BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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The BS and PS are such important people on this BC journey. I carefully selected the BS and the PS was a come-with situation. I am very happy with both. At one point, I even sought out a second opinion from another PS. I chose to stay with the original one, even though the other would have also been a good choice, I believe. My PS, from the very beginning and before any surgery, was always ready to answer any questions (I spent MANY hours researching everything and kept developing lists of questions). I could call her office or text. I always got a response (same hour or same day). After surgeries, if I had concerns, I could send a photo and a text. This ability to be in contact let us stay on top of more that one situation and prevented some serious consequences. The office staff and the people in their surgicenter are aces. 5 of my 7 surgeries in 2014 took place in their surgical suites with my PS and their wonderful anesthesiologist, as well as the attentive recovery staff. If I ever finish with all of this, I will miss them and their respectful and nurturing ways.
I am especially happy to see so many posts about being pro-active in one's healthcare and decision making. We pay the Dr., and we have a right to the kind of care we want and need. None of us should have to tolerate an arrogant, won't-listen Dr.
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Now that I think back again. My ps that said there was no chance of a anything that could go wrong....no short or long term complications.Well.. hmm .i do remember that my bs said there was a chance of fat necrosis. .. and more importantly. .. the nurse practitioner told me that he (referring to the plastic surgeo) just started doing that procedure....... so...just because a surgeon has a good reputation doesn't mean they are not b blowing hot air..........
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That is weird that a surgeon could say than nothing could go wrong. There is always a possibility of complications. When they have you sing the consent, it lists a bunch of everything that could go wrong. Do you think it would be possible to request the consent form ahead of time, so you could read through it?
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Yes, I find it odd a PS would say nothing could go wrong either...that goes against the right of a patient to make an informed choice. Not only as you are being put under anaesthesia which of course can have complications, but there are potential complications with fat grafting just like any surgery, such as risk of infection, plus ones particular to fat grafting like fat necrosis (which is not threatening, but does mean you get lumps that can cause anxiety and need to be checked). I did not even choose fat grafting and my PS still, as part of me making a choice, gave me information about potential complications...as well as potential benefits.
Anyway, I have a great PS; he has great bedside manner and always makes inquiries about the "rest of my life" - in part for rapport, but also in part to assess how I am doing recovery wise and what recommendations he might have for me, but also in part as he is genuinely interested. He is great about answering my questions...even before I ask them. And if I do ask them? He willingly answers and never gives the impression he is put out or insulted by the question.
I would not sacrifice skill and experience for bedside manner only, but I do think it is is possible to find doctors (not only PSs, but BSs, family physicians, dentists, etc) who are both very skilled at what they do, and who you also have a great rapport with.
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You are blessed to have such a great team of docs. There is something to be said for the healing power of a kind bedside manner.
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No, I was in the office b4 the nipple reconstruction and PS mentioned the fat grafting. Now he is a good PS but, Good thing I didn't have it done. 2 other consults : one said fat grafting wouldn't do much the other said it was too close to the cleavage and he was worried about fat necrosis.
I wasn't in preop at the time my first PS mentioned this fat grafting as an option- I was in the office. I asked at that time about poss. short or long term complications. I recall His answer was, there are none.
I requested articles/lit search from the medical library and also had a visit with my BS (routine visit) prior to giving my for sure answer If I wanted the grafting.
looking back it was a good choice i didn't.
. Who knows what my results would have been. It could have turned out fine. Moral to the story: Do your research and be your own advocate. 0 -
Picture forum question - there are so many topics and posts. Where does one start? How do you find others who did what you are currently doing? I'm feeling overwhelmed.
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Knmtwins, probably the easiest way is to click on search and enter key words. But what I do first is change 90 days to 9000 days. Just add a couple of zeroes.
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Stix- Im in total agreement. Im so sick and tired of all the Ego's in this process. I think it is reasonable for someone to produce quality results. I would be fired at my job , if i tried to rationalize les than stellar work. Seriously, this is for life and these professionals are well paid. I don't know what it s but this whole attitude that I should be grateful to have boobs and take what I can get is so prehistoric.0 -
I have been lurking on this site for awhile. I had a bilateral mascetomy in November and had tissue expanders put in. I have been talking with whippetmom and she has been amazing. With Whippetmom's help, my PS and I have decided on Allergan Style 45 in 650 or 700 cc
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Just wanted to say Thank You Whippetmom. Had my exchange surgery today and went with your recommendation which was the Mentor ultra high profile 590cc. My PS said everything went great. She agreed it was a good size for me.While I am still bandaged up, I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a good "fit" for me. Thank you for the time, energy, support and knowledge you have given to so many of us.
