BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Whippetmom
I have more information with regards to my potential size. After my BMX this past Friday, my PS
placed Allergan133FX 550cc TE. My physical attributes are 5'4", 135lbs, 34" ribcage
Any suggestions on what I should get
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Whippetmom - thanks for your recommendation for me, Natrelle Style 15, 371cc. Sounded good, but....
I was just reading some older posts and noticed in one of your responses from 2011 you mention that to duplicate the look you have currently in your TE's you need an additional 100 to 150cc in the final implant. Is that still a valid rule-of-thumb? Interesting.
Well, I am currently at 320cc in my TE's, and wouldn't want to look much smaller, especially current projection. So, does the math mean I would look smaller with the 371cc implant? Could I go up to the 421cc if that is the case?
Thanks.
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Tangles: what kind of pain are you experiencing? Stabbing? Burning? Aching? Speaking from my own experience I had a lot of burning pain across my upper bosom after TEs were placed. Kept taking hydrocodone until they wouldn't refill it any more. My breast surgeon recognized my description of burning pain as a nerve pain issue and put me on Neurontin (gabapentin). Totally solved my pain problem. TEs continued to be uncomfortable but never painful since late November. Over-expanding has not been painful for me either. Might be worth asking your doctor about. I went to my BS rather than my PS about the pain. PS wasn't that sympathetic, but BS jumped right on it.\
Good luck!
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Hi Tangles, Whippetmom probably has the best info about this, I can only speak from experience. One of my later fills, I got 160 cc's both sides. Yikes! 100 felt good, at thetime, so when PS's nurse asked if I wanted more I said, okay (my PS doesn't have a fill limit per visit, something I'm thinking of talking with her about). No problem when I sat up. Wasn't until about an hour later I really felt like I was going to burst (did I mention I had taken Flexeril and Xanax in the morning prior to office visit?). So much intense pain! I called PS's office, was told to come in and have some taken out, silly me, don't know why now, but decided to ride it out. Dumb! Went to regular appt 2 weeks after big fill, because of the pain that remained, though lessened, had to put off fill that day. So I didn't gain anything in the long run by that overfill. I'd call your PS office tomorrow, you shouldn't be in pain that long. Hang in there,Tangles!
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Tangles, how many cc's in your last fill? How much overfilled are you? I had to decrease fill sizes the closer I got. Just too much pressure too quickly.
Although I was mostly ok during the day time I had to "sleep" sitting upright in our recliner for four months during TE's. there are women who have no problems, there are some who ave a lot of problems. My guess is that the majority fall somewhere in between.
Mine did get more uncomfortable once overfilled. They were rock hard.
I read somewhere, though I have no idea if it is true, that smaller women or women with tighter pecs (work out a lot?) may have more discomfort.
So sorry for your pain. I can tell you that post exchange is a much better place. Hang in there. I detest all medication, but I did take some on fill days/nights.0 -
Tangles, I had a ton of pain with my TE! Never really let up from day one. All muscle spasms and the feeling that someone was ripping out my armpit. What finally helped me was physical therapy. Getting back my ROM took away most of my pain of the armpit and Flexeril helped with the muscle spasms ( which I still have some 10 weeks post exchange). Flexeril would make me very groggy. So my dad (who's also a doctor) said to split my pills and take half pills throughout the day. So I would take 1/2 pill 3 times a day. Worked beautifully for me! Didn't make me sleepy or interfere with driving or anything. He said to take them for a couple of days and let them build up in your system and after that it's just a matter of maintaining a low dose all day long. Don't know if that would work for you but you could try it with different meds. He also said you could take this type of dose of Flexeril for months without doing any damage. I have finally weaned myself off now that pain is much better but periodically have bad days when I do too much so I pop half a pill, although I will say without being on a steady dose, it does make me just a bit sleepy!! Hope this helps!
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My TE are 550 and I am filled to about 650. My final fill was 60cc so nothing extreme. I was a workout person prior to this cancer, although I can hardly walk around the block now thanks to chemo. The pain is sometimes just severe pressure, sometimes I feel like it is burning, I can feel it in my back also it just kills. I feel like I literally have two concrete blocks sitting on my chest. Mornings are best, but by afternoon I am in PAIN!!
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catey: There are a number of options. Allergan or Mentor HP implants - around 500 ccs to 600 ccs, Allergan Style 45 - 650 ccs, or anatomical implants - 450 grams in a FX style implant. The sizing of silicone rounds and anatomicals differs because with anatomicals we are going by weight and dimensions. The dimensions of the implant need to correspond to the dimensions of the TE.
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Rose63: Everything you say is true....HOWEVER, in your first post, you stated as follows:
1. I would love to come out of this a solid B. But honest, as they will be so much more perky, I'd probably be fine with the full A too.
