BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Deborah: I didn't think that I could go that much wider then the expander! I will just have to let him know that bigger is better, unless it looks horribly wrong. Thanks again!
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Deborah~
hmmm....now there's an idea! Taking my PS hostage for a bigger rack!!!! Tempting.......
If i can get into the "300 club" i will be happy (i think). I will keep my fingers crossed for the 325/335 grams! But if i have a 300 TE,does that not mean he will HAVE to go for one in the 200's if he insists i have to have a smaller implant than TE? Even though i hope to be filled to 450? I am hoping that when they do the pocket work and bring them over more toward the middle,this might give me that extra bit of width needed for the bigger implant.As long as they don't then stitch the outsides up to compensate for moving them inward!!
I will ask this when i go for my pre-op appointment nearer my exchange.I want to know if they extend my pocket inward,will that give me a bit more room to take a wider implant.
I just hope they don't stich me up~in more ways than one!
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My fills are done. I am slightly bigger than I intended but I do not mind that too much. How much smaller do you tend to look with implants? I kinda loved the size I was before my last fill of 70 cc. I am a large boned girl but pretty trim in my torso (lets not go into the lower region for size info!). I am still afarid of being too small.
Deborah- is it reasonable to expect to be only about 70 cc smaller? I really trust my PS and I look good in clothes even with my TEs but he was a little short my last visit and I felt rushed with my questions. This is unusual so I am guessing just a bad day and I can ask all my questions at my next consult. But that is when we'll make final decisions before exchange and there won't be time to fact check with the expert(Deborah). He did say I won't need a bra 24/7 after exchange because I have great cleavage standing up. They do separate about 21/2 inches when I lay down or raise my arms, but upright the girls look great. Just starting to get nervous and excited about exchange. Can we go over my numbers again Deborah?
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MBJ: The key is: You do not want to go much wider, if wider at all, than the natural breast. You want an implant to match the width of your natural breast. Whether that is an HP or a MPP - I do not know. Your PS knows....and he is going to select the volume of the implant and the style of implant, in an effort to gain symmetry with the natural breast. It might NOT be 550 ccs...it might be less...
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Kay: It sounds to me as though you are pretty vocal with your PS about what you want. So I think you have probably communicated what your desires are and hopefully, expanding you to 450 will allow him to get you into a 325-355 gram implant. It certainly sounds to me as though this is entirely possible.
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Tamgam: Yes, give me your details again.....you had an LD flap, didn't you??? So that is going to factor here.
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Kay: I just imagined you taking your PS hostage! So funny. I am crossing my fingers you can get stretched to 450--I am hoping to be there by Tuesday. I am thinking you are going to look amazing no matter what. Have a great weekend!0
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Deborah: I guess I have to just have alot of trust with my PS going in that he will not only match the natural shape but also make them larger. Thanks again for all of your help.
Have a great weekend!
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Deborah, thank you for all of your help and patience. I posted my pics. Despite my best effort at communicating to my PS my desires for more projection and less width and cannot help but wonder how the larger projection and narrower implants would have looked, he put in the Allergan 15's 421 cc Although, on my frame, I think they look pretty large & full. He did the lift as we discussed. He and I also discussed sizes beforehand, and I told him I wanted Allergan 20's. He commented on their fuller projection, He is definitely not a breast man and I think it was hard for him to make me as large as he did. It's hard to tell how they are going to end up looking but it's only been 2 days. Now I have to wait for the drop and fluff cycle to kick in. I don't want too much drop so I'll be in a bra 24/7
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waldo: Beautiful! The flap donor sites are just spot on perfect for creating your nipple/areola complex. I think you are going to be very happy! I am very pleased!
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Deborah, I still have no idea on what size or implant he used... I tried asking him before the surgery and he could not tell.All he said was "will do my best". To make it worse, he was an hr late for the surgery and everything happend soo fast . The next thing i remember, was in the recovery room and by boobs looking smaller than the original.Danm! I hate it!! Next appointment I have with him is next friday and hope he will be able to give me all the details regarding the implants.
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Mimi: They WILL change. Give them time...
