BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
-
Whippetmom - Hi... I'm seeing my PS tomorrow for a fill and will get all my TE info and send you a message. I would love to have your advice on which implants would work for my body. My PS likes Natrelle 410's anatomicals. But I heard Mentor smooth rounds mentioned a lot here. I'll email you pictures and the specs. Thank you so much!!
0 -
the 410s, yes. So far they are as wide as the tes, or wider, but I think part of that is the swelling. From what I understand the implants are generally the same width as the te, so the pocket is right. I have no discomfort at all except where the incisions are underneath, and they arent bad. Havent taken any pain pills since Sat night, 2d day. They feel softer than the te, but not as mushy as the old bags were ! I didnt have alot of discomfort before, so while I definitely notice the difference, it wasnt a huge aaaahhhh factor for me.
0 -
Whippetmon-surgery is done. PBMX on Jan 3rd. PS used Natrelle Silicone 45-700. And I do keep repeating to myself-they will change -they will change -they will change. But one small question-there is a fairly deep ripple on the inside of lf breast (in addition to the small ones I can feel/see faintly. Will that change do you think? Chasr
0 -
what are anatomicals??? im looking at doing a PBMX and before i decide i want to know as much as i can about implants.
0 -
Deborah- oops, they're style 115. And thanks for the info. I'm just getting brain fried from trying to research stuff. I've decided to go with what he recommended.
Sue
0 -
Bluewillow,
I've had both saline smooth rounds and anatomicals (taller, shaped like a natural breast that has a gentle slope from top to fuller bottom.) Anatomicals are also called gummy bears or gummies. You may hear them called highly cohesive's. It's all so confusing at first. You'll also hear them referred to as 410's, Natrelle 410's or Allergan 410's but it is the same implant. There are other manufacturers as well. Mine are officially named (according to the card from the manufacturer) "410 Style FF 740cc Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Filled Breast Implants" made by Allergan. Go to the very top of this thread and read the whole intro. You will learn more.
0 -
HappySpring: Glad to help. Also we have Allergan and Sientra smooth rounds.
0 -
Blue Willow - if you read all the info & look at the links to the manufactures at the intro to this thread you'll be able to see all the types of implant and get most of your questions answered. If I'm not mistaken, an anatomical shaped implant is always silicone & always a gummy. Other round implants may be made of the same silicone material and I've seen people calling those gummies now - which make it confusing. Whippetmom - are you seeing this too?
0 -
Char: You need to wait two weeks to a month to see how things settle out with the smooth silicone rounds. The key phrase at this time in the process is, "step away from the mirror".....
Are you wearing a bra or some form of support? 0 -
Whippetmom-yes I am wearing a compression bra 24/7. They did all the work in the fold beneath the breasts (incision up to nipple also). And is that uncomfortable to have pressure on the lower incisions. Plus SNB incision-told them it looked like they followed the dot to dot lines. Lt side actually is quite bearable but the right is side is the problem side-swelling, pain. But without bra on (showering) is quite uncomfortable. Will cover the mirrors for couple more weeks. :-(
I really want to thank you for al the support you have given me but also for all the woman -past-present-future! You already have your wings and halo. What a woman! Char
0 -
Char when I had lx and scars were underneath I cut a strip of soft old tshirt and folded it a bit, then tucked under the bottom of the sports bra I wore. It really made a big difference.
0 -
Whippetmom -- I remember that it took at least 3 months for softness to really be noticeable. There is NOT a lot of dropping and fluffing with anatomical gummies (at least not with the 410 I have). Re: textured and rippling... I have no rippling at all unless I bend over really funny or otherwise contort into unnatural positions
With thta said, sometimes I think the issue is more about the individual -- thickness of skin and muscle, how close the tissue removal was in the first place, how elastic the skin, etc... 0 -
are the anatomicals/gummies used very often? I had never heard of htem...but they sound like i could get the slope and some fullness on my upper ast with those...right now i have like a half tomato at the bottom of a sock without fullness,.virtually flat on upper breasts....thanks for the info
0 -
Im wondering if the anatomicals are "squishy" like a natural breast or are there more solid? IM looking through the catalogs and i see how they have the sloping which i think i like....i have a band size below my breasts of 44", Im 5'4", weight 235...I have a wider shoulder stance and and medium frame.
0 -
BlueWillow,
Loved the tomato in the sock visual.
I know what you mean though. With my first implants (saline rounds) when I turned to the side I looked like the letter b but didn't stick out so far. I was flat all the way down and then had some fullness at the bottom. My breast surgeon had taken so much tissue off of my chest just under the skin, that I was practically skin and bone on my upper chest and even a stethoscope hurt. There was one particularly bad spot above the left where I had a dented in place about as wide and long as three fingers. The switch to anatomicals at my exchange helped so much. They are very tall (over 6") and covered the worst of my "divots" so fat grafting will not be necessary. They provide some padding so my chest doesn't feel bruised like before. 0 -
you guys experience any thing while wearing a seatbelt? It's better with the TEs than without, but long drives make it feel like the belt is pushing the right one Into my armpit. Pushes more on my ribs too on both. This does get better when the implants go in, right?
Sue
0 -
Keep small pillows in the car. They are so good for avoiding seat belt pain.
0 -
well, duh! I have small ones from the surgeries that I'm not using right now. I'll try that. Thanks.
0 -
Smaarty--I had seatbelt discomfort with TE's and now with implants. My son went to Pep Boys Auto Parts and got me these clips that go on the seatbelt so that the shoulder strap can be positioned better. It looks like this:
0 -
wow thanks for the clips info, i need to get it too.
