. 

    Keep us posted on what you find out!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    Silimed's conical-shaped breast implant.  Could this be the answer to the problematic issue of projection for breast reconstruction patients?  It is available in Europe and Australia - but not in the states. 

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    They seem to come in a lot of different shapes: linky
  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    Thanks lago!

  • Crescent5
    Crescent5 Member Posts: 64

    Wow, that conical one is what I was looking for. Made it up to 360ccs today, and PS & I both feel I'm big enough. Will get an overfill next week, and exchange 4/4. These things are busting through my camis and soft bras, so I think that's enough. PS says he'll put in 390 high profile.

    Nipples still look a little smashed in, but PS says things will look much better with implants. I'm nervous now. Hope we're making the right choice! Undecided

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028

    Crescent....just want to understand....390 ccs high profile?  I do not know of any HP implant with that volume.  Do you mean moderate plus profile or midrange profile - 397 ccs?...

    Or are you referring to saline implants?

  • chrissilini
    chrissilini Member Posts: 13

    Anyone have moderate profile and like them? My exchange is set for 3/15. When talking with my PS and reading through the Allergan book, I asked which I'd be getting and if I had a choice. He said I didn't have enough skin for the high profile. Is this common? I have no idea what they will look like but I liked the high profile.I'm a little disappointed and afraid that the mod or mod plus will look flat.

  • Crescent5
    Crescent5 Member Posts: 64

    Deborah, maybe I was wrong about the #? All along we've said silicone, but your question makes me feel that I should make sure.

    This is for Deborah & Chrissilini - I found a style on Allergen's PDF called the Low Height, Full Projection (410LF). There's also an extra full projection. Its not a high profile, but looks to be a good shape. I know for me, I have way too much upper pole, so this might be what I need. I cannot tell if that's saline or silicone though.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653

    I have allergen naturelle style 15, 397 cc and I'm more than happy with the size. My PS felt this was the right style for me. I didn't have rads. I did go bigger.

    I'm on the pict forum

  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 2,631

    Crescent -- any Allergan with a 410 in its description is the gummy anatomical shaped implant that is still in trial in the US (though widely available via many doctors and hospitals).  The cohesive gel gummy is a firmer implant than regular silicone and so is able to hold that anatomical or teardrop shape.

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235

    chrissilini - I have Natrelle Style 15 in 533cc and I'm very pleased.  My PS brought Styles 15, 20, and 45 into surgery and decided the 15s looked the best.  I had no history of rads.  He thought the 15s suited my frame the best and was closest to the size and look I was hoping for.

    There are a number of us with Style 15s on the picture forum.  If you don't have access you could send Lilah, firni, or DawneHope a PM.

  • Crescent5
    Crescent5 Member Posts: 64

    Thank you Lilah! I do not want gels. I want squishy ones. I'll talk to PS.

    Lago, I haven't signed into the PF for a few months and decided today I was going to check out your pics. I tried my PW 3x (obviously forgotten) and got bumped out. TimTam sent me instructions to re-register (I guess). Will make the attempt later.

    Seriously ladies, I gotta know because I'm going against PS & whippetsmom original advice and going a lot smaller. These 360 TEs make me feel and look like frederick's of hollywood. The girls are busting out of my camis & bras like they're fighting for air. Am I making an erroneous assumption that it's the size causing that? It's not just the fact that these are TEs, right?

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653

    Cresent my pictures include a photo of me in my TE's after the final fill. I felt I had stripper boobs too. It took me a bit to get used to what I have too. I thought I might have gone too big. Whippetmom also recommended some high profiles for me but my PS said the style 15. Whippetmom agreed these would be good too.

    But remember same implants will look different on differnt people.