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Lucy and Gatogrl, so glad everything has worked out thus far. Please keep me posted on how things are going for you
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Hi, I am new to this site and to the journey that breast cancer has put me on. I have spent many hours on this site reading what all you wonderful women share and it has given me a lot of information and insight into the decisions I need to make in the next few days. First of all, I need to decide to just have the one breast removed....or both. I want to look as normal as possible after reconstruction and don't know if that is possible with only having reconstruction on one breast. Also, I am not finding any posts about women who have had breast augmentation in the past. I was always rather small breasted, and in 2005, had augmentation done. Without knowing a lot about it then, I just went with what the PS suggested. Then, after awhile, I realized that I would have liked to have gone a little bigger. Now, that I have to have this surgery, can I still get an expander to be able to do that? I meet with a PL next week, but am always skeptical that he will tell me what he wants to do and will try to tell me, "oh, no. you need to stay with the size you are." Well, if I have to go through all this, I want at least something for me.....if possible. I always wanted to be able to wear lace bras and now may be the time I can do it. I don't know if I am being silly, since the important thing here is to get rid of this cancer inside me. I hate all this, but it is what it is. I will do this and be strong like all you ladies on this site! Can you offer any suggestions, thoughts or advice. Thank you!
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My sunshine4 good for you. I have no clue, as I had a reduction with my BMx, but I do think many of us try to find the 'bright side' and maybe custom breasts are it. Mind you, when non breast cancer people say, well isn't it great you get new boobs, wish I could. It is very hard to smile at them and say yes, because, although I wasn't thrilled with my pendulous breasts, I'd rather be strapping them in to my old bras, than have breast cancer and 'new breasts'. I feel only those of us who are in this club get to say that. Yep, that is where I am in my cancer journey, getting bitchy, unless you are one of my BC sisters, then I'm a protective mother bear.
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I do have to say, it's fun not having to wear a bra for the first time since I hit puberty! A lot of the clothes that were previously off-limits to me are now possible, like backless sundresses.
That's not to say that I wouldn't prefer not to have cancer andto have my old breasts back, but since I had to lose them, at least there are silver linings!
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My sunshine...I had implants 1998. Yes, had them a long time. Over the years, as I gained a little weight, they did too, from a C to a D.
I had bmx with immediate reconstruction using gummy bears. I told my PS I wanted to go back to a low C. Well...they look low B to me. Not happy. I'm only two weeks out.
Make sure your PS has your undivided attention, and spell it out loud and clear what you would like to have. My PS definitely has her mind somewhere else when I'm there. I would also ask PS to show you some of her/his before and after work...Something I didn't do.
If I decide to have any revisions down the road, it will be another PS. Too soon to tell.
At some point I want to post my pics on the picture forum and get feedback from WhippetMom. I hear she's good on that.
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Emily, I am jealous! I dont feel as upset as some but I am having feelings of disappointment , almost depression. I thought I would go thru all the surgery, and chemo, and at least have J Lo boobs to show for it. But I can't go without a bra. I have pectoral animation which produces divots where my nipples used to be, so no clingy fabrics. And one side is sagging a bit lower than the other so my cleavage looks uneven. Next week will be 4 months post EX and I will discuss options with PS. I should feel fortunate that I Don't have issues like infection or migrating implants into my armpits. And I Look OK with a bra. (Oh great, a commercial for Victoria's Secret swim suit program just came on.) Anyway, Whippetmom, I will PM photos to you, if I can remember how.
Diane
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my sunshine- so very sorry you are on this journey with all of us. But you have come to a great place with lots of information and support. When I went into my journey I read that it's easier to "match" both reconstructed breasts rather than a native Breast with a recon breast. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy and try to get as close to "perfect" as I could. When I went to my PS I told him i wanted to be a high C cup. I came out with a high D cup. Boy am I glad that i did. If your PS isn't listening to you ou then find another one. Give you PS an idea of how big an implants you want to go. If you use the header above. And give whippet mom your stats she can help give you some sizes and styles. Keep us posted
Whippetmom- I have my revision scheduled for April 16. I will be changing from mentor HP to mentor UHP probably in a 700(left) and 800(right). I'm excited yet very nervous at the same time.
