BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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As you can see they look big and fake from the front but are really flat from the side. The right one is higher now and I have the sharp ridge that rotated to the top from I don't know where. They aren't looking a whole lot better then the expanders unfortunately.
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Islandgurl: I have saved the photos so that I can discuss them with you, but you might want to delete them from this thread. I meant for you to send me a private message with the photos, because this is a public forum and anyone on the World Wide Web can see your photos.
I personally think that you have a very good result, and I think that anyone else viewing your photos would agree with me. I do think that your right implant is rotating in the pocket, although both look pretty high on the chest wall. Sometimes when the implants have too much height for the chest wall, it detracts from lower pole projection (where projection "naturally" occurs) and also makes it difficult to find a bra to fit the breasts properly.
If you have 350 gram anatomicals by Allergan, they might be the FM style. Please verify the style for me.
Deborah
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Islandgirl, I agree with Whippetmom, you look great in your pictures! I don't recall but how long ago was your exchange? as there will be changes occurring even a few months down the road as they settle into place
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Thank you Whippetmom and Cateyz! And Estel, yes a perspective is exactly what I was looking for. I actually just measured myself and used a bra size calculator online for the first time in my 38 years and it did come up with 30FF. In clothes I look like a small B. I guess I wanted to look like a small C in clothes. They look huge in pix from the front because the diameter is huge for my chest but tiny from the side. Whippetmom, do you think it's because they simply don't make a diameter small enough in the US for my ribcage? Maybe I should have gone to Asia for my boobs lol! Or gotten rounds?
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IslandGurl - I thought they looked great!, and very proportional.
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Islandgurl,
I did not see the photos, but I certainly trust whippetmom et al when they said they think you look great. Maybe it is, as whippetmom said, a implant height issue? Oh, and the rotation can't feel comfortable so it sounds like the pocket needs to be tightened up if you stick with anatomicals.
Projection is a tricky thing after MX as in....it just won't be there in the same way without breast tissue, especially with the loss of the NAC structure. I had NSM but they still remove that underlying tissue that gives projection. My bra size did not change....a true 30E to a true 30E. In a proper fitting bra I think I still look pretty similar in bras/clothing as I did before and my over bust measures exactly the same as it did before too but I can't wear the same style bras I could before as I need bras that are shallower in the cup or else I just end up with empty space in the end as my implants can't fill the tips out - this was not the case with my natural, softer, more malleable breast tissue. It's like now my breasts have a built in rounded and slightly minimized profile.
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It is not that the diameter is huge for your chest. The width is fine. But you have more of an elongated shape on your chest wall, which is to state that you have more upper pole fullness and height than you have lower pole fullness and projection. So smooth siicone rounds would likely give you more of the look you want. I would tell you to do nothing and learn to love your new breasts. But rotation distorts the pocket shape, puts undue pressure on the upper pole and pectoral musculature, and can just worsen over time. So I can see the need to switch implant styles.
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IslandGurl - I did see the photos (and was in the middle of writing a post to remind you that this forum is public) when *poof* whippetmom appears out of nowhere to say the same thing!
I, too, thought your symmetry was excellent and that you looked very proportionate for your frame. I did see what you mean though about the shape. However, I missed the rotation that whippetmom has spotted on the right side - but then I don't have her eye or her experience in these things. That's why whatever Deborah recommends, will be the best advice you'll get...
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Whippettmom et. al, so sorry, I forgot to tell the page to email me, then had chemo and couldn't figure out why I hadn't seen anything. I'm in Frederick, MD 21703. I met with Dr. Andochick in June, the PS who works with our local BS, before we knew I was HER2+, and thought I'd be having surgery around July 1, instead of the chemo I have to do first. We discussed skin sparing, using a gummy round implant, and that he would fill my TE until we got to the size I wanted. It was during the blur of life right after diagnosis and I liked him (he does many of these each year, he would use Aloderm and Strattice to create a good pocket) so he seemed well informed. Since then I have joined a BC support group, and when I mentioned getting a second opinion, the room went nuts. These women seem to worship him, but, now that I have time, it makes sense. I also expect to make another apt. with him, now that I know more. BTW - chemo brain and the PC shutting down and I have forgotten the forgot how to get to the picture forum. Can someone post the link.
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knmtwins: Here you go!
RE: Pictures Forum: Please contact Lilah or nowheregirl for the link and password to the Pictures Forum.