Send me photos this weekend. Monday, call his office and ask for the implant details. By law, the information MUST be posted in your chart.
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Thanks a lot Deborah. You are an angel and don't know what people like me would do without you!
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Deborah, I echo Mimi, thank you so much for your kind words, patience, humor and support. I feel as though you have been there alongside me holding my hand thru this entire process helping to identify and encouraging me (and everyone here) to get the results we truly wanted.
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(((((MIMI)))))
((((WALDO))))
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Hi Deborah,
Here are my numbers: 5' 2", 114 lbs, ribcage is 30.5". My TE are Allergan 133 MV 400cc. One is filled to 440 and one is 420. She will be using the cohesive gel implants.
I went shopping for some new bras because I was tired of wearing sports bras. All my old ones that I wore before surgery had underwire and I was told I couldn't wear them. I picked up a new wonderbra 2404, (no underwire), size 34 B. When I tried it on, I saw that my TE didn't quite fill the bra. So I made an appointment to get another fill next week . . . hence the question "is it bizarre to have her see me in my bra so she could she how much more I needed to be filled?" The width was fine; it was the projection that was shy.
Thanks!!
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Mantra: When you say "cohesive gel", in the U.S., for us this currently refers to the standard round silicone. You are in Canada, so I think you might be referring to the gummy bears or the "TRUE" cohesive gel implants, right? Does your PS have access to Mentor CPGs as well as Allergan 410's?
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Mantra:
If the Allergan 410 is used, and if your PS has created the pocket specifically for the 410, your numbers are as follows:
TE: 13.0 cm width by 12.0 cm height by 5.6 cm projection. You could have up to 5.8 projection currently, with the overfill.
Allergan 410 MX: 410 gm
13.0 cm width by 12.0 cm height by 6.1 cm projection
Allergan 410 MF: 375 gm
13.0 cm width by 12.1 cm height by 5.2 cm projection.
I suppose your PS could use either of these two styles/sizes. You can certainly tell her you would prefer the implant with the higher projection.
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Hi Deborah,
I know that she said the shape of the cohesive gels are anatomical so I guess they are true cohesive/gummy bear??
Mentor and Allergan are available here but I know that she said she uses Allergan. I will speak to her about 410 MX. Given the projection you stated above, I think this is the route I will want to go. In my mind, I want to be the size I was before the mastectomy. However, my left breast was removed last year and it was noticeably larger. She was not involved in that surgery and only met me post op. Therefore, her measurements have all been done on my right side just prior to my second mastectomy.
Geez, it takes a wealth of knowledge to know what you want when you get implants. Way more than I ever thought possible. I'm glad to know by what you said, my decisions have all been narrowed down to two possible implants. Am I correct in saying that since my current projection is likely 5.8 and I find it lacking, than the 410 MX is probably the implant for me?:
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Deborah: Since they started the Foobville site, I think you are our only hope here! So ditto what Waldo and Mimi said. You are a godsend and I don't know what I would have done without all of your help.
Waldo: They did an amazing job with your surgery! I am sure they are only going to look better. Is it actually possible for a breast surgeon not to be a "breast man"??!! They are beautiful!
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Waldo, I agree with MBJ -- I think your PS must be a closet "breast man"!!! You look really fantastic!
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Deborah~ keep your fingers crossed for them 325/355 puppies!!!!
I'll cry,stamp my feet and throw myself on the floor in a hissy-fit if they say any smaller!! LOL
MBJ~i have the duct tape and gag ready for my PS if he denies my 'big-boobie' request! Only thing is......i have TWO of them to kidnap! (I may need an accomplice!)
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Jerusha, He's gotta be a leg man- no way is he a breast guy, He likes delicate and natural and seems to love that natural droop. Honestly, I think it was really difficult for him to make me as big as he did. He told DH he put the biggest ones he brought with him to the OR and they were only 421 cc. I think his vision for me was a mid profile 300 something implant. He knew I wanted bigger, fuller and perkier. I think if he went smaller without more nip and tucking, I would have way too much rippling.