0 -
LoriWNY - WOW! Thank you! Never knew there was such a thing. I don't have the pain from the seat belt like I used to have with TEs, but sometimes it would nice to be have the adjustable option...
0 -
I did buy a sheep skin cover I used when I was flat for 6 months.
0 -
I will look for those clips as I still use a sheepskin seat belt cover and always keep a small handle towel in each car. Especially when DH is driving, he doesn't always understand being gentle.
0 -
I have a question. It looks as if many women here and in the exchange city forum got final implants that were larger than the tissue expanders mls. My PS was overexpanding my TEs because I was a B cup before the surgery and want to be a C for the final exchange. I'm seeing many women having a 600 ml TE and then a 700 or more implant. Right now, I am 600 TE and waiting for a couple of months to get my final implants which will be between 500-500 Allergan HP20. Can anyone explain doing the opposite of what I've been recommended to do? I had nipple sparing, inframammary incision bmx with no radiation. One last thing, I saw in a couple of postings over the years that it's not recommended to get in a hot tub after getting your silicone implants. Is that really true? This is one thing I haven't asked my PS yet. Thanks everyone. pinklotus
0 -
i keep reading how painful the TEs are during the filling stages and that they are uncomfortable... .is it really that bad for everyone? also is it possible to do a BMX and go direct to an implant ? i havent seen that mentioned much....
0 -
Char: Okay, but don't try to tough it out. Take the pain medication. If your pain is well-controlled, you will recover more quickly after breast surgery.
Thank you for your kind words!
0 -
bluewillows.....to answer the question about TE's....unfortunately, the answers you'll get about this, and everything else, will vary SO much. I compare peoples' experiences with this process to womens' experiences with labor. Some breeze through it, some compare it to torture. I had a really, really hard with TE's in the beginning, and still think they are horrible. The first 4 weeks were unbearable, and then I found a great Physical Therapist, who changed everything in a day....literally. I don't tell you to scare you, but to let you know that if you do have huge amounts of pain, there may be something that can be done about it. I took narcotics 24/7 for 4 weeks. Once my PT got ahold of me, I never took one again. I still have TE's, so I can't tell you how it will feel to get implants. But, TE's are just really unnatural. It's like sticking cereal bowls under your muscle...no give. My body didn't like it one bit. But, I have 2 friends who literally breezed through this. They hated the "rocks" under their skin, but that was the only complaint...no complaints of pain, no complaints of loss of movement. They were going to their workout classes and living life like it never happened. I know many, many women have this experience.
To answer your question about MX to direct implants. Yes, that is possible, but according to my PS, it depends on your body, how much skin you have, and I suppose how much the muscle will accept. My PS told me that if there was any way he could do the implant in surgery, he would, but most likely I would have TE's, and I did. Definitely ask your PS. There are women who have had it done who are here on the forums.
I know that's not much of an answer. My experience hasn't been so great. BUT....I have actually had an uneventful recovery medically. It's just been uncomfortable. Looking forward to moving on to the next step!
0 -
bluewillows....Char just had a one-step. A couple of gals on the reconstruction forums have had one steps. Not everyone is a candidate for a one step. A few have had one-step procedures, only to be unhappy with their (smaller) size and then go back for tissue expanders. You have to either be willing to be quite small with a one-step, or have ample skin flaps due to your current breast size, and the mastectomy dissection itself might change the surgeon's ability to go ahead with a one step. I feel that the skill of the plastic surgeon also is important, e.g., I would want a PS who has performed a healthy number of one-steps with a record of patient satisfaction.
0 -
bluewillowskys - Going from BMX direct to implants depends on many things - your skin, your health, your weight, etc. I 'borrowed' the following from a medical site on the internet: "One-Step breast reconstruction is usually an option for a woman whose breast skin is healthy and able to accommodate the implant, and without excessive ptosis (sagging.) Very obese patients are generally not good candidates for implant reconstruction overall and are usually better served by other reconstruction options that may involve fat and/or muscle transfer."
I have very thin skin and am skinny on top of that, so I had to go the TE route. Besides, even though I was to have nipple sparing and skin sparing BMX, they ended up taking a lot more skin than they'd planned, so there wasn't a lot left to work with. ;-)
I won't kid you, the TEs are painful, but doable. I remember when I started my fills, my PS was doing 50cs at a time every two weeks. I thought that was too little, too slow. (Like I knew anything... HA!) I had read where some women were getting a lot more ccs with each visit, so I asked if we could increase mine and amp up the frequency. My PS just smiled and said that she'd rather be careful and that I would hate her enough sticking with our every two weeks schedule. I'm very glad she stuck to her guns. I had nine fills over four months and it was not any fun, but I also haven't had any complications. The TEs are hard and because their job is to stretch out your skin, they hurt. The bigger they get, the more you feel like your chest might explode (it won't). There's a lot of pressure, but TEs are also one of the most common elements of reconstruction. I hope that answers your question...
0 -
pinklotus: Your TEs have significantly more projection than most other TEs....which serves a purpose, which is to expand the area of the mound which is most resistant to expansion and to ensure good skin coverage over the future implant. However, you need to communicate your desires regarding size to your PS. I personally think your frame could use 550 ccs to 600 ccs. I definitely think 500 ccs is going on the small side, so he should nix that size for you. The implant which would most closely approximate the dimensions of your TEs would be Allergan Style 45, 650 ccs. Perhaps even it could be 600 ccs in that style, with two millimeters less width than your TEs. I just think you could use 13.0 cm to 14.0 cm in width. Hate to see you sacrifice any width.
0