2. A consideration for me also is that I am a runner....so big or heavy or cumbersome foobs are out.
3. I'm thinking going for a comfortable 'fit' is also important to me.
4. And I'd love them to feel somewhat natural.
So, to recap: You wanted to be a solid "B" cup or even an "A" cup and you did not want large breasts and you wanted them to be comfortable and natural. So, armed with this information I recommended the Style 15, 371 ccs. If you had NOT indicated that you wanted to be on the smaller side, I would have recommended Allergan Style 20, 500 ccs. I try to give gals what they ask for.....0 -
tangles: I do not believe that women should be experiencing the degree of pain you describe at this point in the process. My own plastic surgeon told me, regarding discomfort: "If after a week you experience discomfort or pain which cannot be controlled with over-the-counter medication, I want you to come back to me because something is not right." So I think that this is quite unreasonable and if your PS or BS seem to be brushing you off regarding these symptoms, you need to consult with someone else. I do not recall how much time you have left, but honestly, I would rather see you exchange now, rather than much later, in light of the severity of your pain. I would call the PS and tell her or tell him that you are going to have to consult with someone else to find out why you have such severe pain. I have names if you want to contact me.
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tangles: In some cases, with bony-chested women - the pressure of the TEs compresses the ribcage and this is the pain you might be experiencing. Some doctors give botox injections into the pectoral musculature, to relieve the muscle spasms. Could you get a referral to a PT who works with lymphadema patients - who can help massage the area gently and who will know how to address this type of pain?
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tangles, i had a lot of psin with my fills. i do have a bony ish chest and like whippet noted above, i had a lot of rib pain and it sucked. i also had upper back pain probably from me hunching over from pain and from stretching muscle..i used hydrocodone after fills of 50cc..pain lasted about 3-4 days, one fill of 75cc had me in pain for about a week. i used heating pad (did discover an awesome clay one) to my upper back which helped, and honestly stretching, which was very paindul, helped tremendously afterwards. for rib pain, it lasted until about 2 wks after my last fill and then just eased off and vanished the couple months i waited fir exchange. i stretched 2-3 times per day until exchange. i hipe u can get some relief, i dont think i could have taken the pain u r describing for long.
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Whippetmom- I have no doubt you gave me advice based on what I asked for. I'm just not sure about sizing I guess. Sounds like you are saying that the 320cc in my TE's would equate to something larger than the full B I was asking for, maybe more a full C? May sound dumb, but I didn't think these seemed that big!
I'll talk to my PS tomorrow and sure hope we can come up with some solution.
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Rose: It is not exacting information I can impart, because I have not seen you personally. Also, in #4 above - in the thread header - I mention how chest wall characteristics can differ from one patient to another. Someone with your exact vital statistics may look entirely different than you with the same tissue expanders.
I am 5'4" tall, 122 pounds and my ribcage is 29.5 inches. I have Style 20, 550 ccs. I wear a 32 F or a 34 E bra. So you can see that while we are very similar in terms of vital statistics, it is possible that we differ in terms of physique and build and body habitus. Personally, I know that I would at least be a full C cup with 371 ccs in Style 15. So, if there are any ribcage/chest wall anomalies, kyphosis, lordosis, some chest concavity - so many different things come into play here - then sizing would be adjusted accordingly. So this is why it is so difficult to predict "cup" size. I know everyone wants to know, but it is not about "cup" size, but what is appropriate for your frame and within the parameters of the dimensions of your TEs. I would prefer Style 20, 500 ccs for you, but you will have more projection than Style 15, and many runners have a concern about too much projection. When you wear a tight sports bra, it flattens the implants and so the larger the implant, the more they tend to intrude laterally into the armpit area. Runners have a problem with "side boobs"....And I would definitely wear an extremely supportive sports bra when running. You want to risk having these implants bottom out or displace laterally. Also, I am telling you about one implant "category". Currently, there are Sientra shaped and Allergan anatomicals available now, and your PS might have one of these styles in mind.0 -
Well I have been told I am small over and over. I sure dont look at myself as small, but I guess in the eyes of the PS who sees many women I am. I am wondering if that is part of the reason. I know he wanted the final fill one month before surgery and I am also having another Dr popping in to remove lymph glands during the same operating time so moving the surgery up with two Dr's involved would probably be impossible. ( the other dr is coming from another hospital out of town) I was seeing a PT for some cording issues, but we ended those sessions. Maybe I could get back in with her again? My surgery date is 3 weeks from tomorrow, which seems like forever when you are hurting, but Im sure the PS would just think gee its right around the corner. Which I guess it is not that far off. Hopefully I will be looking back at this next month at this time and not be in pain any longer......
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Tangles, why are you having nodes removed? Just curious. Hope you feel better soon!
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tangles - I have a small frame and was in excruciating pain near the end of my fills. I saw an LE OT after my exchange and she thought my TE had sat on my ulnar nerve. Get back to that PT if you can. Know too that they can take some fluid out of your TE ... the worst pain for me was a newbie PS nurse put in 75 cc's instead of my normal 50 cc fill. Had I known then what I know now, I would have gone back and had them take out that extra 25cc's.