My problem is he is out of my insurance network and my out of pocker expense is going to be astronomical. I received the EOB from my insurance yesterday and my out of pocket (according to that) is a lot more than what I was told intially by his office's financial/ insurance specialist, These foobs may be a huge expense and more of an investment than I would have liked. I may need to find someone new to do nips and tattoo who is in network unless he decides to accept what BC/BS pays, It's a shame b/c I think he does nice work. I may need some of you NJ or NYC gals' recommendations for nips & tatts ladies!
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hi my name is stacey and ive been lurking here the past few weeks. deborah u seem like an invaluable resource! i was hoping you can offer some advice. i just had a left mast with te 4 days ago and im feeling good. i have a cups and definitely want to be a c cup. im 5 feet 4 inches and 105 lbs. ribcage is 29 i think its hard to measure under this surgical bra. i used to wear a 34 a bra. dr. disa inserted the allergan 133mv-12 with 300ccs. is that too low? i want the high profile smooth silicon rounds. oh on day 2 after mast a 1 inch sized purple spot appeared on my incision line closer to armpit. doc assistant said this is thin skin and not to worry it should slough off. do u think this might affect how large i can expand? thx sooo much
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stacey: Your TE style and size is just fine. I am perplexed about your ribcage to bra size though. Either your ribcage is larger or you have truly been wearing the wrong band size. You should be wearing a 32 band. But that aside, I think that 400 ccs - in a smooth silicone high profile round implant would be just about where you want to be.
The caveat here is this: Your skin integrity will dictate how far you can go with expansion. I also had that little odd patch after the surgery - after my first fill - the hallmark of thin skin. But my pre-MX size was larger than yours. So let's see how your fills progress and take them slowly and minimally - this is preferable. Let's see where you are once you get close to the 300 cc fill mark.
Deborah
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Stacy: I think I already posted this earlier on here, but I am a left side uni, too. You are in great hands with Deborah the breast whisperer--she will provice you with excellent advice!
M-Star: I would love to help you kidnap your dr's and hold them for ransom so that you can get what you want! It sounds like a hoot! We are both tall and you are incredibly athletic so we could easily overpower them LOL!!
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This is where Kay's tai kwan do should come in handy...or is it Taekwando?
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Stacy: I just read MBJ's comments to you and I realize that I missed that you are a unilateral. So I need to revise my recommendations, based on the fact that Dr. D will be considering an implant which will give you symmetry with the natural breast. He based his choice of TE upon the width of your native breasts. It depends on what size of implant he uses to augment your natural breast....how much droop he needs from the MX pocket to match the natural breast. So it is safe to state he is going to remain in the 12.0 cm width with whatever implant he chooses, but then that could even be a 350 cc in a moderate plus profile style. I think you need to discuss with the PS your goals to get into a high profile implant with a 12.0 cm width. Based on your current A cup bra size - it tells me that you are very likely going to get a perky rounded look with an implant in the natural breast, because you have no droop in that breast, right? And there is very little tissue and so the high profile could be the implant which would work best for you. However, discuss this with your PS.
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Hi Waldo, I'm not even at exchange yet (11 days, but who's counting...), so I do not have anything useful to say about nips,etc. I go to MSKCC, despite living 5h away. It is such a vast place, with patients from all over the world, that I would guess they take as many insurances as anywhere. I never had any issue with mine. In fact, the hospital took care of EVERYTHING. I never made a single call -- to them, or to the ins co. I was so crazed I actually didn't even think about it. I literally just showed up the AM of my BMX and signed in. A few weeks later got the (astronomical, of course) bills and everything was fully paid. Thank goodness!! I feel very fortunate. Please PM me if you want the details of who I see,etc. BTW, as I've said before, as far as the nursing care...they should have paid ME! In fairness, I should add that others did not have the same self-service nursing experience. Part of the reason I went there was that I was expecting superior care. They must have run out of room on the breast floor and stuck me in some weird place with nurse imposters, or something. But that was just 24hours. The BS and PS are what really matters.
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LOL! Yes its tae kwondo! we'll kick ass MBJ!! Be like Thelma and Louise (but without the breasts!) lmao!!
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