BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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lulu--My breast MRI's have been covered by my insurance both during my diagnosis and after my exchange to silicone implants. My breast surgeon stated that she plans to send me for yearly breast MRI's as a method of surveillance.
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DiveCat--please know that my thoughts are with you as you deal with your mother's issues I hope your strength and support was inherited from her!
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mjh and lori-thank you so much for the responses. That is def good to know and does mean a lot in making my decision.
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Hi everyone. My PS sent me to the Mentor website to start learning about the types of implants and sizes....clueless. So this thread has been very helpful, many thanks!
Two questions, has anyone had one side appear to fill less than the other? What did your PS do about it? At first I thought it was just because there was less skin on that side because it was smaller even before the BMX. But after 3 fills it still looks smaller. The PS nurse noticed it at my second fill....said it could be a leak and they would keep filling it or add extra fill to that side. It's been 5 weeks since my surgery and 3 weeks since my first fill. I'm almost done with fills since my size before was a 34 B and would like to stay that size or slightly larger.
Also,ok if I PM my measurements for advice on implant?
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angmom41 - perfect timing... my mentor 9100 650cc TE has sprung a leak... Acording to my PS's nurse, this is the 3rd one that has done this recently. Seems there is an 'issue' and they have been finding that they are folding over the injection site, so with each fill, new holes are being poked into the expander... Resolution they told me is an easy quick surgery, where they take it out and put a new one in, but that was the nurse, I see the PS on Monday to discuss. I think there is a board on TE issues, I need to find that and post it there, so I don't 'hijack' this page. Lot 6862199 right (leaking) SN 043; left, which broke away from the sternum tab SN 017
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Armineh:
Welcome. As you will see when you read the header and through the thread, there is really no way to give a ballpark figure for cc's to cup size. I know there is a ballpark sometimes used in augmentation, but you can't do this in reconstruction because it is a very different procedure. For one, you are starting without any breast tissue, and so your surgeon needs to be able to fill in that space where your tissue was, according to your own body measurements (i.e. chest) and this requires certain dimensions in width, height, which can on its own eat up some of those cc's. Every woman also has a different anatomy, so different profiles in the chest wall or "abnormalities" (like a sunken chest, or a protruding chest, or as one woman recently found out during her MX surgery, having had ribs removed due to a previous surgery!) also all affect things.
A, say, 435cc implant on me was a 30E (same as my pre-surgery size; I have a 29" ribcage) but 435ccs on another woman could be an A, B, C, D, E, F, G....it all depends on your measurements, your ribcage measurement, and the dimensions of the implant itself.
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angmom41,
I did not have fills so no personal experience, but this could be due to variations in tissue from either side (thickness of tissues over implant, how elastic one side is compared to other, how thick or relaxed muscle is on one side from other, difference in chest wall (i.e. one side protrudes more than other...you may not see it as it can be very subtle). You are still having fills, so not a big deal, they can fill more on that side than other either by doing added fills or filling more at each fill, and even at surgery they can even things out if there is not a substantial difference. For example if it is due to a difference in chest wall, they can put a larger implant on one side over other. They don't seem to fret much over very small leaks so if that is what it is they will probably just keep filling.
Remember, your breasts before surgery were sisters, not twins, and that applies even after surgery. Variations between them will reflect in fills, in the final implants. You can get very good/near symmetry but they are still relatives rather than duplicates
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Thanks knmtwins, I really hope it's not leaking, it is a Mentor. If it is, it's pretty slow leak. Might be more obvious to see once I stop expansions, since I have been getting them weekly. I'm really close to size I want on one side, the other just can't seem to catch up! Good luck, hope an extra surgery is not needed for you!
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Divecat - you and whippetmom rock!!! I don't know how we'd all make decisions without you. God bless you both!0 -
Divecat - thank you. It does bother me a little to think it might be leaking, but you're right, PS doesn't seem worried. About breasts being sisters....before surgery mine looked more like cousins!
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DiveCat-Thank you for your post and pictures of your exchange from rounds to anatomical. We have a similar build and I have style 20 550 in now with some of the same issues. Could you post on your satisfaction with the anatomic implant at this point? Are they significantly heavier, harder or uncomfortable? They look great but I think I may care more about how they feel.
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Divecat:
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I personally feel (and so do the tissue expander manufacturers) that if a tissue expander is defective, e.g., starts leaking early on in the fill process, it should be removed and replaced. If you are getting your last fill and soon to have an exchange and this occurs, this is a different story. But languishing with one malfunctioning TE for months, and continuing to fill the other side so that there is quite a discrepancy, can make a difference in the cosmetic outcome and we need to discuss with our plastic surgeons whether this is something that will impact the outcome of the reconstruction. It might be that there is a sufficient skin envelope already and replacing the TE will not be necessary and will not impact the cosmetic outcome. But we need that reassurance from our plastic surgeon.
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bcs22,
I am very, very happy with my anatomicals. I do not feel any additional weight (they are pretty similar in size and weight as 450g v 435cc and my natural breasts were 371g/446g). They are a bit firmer I suppose if I press on them, but I don't find them considerably firmer or hard. It may depend a lot on how snug your current implants are in your pockets...my rounds wre pretty snug in there so they already felt a bit firmer I think. To be honest, I really don't feel the differences, just see them. They aren't uncomfortable at all. Of course, everyone has a different experience
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Thank you for the information, I have printed it so that I can read. I'm scheduled for my reconstructive surgery for June 2015. I'm not sure about getting the areola and then nipple. This is where I need help with. Deciding and the recovery and pain since I heard that it will hurt since I'm having it done in the summer months.
thanks again,
Lee
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Whippet - thanks for all your help. Although I am fully filled, due to insurance only using the hospital, my surgery isn't scheduled till July. My PS is not happy with the full deflate that has now happened on the right, so is trying to somehow get me into the OR schedule in the next week or two. He is HOPING that he can swap out both with implants, since the left has detached at the sternum area and is starting to stretch under and behind my arm. He says that will definitely be done, and if the muscle won't allow the implant on the right (due to the deflating) he will put another TE in there. He will also do fat grafting at this time and we will talk nipples later. Waiting for the scheduling nurse to call, hoping they can get the 30th, instead of the 7th, as this hurts and fingers are crossed the muscle lets us do both. As you may remember, I reduced, so there is skin... the issue is the muscle.