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Well, my native breast matched my reconstructed breast well. As mentioned b4 I had the native breast removed d/t atypical and am having asymmetry problems due to a falling implant. Therefore, having a bil. mx. does not guarantee more symmetry. I wish it did. Either the Strattice needs to be tightened, the pocket revised or I have thin skin or All. One side sits on the chest wall with good projection. The other hangs from the chest wall and is flat when compared to the other side. The "hanging" pulls a little lateral- but, does not hang too much lower at 6pm..... Moral to the story: Choosing a bil. mastectomy does not guarantee symmetry at all-but should probably improve your chances of symmetry UNLESS your an outlier in the stats.
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Hello everyone! I am fairly new to this group. I had no problem with my DMX on Nov 12th due to having DCIS in BOTH breasts and my left having microinvasion. I was really lucky with my TEs and had no problem. The only thing I was worried about was my size and how much fill I needed with my TEs. I had NO IDEA what size I should be. I was always a C and then in the last 3 years, as my husband puts it, I EXPLODED to a size D. I did not like being a size D because of trying to fit into swimsuits or trying to work out and wearing blouses where material between the buttons were popping out. I wanted to be a small or medium size C, like I always was before. I read where your TEs were usually larger than the implants. Well, I had my exchange Feb 18th and now I am in deep depression. If I didn't have to go to work, I would lock myself up in my house for the next year. I don't want to go anywhere and I dropped all my friends and just tell them I am ugly and depressed, and I need time to deal with the crap thrown at me. I am in a self-pity mode and trying to get out of it. I cut myself off from Facebook because I cannot encourage many others or be positive right now. I am known as the peacemaker and encourager. I HATE MY NEW IMPLANTS! I know I am to give it time. Quite honestly though, how can they FLUFF out when these implants are hard as rock. I even take my hands and hold onto these implants and they just don't move, kinda like the TEs. It is now 10 days out and I am STILL looking square in the chest. I feel like I have (2) Sponge Bob Square Pants in my chest. My husband said today they still look squarish and wide looking. They protrude out at the bottom, but flat and square, NO WAY near round or what Mentor says, NATURAL LOOKING. Maybe this is the NEW LOOK or something??? I must not be in the loop that the new boobs are to be squarish looking and rock hard?? My implants look kinda mechanical or strange in appearance. Like I am an alien or something. I put my arms down and implants feel like they are in the way on my sides and now have caused this extra skin under my underarms to hang over the top of the implants. NO WAY do the implants look NATURAL LOOKING! Nope! Not at all. Just funny looking. They are the Mentor 323, Cohesive III, gummybear, medium height, high projection, anatomical 555cc. I HATE THEM! They feel top heavy on me. They are as hard as rocks. They don't move. They are not soft. My TEs were softer than these NEW implants with memoryshape. I also read where you will get RELIEF when the TEs come out and the implants go in. For my case? That is COMPLETELY OPPOSITE!!! These implants are like 20 pounds more in weight than the TEs. I could go on and on, but I know I could be way worse off in life. I will persevere and get through this bump in the road.
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Sugartoes...Oh my gosh. You need to private message WhippetMom. She gives excellent advice in situations like yours.
I had bmx with immediate gummy bears, different shape and brand on 2/13. I'm not exactly happy either but they do say you have to give it 4-6 months.
Try and hang in there!
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Sugartoes - hang in there. Jilly's right. It takes 3-6 months before you'll know what your results will eventually look like. You're just 10 days out. Sounds harsh & it's hard to do, but the best advice anyone gave me was to quit looking. When do you meet with your PS for post-op appointment?
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MinusTwo - I see PS next Friday, March 6th. I am so uncomfortable, but worse now than the expanders. I really am not looking for sympathy and I appreciate you and Jilly59 posting, but I truly hate these implants. I just don't see how they can fluff out nor can you make a square turn into a round shape. I am not impressed with Mentor at all. I had no idea what implants to get. I let my surgeon decide since she is the expert and the pro of plastic surgery. I told her I did want to be a size C though. I get along great with the PS and I do trust her and her work. I didn't with the first plastic surgeon though. I ran from her office and would never ever let her touch me. She told me I didn't really have cancer, yet I had DCIS in BOTH and when I told her that and one side was microinvasion, she was shocked and didn't really believe me. In fact, the next very next day, less than 24 hours, I was having lymph node ultrasound with possible biopsy because MRI showed thickening in both my armpits and here I was told I really didn't have cancer? Then why the heck was I having a possible lymph node biopsy to tell me I could be stage 2-3? The first PS also said the breast surgeon really does not do anything and the breast surgeon is mostly the coach while the PS is the one who does all the work. I threw a temper tantrum that night because I didn't know what to believe, if I had cancer or not.
