BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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actually Im not wearing one at all. Just dont want to if I dont have to. I hear what youre saying, ...so when I see ps next week Ill talk to him about it. Also dont want to spend alot now if theyll be changing. Really I dont ever want to wear one again.
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Whippettmom,
I had a bilateral mastecomy on jan 29 w reconstruction. The TEs that were put in are allergan 133v. My ps told me she filled my prophylactic side w 300cc and cancer side w 500cc. Originally she had more in the non cancer side but was uncomfortable the way the skin was too tight I guess. She is planning to do 50cc fills when I'm ready... Possibly tues next week. I got the drain out of the non cancer side yesterday still have the other one in. I go to see her tomorrow to determine if that drain can be removed.
I think she said that she is able to fill up to 750cc w these TEs depending how I tolerate it and Like how it looks. Is this typical? So the plan is to fill to the point where we think it's good and then do the exchange, yes? Any suggestions, comments or advice is more than welcome!!!
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well......I did send my PS an email with pix of the 'flattened' area. he called me first thing this morning and agreed that this maybe a leak. Decision: back to the OR! I want to wait though cause I need my vacation!!
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activern - I'm so sorry this happened to you. That sucks. Did he give you any kind of timeline on how soon you need to replace the TE? (I.E.: Will you lose any ground on the expansion process if you wait a few weeks?)
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hi guys, a question for those who have had pocket work done when they did the exchange. How long will it hurt? It's tolerable but not liking it. I know it's been only 2-1/2 days, what do I expect? The right side is more sensitive to movements than the left. I'm whining, sorry.
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Smaarty,
What is pocket work in reference to the exchange?
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Smaarty - Whine away - you're entitled to.
My PS did a lot of pocket work on my leftie during exchange, but to be honest, it never hurt that much. My incisions for that one were IMF and I had more trouble with the tape and steri-strips than anything else. Do you know how much work was done on yours?0 -
activern -
Smaarty - I think it depends on exactly what needs to be done and how extensive it is. I had the pockets narrowed when I had my revision with very little pain afterwards. Sorry you're hurting!
Best wishes to all!
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Mommyathome:
From the header to this thread: All Allergan TEs are 133V's. There will either be a number, such as "13" or "14" or a volume, such as 500 ccs or 600 ccs...or 133-MV, SX, SV, MX, FV, FX....
IMPLANT SIZING INFORMATION:
If you are interested in discussing implant sizes, make sure you compile and provide us with the following information:
Height, weight, ribcage measurement [measuring the circumference of your ribcage under your tissue expander(s) or under your bra line]. Also, if you have TEs [tissue expanders] - we need to know about them. The style - Mentor or Allergan most likely - and whether they are short height, moderate height, full height if Mentor and style number if Allergan. We also need the recommended fill volume of the TEs - the number of cc's. (NOTE: If you have PMT Corporation tissue expanders or any other unlisted manufacturer, please see if your PS will provide you with the dimensions of such0 -
AZ85048: BC sucks to the nth degree!! My PS indicated no urgency and since we both will be away for 2 weeks, we decided that I can wait until I return since I do not want anyone else [PS] doing the surgery. I am now walking around once again with a left flat chest. I have no tears left. Yea, my progress will be affected but he reports expansion should not be a problem.
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Yes, I had pocket work done. Lots of it.
Thanks to a big weight loss, my implants were narrower than my TEs. The PS went in, cleaned out scar tissue, and did lateral capsulorraphies, big words meaning that he stitched all the way around each pocket so that the implants would not, as whippetmom says, "migrate laterally" or, as I say, flop sideways under my armpits.
It worked. Those puppies move freely, but do not disappear into my pits when I lie on my side.
Because of the extra work, it took more time in the OR, and I had more pain and restrictions (two months). At least it was a different kind of pain - more soreness - than what I had with the BMX/recon.