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Iwannacookie - hi! I'm a lurker on this board, but wanted to chime in and let you know that I'm filled to 240 cc's right now and feel like this is just shy of being a great size for me. I was a 32DD before, but I'm also petite at 5' and 115 pounds, so my breasts always felt too big for my body. What I have now is small, but I love the way my clothes are fitting. I have just enough to not look flat and still feel womanly. Not that you can't feel womanly flat, but for me, this feels best. I was thinking to myself the same things as you about having a warped mind. I haven't seen a single woman here want to go that small. But that's okay. I say go with whatever you are most comfortable with. As others have stated, the type of TE you have does limit your choices, but you can always convey your thoughts to you PS and discuss your options. I see my PS tomorrow for another fill, as we originally talked about filling to 300 cc's. I'm actually hoping it's not too big.
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Ally & Iwanna - There are actually quite a few of us who wanted to be smaller - even an inactive thread for women choosing that option. But I agree, you don't see many of us posting about it. And it seems harder still to find a PS who doesn't push big. Three+ years out, I'm still happy smaller.
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Even if you stay the same bra size as before, because of the loss of projection, things can seem smaller. I wanted to go smaller (was a natural true 30E in UK sizing) or at least no larger than my smaller breast, and indeed as I was direct to implant basically could not really go bigger. I was limited in going too much smaller as I kept my nipples and so going too much smaller with direct to implant as it could have left them rather wonky without additional scarring or surgery. I still need a 30E bra for wire width to properly fit around the implants, but as my new breasts are firmer, higher, and have less projection they seem smaller to me in appearance and feel than what I had before, which I am very happy with.
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Same here. I went smaller by choice. They look smaller, but measurment wise, they are about the same as pre BMX, because of the width of the implants. Since exchange, I FINALLY get it, and I for one will never say "cup size" again LOL.
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I am going smaller, and my PS also warned me about the complications of going too much smaller. I guess that's why some women doing a prophylactic BMX (where time is not a factor), get a reduction first. I am going just big enough to fill out my skin.
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There was no way for me to go smaller or stay the same size! My BS took out 93 cc from my left and 100cc on the right side! I didn't see any implants that size nor did I want to stay my original size! I can still fit in my clothes and I am happy.☺
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twoam:
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I was feeling sufficiently ample until yesterday evening when I got dressed to go out for dinner. In my clothes I realized that I look really small chested (at 250cc). I'm not done filling my TEs, but for the first time, I started entertaining the idea of going a bit bigger than I'd originally requested. So my husband and I filled a plastic bags with different amounts of water to image the sizes. I was surprised to see that 700cc didn't look nearly as huge as I'd envisioned. My husband would love it if I went that large, but I think we'll aim for 500cc now--assuming it's even possible given the TEs, and skin I have. I am a tall slender woman, but my hips are still prominent. I've always been more a "pear" than an hourglass. Suddenly I find myself wondering what it would be like to have the upper part of my body match the lower.
It would have been very useful if my doc had presented samples (bags w/water or whatever), to demonstrate sizes instead of accepting me tell her my desired cup size.
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Iwannacookie,
You really have to think twice before choosing the permanent implant size. I feel for me it was such a blur and my surgeon didn't really discuss options with me. I said I wanted to go up in size, to the size I was when I was breastfeeding because I had the skin. The expanders looked HUGE even with 200 ccs because they were more rounded. At 350cc I felt I looked like Dolly Parton. However, the first thing I noticed after the exchange is how flat I was! I wanted to cry! Because the shaped implant is more wide and flat they looked like they were half the size of the expanders!!! Have I been informed about that I would have gotten expanded way beyond what I was comfortable with because the permanent ones look SO MUCH SMALLER! Also.... I try to think 10 years forward as my prognosis is good. If I like most women put on a few pounds in the next 10 years my implants should be proportional to my body then. I say go bigger!!! :-)
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IslandGurl--
Sorry you're not happy with your outcome, but thank you for sharing your experience with me/us and thereby possibly helping me and others escape the same disappointment. I'm seeing my PS tomorrow and I can now bring up all the issues I've been made aware of here.
I also feel like my initial and subsequent meetings with my PS have been somewhat of a "blur"--especially the first one. I trust my surgeon's skill, but I do feel that it was/is her responsibility to inform me of everything I need to know in order to make an informed decision with the least possibility of regret.
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I'm getting a revision next month. The other thing I wasn't aware of was that in the US there are not many options for a shaped implant. I chose to go with shaped but I wasn't informed that I probably should have chosen a round kind. My ribcage measurs 26" and they don't really make the diameter that small at 350 ccs. So I ended up with really high and wide and flat looking (on my frame) implants. They will look fake one way or the other may as well have some projection and have fun with them while I'm young (I'm in my 30s)
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This is the hardest part of reconstruction - the "what size should I be" question.