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Sugartoes - It's impossible to use cup size as a 'measurement' since it depends so much on your shape & dimensions & body type - not to mention the amount of tissue removed in surgery. It's not something that's used as a guide on this thread. Also most of the posts I've seen said their PS would not even discuss revision before 6 months. My PS was the same although I was horrified & depressed that I was so much bigger than I wanted to be. If you want to go ahead and list your exact measurements as detailed in the header above, along with the complete details about the TEs that you had as well as all the specs of the implants you now have and all the other info required, I'm sure Whippetmom will send you some thoughts.
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whippet mom...I had a BMX on feb 5 and had allergen 133 mv tissue expanders put in.The surgeon has filled the left side where I had bc a little and the right side where I had the prophylactic, a lot more. I looked lopsided and they seem to be going slightly under my armpits. Is this normal?
I had 32DD size before and I told surgeon I don't wan to go any bigger than C now. Am I feeling them under my armpits because he's trying to get a bigger cup?
I always thought I would only be feeling these on my chest and not on my sides.
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Whippetmom, Hi! Wondering your thoughts.
My body is weight 138, height 5', 2" and ribcage measurement 33 inches.
My TEs were Mentor. I had Allocast applied in the lower section during double mastectomy, Nov 12, 2014, with immediate reconstruction of Mentor TEs and when I woke up, the TEs were filled at 250 cc. I had 4 fills at 50 cc each with a total of 450 cc. My PS wanted fills at 400 cc, but I questioned I was not big enough and was concerned and so she went ahead and filled an additional 50 cc to make the total 450 cc.
My implants: Mentor, CPG 323, medium height, high projection, cohesive III, gummybear (my PS stated), anatomically shaped memoryshape, textured, silicone implants at 555cc was done Feb 18, 2015.
I feel I am too wide. Implants are squarish shaped and no way round at all, and sit very heavy on my chest. Implants are not soft at all, and more like hard as rocks. No movement whatsoever, not even a millimeter. Pretty much like my TEs. I am having what looks like a divot in my right upper cleavage area. My PS questioned if I was going to need fat grafting on my right side in the upper pole area while my TEs were in and wouldn't know until the implants are in and waiting for a few months after the implants settle which may take a total of 3 months. The right side seemed to have more deep breast tissue taken out than the left. I am very symmetrical, even across, and have a cleavage with no big space between the implants which I am very happy. I wanted to be round and have movement and relief from my TEs, but instead, I received the complete opposite.
Thank you for reading. I am not happy overall with these new implants. I think my PS was thinking of the 440 cc, but I was worried I would be too small and opted for larger size. My PS was going to try the 555cc first and if she did not think I looked good while sitting me up during the exchange surgery, she was going to put in smaller ones. She did put in a Mentor measurement in my pocket during the exchange and measured the volume in my pocket. I also know that my PS had to take a course with completion of the Mentor Memoryshape Implant Device training which is required for all physicians in order to gain access to the Mentor MemoryShape implants.
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Dear All,
I would give your implants time. Keep yourself busy, find something new to d0 that you may enjoy, expand your horizons so your not running to the bathroom mirror multiple times a day "just to look at the implant symmetry" I pretty much know I will need a revision ONLY because I have been through this so many times with mx /rx at different time and several revisions. I will give it one more revision of the implant and if that doesn't work I will likely go for a diep.
It would be impossible for you that are the first timers to know how they will fall and what they will do in the next few months. So go get a glass of wine or a good movie and relax..... been there, done that.
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I found this on another Forum. I love it!
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I agree Stix- you have to give yourself some time to heal from surgery. You will not see immediate satisfaction. Your body has to heal from all the swelling from the incisions/pocket work/ and suturing. Once your body heals you may see the intended results from your PS. I know I had swelling for a good 6 months. Give yourself time, I can't say that enough. If in 6 months you stills arent happy then talk to your PS. I have a friend that did that and her results were beautiful
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It pretty much as dropped too lateral. I think it may need pocket work. But, I usually wait 5 months to see what happens.......:)
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