As whippetmom said, there is no reason why you should have to suffer like this.
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Dawn I dont think I can have fluid taken out as I am getting 550cc implants and he wants me filled 100cc over for overfill. I admit I am not taking the major pain pills I have like narcotic, just taking Advil. Im sure if I call he will say take your pain pills. Then I have a whole new set of issues!!!
Christine when I had my mastectomy the surgeon was suppose to take out the node from the armpit that had cancer test positive in it and he MISSED it!! Of course I was very upse,t but he said it happens!! He said the chemo will keep it from doing anything so go ahead and get your chemo and well take nodes out when you are asleep for your exchange.
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Tangles: not sure how rigid your time frame for surgery is or why it is so rigid. (Sorry, havent been able to read and retain every post) But removing some fill is usually not an issue.. It just means that you might need extra fills before exchange. More and smaller fills just means that your muscle has longer to get accustomed to the stretching. I still have pain after 5 years and fills stopped some time back (read years ago). I have had saline put in and taken out again and put back in.. I am small and the pain was horrific trying to get that muscle stretched.. esp. since mine started out overfilled then went back down and up again. Still, even after muscle stretched I still experience pain. Stretching and reaching and lifting can cause excruciating pain. I feel for you and hope you get relief soon.
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cmharris I have 2 doctors from 2 different hospitals coordinating their time. One is coming to the other hospital to operate on me so it would really mess things up if I change it. Plus my daughter is getting married Aug 10th and I really want to have these HORRIBLE large bulky painful TE OUT and be healed up before the wedding, so If I pushed it back I would not be ready for the wedding. I am keeping the date unless I get sick.
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Tangles - you look way too young to have a daughter old enough to be getting married
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Whippetmon: I went to PS yesterday and got my info for the TE's. I have Allergan 650cc, 133FX-14-T. My PS put 400cc in each one at time of surgery and I had 100cc put in each one yesterday. I am 5'1" and weigh 220 with 39" ribcage. I want to go big so what would you recommend? I really don't care for the hamburger bun look. Also, I have no deformities of the ribcage. Thanks.
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Thank you sweet, but I am 46!! I called the PS today so far no call back, UGH!! I keep waking up at night with a burning pain in the TE. It goes away after I am up and about but thought I would call them and check and also ask why I am still in so much pain with this final fill.......
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Tangles, you do look young! I have two young boys (14 and 16), and I am 49! Long time until anyone marries at my house. I asked about the node dissection as that is one of my personal regrets. I had sentinel nodes removed (one came back positive for cancer) at a second surgery I had the rest removed. This puts me at increased risk of lymph edema and back of arm is numb. None of the additional node was positive. I workout a lot and the numb arm and loss of fat under armpit is annoying. My ps has put some fat in the pit, but still fairly hollow and difficult to shave. I am a very happy implant patient, Allergan 600cc, high profile girls 😎.
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Chimneymae: Allergan Style 45, 800 ccs. This is an ultra full projection style implant, and the largest silicone round implant available. I think you could use at least 15.0 cm in width though....it seems as though the TEs might be narrow for you...and so Style 20 - 800 ccs - would be nice as well, but you will have more projection with the Style 45. But I know a gal with about your vital stats and she has the Style 45/800 ccs and she is very happy with them....
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Thanks Whippetmom. This info really helps. I will talk with the PS regarding this when I go back in two weeks.
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Whippetmom- wanted to thank you for your informative and thoughtful response 2 or 3 days ago. I came to realize I was initially wrong about the final result I wanted, and you helped me understand what I do really want.
Violet- wanted to send a special thanks to you for all the great support and info you've sent me! Hope you are still feeling happy and 'squishy'!
I saw my PS a couple of days ago and we are going for smooth-round implants, Sientra or Allergan, in the 12.7cm to 13+cm range. I will need pocket work on both sides due to TE travels to the armpits, so he has some lee-way in my implant sizing. I'm thinking the Sientra 465cc 12.8 width is our target. He did add my usual fill amount of 60cc (thinnish skin I guess) to my left breast, but only 40cc to my right due to unevenness between the two.
So now I am at 380L/360R. What do you all think? Is that enough to get those 465cc implants? Or should I 'top off' a bit more? He said he could go with an implant bigger than my fill cc, but is this too much of a difference? I should only have one more appt, the 'pre-op', before surgery. Thanks all.
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Tangles,
I had a very bad time with the expanders so much pain all the time ...I had to deal with that for a very long time so I know how you feel not fun...0 -
Sherrry thanks for your input, Im glad I am not the only one that has suffered so much with these. I hope I can say it was all worth it someday, but right now I am wishing I had never made this choice. 20 more days and counting.......
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Whippetmom- THANK YOU for talking me down off the ledge once AGAIN. Once again, I'm happy with my "girls". I go back to the PS next Friday for my 4th post op appt and hopefully he will say I'm ready for nips on my next visit. It's one more step to being complete.
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