Personally I feel that PS's could do a better job of informing us along the way of what to expect. Mine certainly didn't. I just told him that I wanted to look natural and to be the same size as before. Trying to envision the final results during fills was driving me crazy. My husband was no help. He said just do what you want
I had no idea of how big to go or when to stop fills. I was going to stop at 330ccs because my PS told me I could get the look I wanted (more cleavage) just with fat grafting. But then I asked my PA to look up how much was removed during surgery and it was so much more than I thought. So, I decided to go by those measurements, plus a little bit more, for more projection. I was filled to 580. The TE's felt HUGE and so did the implants at first. I ended up with Natrelle 410 MF 640. I'm almost two months out and now that the swelling has gone down and the girls have settled in, they look smaller, but for me that's a good thing! I also had fat grafting. Because of the shape of the anatomical, I didn't lose any projection and the FG gave me some nice cleavage I never had before. I feel like I'm just right. I say if you feel your PS isn't informing you enough - listen to whippetmom.
Islandgurl, sorry you didn't get the look you wanted. Have you asked about fat grafting? I wonder if that would help add some fullness and help achieve a bigger size. It might be worth a try.
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oops...just saw your post about revision. It's nice that we have the option to do that, if needed. Let us know how it goes!
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Hello whippetmom:My Stats: Height 5'5", Weight 143, Rib Cage Measurement 33 1/2.
My tissue expanders are Mentor Talls. Model number 8300 with the recommended fill volume of 350.
I would like more information on recommended implant size. I asked to end up a solid C, but my PS isn't very communicative.
Any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
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RAM2013: Your TEs, at 11.3 cm, are pretty narrow for your ribcage. With a 33.5 inch ribcage, I feel that you need to be in the 12.5 to 13.0 cm width with your future implants. All depends on your chest wall characteristics though. So I would recommend that you have either high profile smooth rounds with a range of 450 ccs to 500 ccs. However, if the narrower profile works fine on your frame and if you want to keep the projection, an ultra full projection style Mentor with a volume of 480 or 535 ccs would be an option. If you do not like the projection and want to be more conservative in size, you also have the moderate plus profile style Mentor at 400 ccs.
I think that the size discussion with your PS could be reserved for the time when you are at 350 ccs fill, so that you can determine if you like the size or wish to be larger or smaller that what you see with the TEs. Let me know how you feel about the size at that point also.
Deborah
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Thank you bc101! I think I was told back when lumpactomy was discussed that fat grafting couldn't be done for me because I am 5"4' and fluctuate between 96-99 lbs... They said they didn't have any place they could take fat. Maybe I have enough for cleavage?
I'm not sure why he never talked to me of that being an option. Hmmm.... Also, I heard here in DC metro plastic surgeons are more conservative and it's tough to talk them into going bigger lol!0 -
Islandgurl: When you find out the style of your implants, let me know and we can figure out which smooth siicone round would give you the results you want to achieve.
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I know I should really know where that card my PS gave me is, but I don't! I bet it's on the bottom of whatever bag I had with me the day of the post op. I feel like I have a little fat that can be taken for fat grafting and I just found out after a quick internet search that being underweight isn't an indicator of whether you are a candidate for the procedure.
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Hi Whippetmom,
I'm curious to see what you think would look good on my frame. I am 5'5", 157lbs (normally 147lbs), rib cage is 36". My TEs are Natrelle 133FV-13, 500cc.
I'm currently at 200ccs and feel like a pancake, even though he says I'm pretty close to where I was Pre-BMX. I had 222g/252g removed during BMX. I was a 36B prior and want to be bigger, so I can ditch the padded bras and balance out my body. I have fairly bony chest with broad, but defined, back & shoulders. I carry most of my weight in my hips/butt/legs.
Thanks for your input.
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IslandGurl - (I had to go look up your stats a couple of pages back.) I'm 5'10" and about 130 pounds, so tall and thin. I had fat grafting during my revision surgery three months ago and my PS went in through my belly button. He's a big proponent of using fat grafting in reconstruction, (as is whippetmom) but I didn't think it would make that much difference. Boy, was I wrong! I woke up with two stitches and a little sore, but the benefits of fat grafting are phenomenal! It made a huge difference for me. It doesn't take very much at all to fill in the flat spots and any ripples. And the only downside is that up to 50% of it can be reabsorbed by your body. So far, I've retained almost all of mine, so fingers crossed, that will continue to be the case...
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