BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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Susug,
I had "one-step"...but I prefer the term direct to implant as one-step can be misleading. I am very, very happy with my results (and have not needed to go to expanders and do not think I need revision, but as my PS put if it if I did need a revision, I would not have ended up with any more surgeries than doing TEs and exchange anyway so no worse off...even those doing TEs sometimes need revisions after exchange so I don't think revision - which can cover everything from minor procedures like an implant swap or fat grafting to more major ones - is a reason not to even consider direct-to-implant). I know many people who have had direct to implant (mostly over on the FORCE boards) who are very happy and have not needed TEs or revisions later, or may have needed minor revisions. There are a few here too and some threads about it. UCFmom on here is another recent direct to implant and her results are, in my opinion, just amazing!
There are MANY doctors now who do direct to implant, but you do need to make sure they have lots of experience and are skilled at it. The surgery was developed primarily in New York by Dr. Salzberg and it was hard to initially find others who do it, but now many others do it (my surgeon was in Calgary, Alberta and I am thrilled with him and the results). There are many, many more all over US who now offer it.
I would consult with more than one PS and find out your options, as you already have implants behind the muscle you may be an even more appropriate candidate for direct to implant. But you do need to look at what is best for you depending on your tissues, goals for size, surgeons skill, etc. It may be that TEs are the best option for you for best results.
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Yes, Divecat...it worked for you HERE, with women who have come to this thread...you are one of the few success stories.
Susug: In your case, it might be a more viable venture, because you already have preformed pockets with your augmented breasts.
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DiveCat - Very good information, thank you for sharing
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Has anyone seen the new show Botched on E! TV? The episode entitled "Girls Gone Wildd" explains a couple terms we're familiar with: capsulorrhaphy , capsular contracture and a couple others. this one also shows the lady with the QQQ boobs, but if you get past that and the surgery part, there's a lot to learn.
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2ndtime, that show is very entertaining. In tonight's episode, they have a woman with 7000 cc of implants. They must be 3500 each of saline? I'll be watching.
Whippetmom, I had my exchange Friday with our mutual PS :-) I think she did an excellent job. My TEs were filled to 450cc and I ended up with 550cc Allergan Style 20. My TEs were 133mx, 13cm, 400cc capacity. I am happy. I thought she wouldn't go past 500 but I told her to go for the 550 if it fit well and looked good. I like our PS.
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2TA: I will have to TIVO that show! What day of the week does it air?
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It's on in 20 minutes on the E! channel. 10:30 PM on Sundays.
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Julie: What wonderful news! I am very happy for you! I have the same implants....
and she also pushed the envelope for me. I had asked for 475 ccs, and she said in the OR she could tell they were not large enough and that I would not be a happy camper, so she upped it to 550 ccs. She is a treasure at Kaiser, to be sure!Deborah
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Whippetmom, it originally airs Sundays with multiple repeats throughout the weekend. I thought they were located in LA/Beverly Hills but they're further south (OC area). Interesting, one of the restaurants shown is local to me, that's what tipped me off.
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Deborah, she was trying to remember who you were when I told her about you. She asked for your last name which I don't know. If you feel like it, you can pm it to me and I'll tell her at my post op. At one of my fill appointments, she said, "I should have a big pool party for all my past clients." Her intern/assistant said, "It could be topless!" That would be an interesting party!
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I'll tape it now! Thanks Julie!
I will be interested to see what kind of work Terry Dubrow, MD does on the show...
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Channel 59 if you have Cox, I believe.
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I have Verizon....I found it....
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Cool!
Would be interested in your comments0 -
More BOTCHED addicts!
(Blessings and I are both devotees...) It's like watching a train wreck some weeks! Oops, it's on, gotta go....!0 -
LOL! I am lying in bed on my iPad....lights out...hubby snoring beside me. I will watch it tomorrow night...
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it's a good episode :-D.
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yes, AZ85048, it was Blessings that got me started on it
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Oh, yeah.... blame ME!!!!!
Totally addicted... I DVR it and watch it later. Lots of repeats during the week.
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it's not a bad thing, would never have known about it without you mentioning it. Off to check the moon
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How would your TE size dimensions relate to implant size? if the TE original size is350 so is 11.7 width, 10 height, 6.6 projection, filled to 450, if I go with at least a 500 mentor high profile implant which the measurements are 13.2 diameter and 5.3 projection, is there a way to tell if the 500 will fit based off of just the numbers?
Since we lose projection does the extra room from that help with fitting an implant that is wider with more volume than the TE? Am I asking this question right?
Whippet mom how can we know using the TE and expansion sizes alone that a bigger implant can fit? Is their a correlation?
The TE seem to measure length and height but implant diameter. How do we know if we are expanded enough to fit a bigger implant?
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Hi Whippetmom, I had my exchange 12 Days ago. you had made some suggestions to me previously and I had brought up some of it to my BS. You had mentioned Ultra high profile in the Allergan I believe. My PS only uses Mentor but thought the high profile sounded like a great idea because they were more narrow. He said that he would order the 600 and 650cc ultra high mentors. I had stopped fills but he said that he wanted one more fill to bring me up to 700ccs. He stated that it wasn't to increase the pocket but that he wanted more skin. I then waited a month for the exchange.
The reason I am telling you this is because am looking for some guidance.He did not do what he stated but instead put 800 high profile mentors. I was very upset and have spoken to him on the phone. He is telling me that he doesn't think that he ever said that and that it isn't in his notes and that the ultra high profile are not readily available. I would be less upset if he had told me that he decided that he felt the ones that he used looked better but he isn't saying that. Would you please look at my pictures on the picture forum and tell me if you think I should push this and have ANOTHER surgery to do what he said he would do or if you think that this will work out OK. I was also wondering if you were familiar with any of the Massachusetts General PS's and if so if you had seen anyone else have issues with this PS. I could PM you with his name.