Where do I go now (what topic) to ask about how long the recovery is, as I don't want to hijack this topic, but need to know how long to get someone to help with feeding the kids, carpools, etc. I understand the lipo can be the worst part. Boo hoo they don't get to re sculpt the body at the same time, just take enough to hurt!
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knmtwins - wouldn't this be classified as emergency surgery?? I'm not sure why they waiting.
SInce you have questions about your exchange and FG, I would look in either Exchange City, February 2015 surgery (those of us that are still waiting are using that one). Fat Grafting Pros and Cons and I believe there is also an April 2015 surgery thread that was just started.
In general, most of us would agree that the exchange is a breeze compared to the MX and TE but it also depends if there's additional pocket work that's being done. Pain is minimal if you have a straight exchange but you will have weight limitations.
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The wait is for an operating room to open up at the hospital on a Thursday, the day my PS is at the hospital. My insurance won't let me use the outpatient surgical center. Also, there will be more pocket work, and lipo for fat grafting... ouch!
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I found this video on You Tube which I think is quite good at explaining breast implant sizing and thought it may be helpful:
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Divecat: You and your mom are in my thoughts - I am sorry for the late reply, have not been around much.
Back to work and it's exhausting but I know it will get better each week!
Have another month of wearing the strap, started massaging but the top part of areolas are hard and it hurts to massage but I will keep at it. BC side taking its time softening up!
Lots going on out here, I am off to catch up!
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I also posted on Exchange City, but I was wondering if any of you had a pain pack with your implant exchange. I had one with my BMX, but didn't think I would need one for the implant exchange. However, my PS says she will give me one, which I'll have from surgery tomorrow through Monday. I thought most women are good with percoset or even extra strength tylenol.
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lesiie - I didn't have one in any of my surgeries. Good luck tomorrow. May you new girls be perky and beautiful.
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Leslie: Yes, I did for both.
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MinusTwo, how long before you felt okay
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Leslie: It was at least a week for BMX. For exchange, I was off the narcotics in 3 days.
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just had my exchange yesterday. Mentor rounds. The scars are glued. Has anyone any recommendations about scar minimizing cream that works? Scar zone? Menderma? I'm surprised by how good I feel but taking ps stern advice to do nothing for a week. How many weeks until the drop and fluff happens? Thx.
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new girls- my PS has a latex free strip called mepitac. It is wonderful, I can't start using it for at least 8 weeks or until all the scabs are gone. It's wide enough to where one strip can be split in half to use on both sides. Check and see off yourPS has anything similar.
I am 8 days postop from my revision surgery and absolutely love the results. I went from the mentor HP implant to the Mentor UHP implant. Man what a difference the UHP implant makes. I have a bit more projection but the breasts look natural and normal. My PS is a perfectionist and always makes sure that the "girls" are looking good. You can tell that he took extra care this time because they lock phenomenal. He had to open the left pocket up more. My left implant was rotated and bunched up in the center. How the hell does that happen??? But he says it does. He did lots of liposuction on the left side. I'm very impressed with the new results.
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You can buy Mepitac at most medical supply stores too. Usually in their tapes/adhesives section. It's basically a soft silicone medical tape, but cheaper to buy than specific precut silicone strips marketed for scars.
At this point, NewGirls, you just need to let your incisions heal. Leave them alone until you get the all clear. The thing that honestly helped me most was genetics (I scar very well) and light massage with hypoallergenic lotion (once my incisions were fully healed) to improve blood flow. The idea behind silicone tapes and such is that it keeps the skin "flat" while healing so if you are prone to raised scars, it may minimize this risk. I started trying them but found it a pain to have to apply and remove 2-3x a day (you have to remove for showering, for activities where you are going to sweat, etc). My scars still healed up fine. Scars heal and fade over not just months, but years. My scars from my first surgery were nice and pale and flat...and then I had to start almost all over again with new incisions. They are quite pink and red right now, but I know they need time.
Drop and fluff varies, after my initial surgery I saw the biggest results between about 3-6 months, but there was still changes up until my revision surgery at about 11 months post-op.
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Thank you for this wonderful resource. It's a challenge in this world of commodified breasts to find kind and able guidance about fit. To speak for myself, I am both eager to have this phase behind me (after so much chemo, the double mastectomy, the saline fills of TEs) and eager to be on to the next step (the comfy-er silicone, the removal of my ovaries that will accompany my exchange).
THUS I am looking for whatever help I can get in sizing. My PS is world famous and blasé about sizing. His PA is very anxious an unwilling to "push" any sizing too far. I'm currently at 550 on one side, 520 on the other. Before my surgery I was 34 DD. I'm fairly slim and tall - 5'8", athletic, fairly low body fat. I'd love your advice, Whippetmom. Is my aspiration of 600, 650 about right? Sound high or low? I liked being big-chested before, but don't want to stretch the skin or the process on too long.
Best wishes to you and yours
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