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Whippettmom,
Sorry, it's 14 sx 500cc
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When discussing pain, it's important to remember how different we all are. Some people cannot deal with pain very well and a simple headache will keep them in bed all day. It's not because they are weak or wimpy...it's just that their body produces pain that's hard to deal with. Others have the pain tolerance of an elephant and wouldn't notice something hurt until their arm was falling off. Most of us fall somewhere between. Additionally, we don't all handle pain drugs the same way. One of something might be enough to put you in la la land all day, but somebody else has to take two of the same thing in order to feel a thing. Some of us (like me) can't take pain drugs at all due to allergies. So when someone tells you a procedure hurts, it might be because they didn't get the right kind of medication to ease their pain, it could be that person feels more pain than the average person, or their body is doing the best it can under circumstances unlike yours. So what's the point of talking about pain at all? One thing is for sure, no one is trying to scare another person. It's not like labor stories, "My labor was SOOO bad that..." When I say something hurt a lot and I'm one of those "elephants" with pain, I'm hoping that if you have the same procedure and have a lot of pain after it, you will know it's still "normal" (for at least one person), you can get through it, and you might be helped by some tips you read on this forum. You will at least be prepared ahead of time and hopefully, knowing it COULD happen, you will discuss pain relief with your doctor before your surgery.
Smaarty asked about pain after the exchange surgery when pocket work was also done. I did not expect too much pain since my first two breast surgeries were tolerable. Plus people said it was much easier than the BMX. What I didn't know is that when the PS has to readjust or alter the pockets he created in order to place your permanent implants, it can hurt like hell afterward! I was not prepared for the degree of pain I experienced and it scared me, making the pain worse and the recovery more difficult. I also didn't know that your body can react strongly when faced with too many surgeries in too short a time. (How short is too short? Everybody is different there too.) My ribs felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat. It took 4 weeks until I felt like I had turned the corner and was finally making recovery progress. Until then, Tylenol and I were constant companions. Sure do wish I could tolerate narcotics or even something like torodol! Nope. It's Tylenol or nothing.
That sure doesn't mean that you will have a hard time for the next month. That's just what happened to me. I got through it. My ribs don't hurt anymore (surgery was 2 months ago today) and I don't regret the time I spent I spent quietly recovering in my recliner. Allowing my body to recover at its own pace was the best answer to my problem. You can't hurry it, ignore it, exercise it away, or wish it away. You will heal when you heal, that's all. So be patient with yourself. You WILL get better. I promise.
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I didn't expect to be pain free. It just catches me when I don't expect it. I kinda feel like I'm paying my dues because it has been pretty easy so far. The PS did say that the sutures would be painful. I see him on Tuesday, which I hope the drains will come out. I'd really like to get out of the bra contraption! I take Narco which helps some of the time. If it was for the sutures I think I wouldn't be needing anything right now. So I'll stay in the recliner and watch tv until my eyeballs fall out!
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Sandra--very well said! Thank you.
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Hi everyone. I am new to this thread and curious to know what's ahead for me in reconstruction. It hasn't been scheduled yet but I see my PS on the 10th. What does "pocket work" mean? And will a drain be put in again during the exchange? I was told that when the implants are placed it will be better than the TEs and I hate mine because it pokes my sides. The area is so sensitive to tshirt seams that I wear them inside out and can't even wear sports bra. I'm ok with tank tops though. Now that I saw some wrote that it's not quite a relief as they expected, but better than TE, I hope it'll be alot better for me since I'm such a whiner.
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Hi Myra!
You can find answers to your questions on the thread "Exchange City." Great thread. TONS of info. And a cheering section as you go through your exchange.
Exchange for me WAS a big relief, but not immediate. It took a couple of weeks. Some people have drains, some don't. I did not.
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Smaarty, in my case the PS told me two days ago that the work done on my right side was a lot and not to use my right arm to lift things and raise it at all for two weeks. Lots of sutures in there. He also told me to put a wide bra and stick a sock on the side to prevent moving to the side.
It still hurts a lot, but I stopped taking pain killers, they were making me sick along with the antibiotics.