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babyo20: I think we are all going to throw a party on the day of your exchange! Cannot WAIT for that day to arrive!!! LOL!!!
Your PS is going to use the largest implant he can SAFELY use that will insure good tissue coverage and good tissue CLOSURE over the implant. More often than not, he does not really know which implant volume will fit best until you are under anesthesia in the OR. There is no way I can predict for you what you want me to predict for you. At this point, with your exchange surgery just a couple of weeks away, there is nothing you can do to change the outcome! So you need to stop stressing so much over all of this! It is crazy-making, and you need to relinquish control at this point to your PS. You have communicated to him what size you want to be....how large you want to be. I am afraid that you are stressing out over this and stress can be a terrible thing! It elevates inflammation in our bodies....can cause the immune system to go haywire...and we just need to bring our stress levels under control - especially after breast cancer!
I know how you feel about this being the one area of control that you have, as part of this breast cancer journey. I am sure your PS knows you are more aware than the other 99.9% of his reconstruction patients. I am VERY encouraged and thrilled that he has ordered HP 475 ccs, 500 ccs and 550 ccs to try out in the OR. You will be perfectly happy in this size range! Just ask him to use the largest implant he can safely use...and ask the OR nurses to be your advocate in this regard!
Deborah
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stfne: I responded on the Pic Forum! I think you are going to look great, after everything settles! More info on the Pic Forum!
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whippet mom I need your help. I had my exchange to implants September of 2013. They looked huge at the time but looked good and symmetrical, albeit very heavy until the swelling went down. I had BMX SSNS and I had a lift at the time of the exchange. I have Mentor Siltex round 750cc implants. I now have severe rippling on one side and divots on both The PS said FG won't fix it. I am larger than I originally wanted to be but have gotten used to them.
The PS now wants to replace the implants with Natrelle cohesive gel anatomical implants, plus maybe do FG after that. He hadn't decided on a final size but just thinking out loud he said maybe 640cc.
I am 5'3", 141lb, 31.5 rib cage.
I am a little concerned how much firmer these new implants would be. Also how much difference in projection would there be? It appears that both have similar projection. I would think the size would be a lot smaller since part of the implant is on the upper chest.
I wonder how my nipple placement will work, they look good now and I don't want to compromise them.
The PS did say he would need to make the pocket narrower. I also have thin skin like most of us here, but thinner on the rippling side. I can feel the implant through the skin. Would the cohesive gel feel better or worse?
My husband says to do whatever I want but he is happy with how they are now(and I believe he is) I just don't like looking at the one side or feeling it either.
Do you have any thoughts on the weight of the cohesive gel implants? If I would get some similar in size to what I have now would they be heavier? If I go a little smaller would it be possible to go bra less? The present ones are way too heavy and I pretty much wear a bra 24/7.
I really am in a quandary, I have gotten used to these and don't know if it is worth risking them for the change. I do feel like I deserve for them to look good when I look in a mirror.
I have also learned after getting cancer to not put things off. I can't take things for granted anymore. Just eight months after I was diagnosed my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer. This past 16months have been really tough.
I probably shouldn't worry what I look like, but it some how seems more important than ever. Strange huh!
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Lucky: I need you to send me photos. You can link them via private message by using the landscape icon to the left of the goggles icon above. If that does not work, let me know and I will give you my email address.
Please read the thread header under the section about anatomical implants. Under the Mentor CPG header, there is a caption "IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE: ANATOMICAL AND SHAPED IMPLANTS". I just do not know that I would use anatomicals, for the reasons you will find above.
I want to see photos first, and then we can decide where to go next. Personally, I had pretty significant rippling and a bothersome step-off deformity (aka divot) and two fat graft transfer procedures took care of 80% of the rippling and took care of the step-off completely. I would rather you find someone willing to go that route first.
Also, do you have Alloderm?
Deborah
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Whippedmom I think I need your help....not sure where to start. I currently have TE's filled to 450 cc each. PS says he can continue filling until I say so...how do I know????? I used to be a 34A. Can you please point me in the right direction so that I can make an informed decision? Thank you0 -
Girlstrong - if you haven't done so already please read carefully through the entire header at the top of the page and then post your height, weight, ribcage measurement and tissue expander (TE) information (make, model #, capacity (cc)). By law, you should have received an ID card or paper with the TE information after your mastectomy procedure. If not you'll need to call your PS or hospital to obtain it. Whippetmom will need this information to help determine a recommendation for your implants. It can seem overwhelming but hang in there!
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Thank you S&S!
You beat me to it....0 -
For those of you who watch "Botched", I like it too. I did however have a couple of issues with the reconstruction revision they did recently. At one point Dr. Nassif refers to the "magic five year clear" mark so he feels it's a good time for the patient to have the revision. I think most of us here know that there is no "all clear" with breast cancer EVER (although some types are of course less likely to recur after 5 years). Then Dr. Dubrow says that with a mastectomy, "100% of the breast tissue is removed" - even though it's physically impossible to remove every breast cell and that's why recurrence or a new primary can still happen after mastectomy. I sent an email to the E network and the production company that makes the show but I'm not surprised that I never received a response. I know I'm nitpicking, but these are doctors! Those two statements perpetuate some of the most harmful myths about BC. Thanks for letting me vent.
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