I went back to work today. My surgery was last Friday.
My guess is that another week and i should feel better. pS also told me that i will notice a nicer shape every week after the other.
I do see a nice contour even now that is all wrapped, love it!
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Blessings and Sandra, thanks for the explanation of pocket work! I told PS early on I was squeamish and didn't think I could handle a lot of the details prior to surgery - would have scared me out of my skin. She gave me enough info and I trusted her. Was told she removed quite a bit of scar tissue at both exchange and revision surgeries. I had a capsulorrhaphy on one side too for my revision. I now understand why I hurt so much (very low tolerance to pain) and why she really wasn't happy when 2-1/2 weeks after revision I had to help supervise my parents' relocation 250 miles so they're now closer to me. My PS and nurses were so great about the length and extent of my pain and it explains why I hurt for so long and so much. It makes sense now.
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I am so thankful for this site. My PS told me that the exchange surgery would be 'a breeze' (I haven't had it yet), and that recovery would be "a long weekend." I ask a ton of questions every time, and he has said nothing about restrictions of any kind. I know he said I would be driving after the "long weekend" recovery. I appreciate hearing everyone's experiences. If I DO end up having pain, I'll know I am not crazy. And, the women on this site have helped me through every step of the way to show that I am not crazy. Thank you for that!! :
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mnmbeck - .......or we're ALL crazy
. Either way, welcome to the club!0 -
TinaT / mnmbeck - Oh, I think it's pretty clear that we're all crazy; but at least we're crazy together!
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Whippetmom,
I had a bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy in the beginning of Dec. I was doing research on size, types of implants etc. and found this thread. At my recent fill, my plastic surgeon thinks 450 cc and no larger than 550 cc would work for my frame. My goal is to look proportionate and natural, not too big and not too small. I let him know what I wanted but would like a second opinion. What size do you think would look the best on me? I am 5'7, 123 lbs and my ribcage is 29.5. I believe I have the moderate mentor expanders with a fill capacity of 450cc - 12.7. Thanks for your advice.
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Help please! I am nearing the end of my reconstruction & am extremely unhappy with what i am being told will be my final size. I apologize because i do not know all the correct terminology(I have a serious case of chemo brain). I had a bilateral mastectomy last April due to having both IDC and LCIS. I started the reconstruction process a few months ago. I stressed to the ps that i wanted to be at least as big as I was before, if not a little larger. However, now that the tissue expander has been filled to the absolute max, i am no where near the size i was, let alone larger. The ps & his assistant are telling me that this is as large as i can go - period. The implant will be slightly larger, but not much. It will be a silicone implant (a gummy bear, I think) & it will be 700cc. They said there is a 750cc implant, but it would be wider & go under my arms or it could be placed so that it would look like I had a uniboob. Neither of those sound good to me. But i do want to be larger! They told me it was impossible. I asked how all those women in LA get huge implants & was told they must have had custom made implants put in.
I find it really hard to believe that women in my position do not want to be larger than what approximates a C cup. Do the implants not go larger than 700cc to 750cc? Honestly I feel like I am being misled. Part of this is because the ps mentioned at the first appointment after putting in the expanders that he shouldve asked me what size I wanted to be before he put the expanders in. This leads me to believe he didnt put in a large enough expander. I recently asked about this and said I was willing to have another surgery to have a larger expander put in, even tho i didnt recover very well from the last surgery. However this is the rest of my life! And I want larger breasts!
So, could someone please let me know if there are or are not larger implants? Or tell me how I can research this more.
Thank You!!!
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Softballaholic,
Implants ARE limited in size. There is a lot of math that goes into fitting us properly. Hollywood can look HUGE because they have huge implants PLUS all of their natural tissue! Please read this copy/paste from the thread header. Call your PS office if need be to get the specifics of your expanders. Then Whippetmom can help you. She is so very good at this. But she must have all of the info requested.
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"3. IMPLANT SIZING INFORMATION:
If you are interested in discussing implant sizes, make sure you compile and provide us with the following information:
Height, weight, ribcage measurement [measuring the circumference of your ribcage under your tissue expander(s) or under your bra line]. Also, if you have TEs [tissue expanders] - we need to know about them. The style - Mentor or Allergan most likely - and whether they are short height, moderate height, full height if Mentor and style number if Allergan. We also need the recommended fill volume of the TEs - the number of cc's. (NOTE: If you have PMT Corporation tissue expanders or any other unlisted manufacturer, please see if your PS will provide you with the dimensions of such devices.]4. "WHAT CUP SIZE WILL I BE?" OR "WHAT SIZE IMPLANT DO I NEED FOR A "C" CUP?"
I CANNOT PREDICT CUP SIZE. PLASTIC SURGEONS ADMIT THAT THEY CANNOT PREDICT CUP SIZE WITH ACCURACY!
It is very difficult to determine cup size with breast reconstruction patients, as volume does not easily translate to a specific bra size. There are so many factors which determine how implants will look on any one individual, e.g., your ribcage circumference, whether your chest wall is bony or if you have a fair amount of adipose tissue surrounding the chest wall.... if you have any ribcage deformities or other structural issues which might impact implant placement. We can sort of "project" where you might want to be...or estimate the implant volume which you could "aim" for - so that you can sort of look at the prize ahead of you. Most of us have found though, that it is better to continue with tissue expansion until you have reached a desired volume and appearance, and then compare these dimensions with the breast implant dimensions found on the links at the top of the Exchange City thread in the Breast Reconstruction forum.
BREAST IMPLANT SIZING IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR VITAL STATISTICS
Implants of a specific volume will look different on A 5'10" 176 pound woman with a 35 inch ribcage, than they will someone who is 5'3" tall, weighs 110 pounds and has a 29 inch ribcage. So height, weight, ribcage circumference, body habitus - all of these things come into play when determining what style and volume of implant will best fit someone's frame.
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mnbeck,
Ditto, mine only approved two weeks off yet I lift 70 lb. OR case bags as a med device rep every day and drive hours a day, (usually rushing)!!
I'll take it one week at a time after my exchange on the 17th, but I am not willing to return too quickly.. 7 weeks with my double MX was perfect and I feel great with no restrictions.
We ARE crazy huh? My husband endearingly calls me "crazypants"..hate to admit..spot on!
Mimi
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I'm curious - PS said I'd need to wear front opening sports bra after coming out of the surgical bra/binder/whatever it is. Suggestions to help me figure out the right type? It does need to come in plus size for me.
What I mean is for having TEs placed. How do you judge what size when it will keep changing?
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Sorry, don't know. My PS does not require his patients to wear a bra, even during the TE process or after reconstruction. He says there is no research to support the requirement but if you feel better in one or you like to run or do something else that makes you bounce, a sports bra is enough. No underwires, ever. Except for the days in the hospital, I haven't had a bra on in since August. It's wonderful!
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Galsal, most sports bras are sized by your band size. I bought several inexpensive ones at Walmart in a size 40. That is my circumference under the boobs. They hook up the front and there are 2 or 3 different styles. I'm about 8 weeks out from exchange and still sleep in them because they are comfortable and supportive.
Forgot to add that I bought them after my BM SX and have worn them throughout healing from both surgeries
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Softballaholic - Silicone implants are only available up to a certain size, but saline implants are available in larger sizes. I believe you can check out the catalog links that Whippetmom has provided at the top of the thread to check volumes and dimensions.
sandra - Just goes to show you how different all of our PSs are! Makes it all the more confusing
. Mine was fine with underwires as soon as my IM incisions were healed. He was fine with me not wearing a bra while I had tissue expanders, but scowled when I asked about not wearing one at night after my exchange. 24/7 was his recommendation during healing as well as forever after. His theory is that there is only skin and collagen supporting the underside of the implants now where there used to be attached muscle for support. I have to admit that I cheat every once in a while by not wearing a bra to bed and it feels wonderful! 0
