BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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joie: Call his office today or tomorrow and find out EXACTLY which style and volume of TE he used.0
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buyo: Okay, so your comment about your PS using 560 cc high profile implants has me a little concerned. Unless you need implants larger than 800 ccs, there is no reason in this day and age a breast recon patient needs saline implants. Saline only comes in those "odd-number" sizes. So you want smooth round silicone implants. Clear that up early on.
I would state that if you like the size you are currently, you will want at least 550 ccs and preferably 600 ccs in a high profile implant. The MPP style would be a bit too wide for you in those ranges. The HPs have more projection and a narrower base width. The MPPs are wider and have less projection. The HP in the volumes above-mentioned will be sufficient width for your chest wall and will provide enough cleavage.
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I probably misheard him on the cc's, as I remember him stating that he only does silicone implants. How far can you overexpand tissue expanders?
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Well, there is no specified rule for the degree of "over-filling", but the manufacturers, in our case, Allergan and Mentor, do specify that there are caveats to overfilling - tissue integrity the most important. Just ask your PS if you can exchange out to 550 cc vs. 600 cc HP implants with your current volume. If not, ask him what he needs to do to get you there. I would say you are just fine where you are with near certainty for 550 cc implants.
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IWhippetmom,
I'm 5'6", about 145-150, right now I wear a 34DD, I'd like to be a C cup. Before cosmetic implants (25 years ago) I was a full B cup. Is that good??? Thank you so much!
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Dawn-Hope, Lilah, Michele and Whippetmom, thank for the excellent advice! Very well put. I am jotting down notes from what you have posted so I can ask in the ways you suggested. It's funny when I go to see him I get nervous like I'm on a job interview or something. I guess it's just nerve racking trying to find a way to convery what I want,think and feel about all of this to him. You gave me some excellent pointers and I feel much better about asking now. I'll let you know how it turns out.
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Robynkk: You will want implants with a volume of around 450 ccs/475 ccs. This would be the minimum. The old implants will be too small and besides, why would he want to use old implants? If your ribcage is around 31 inches [you did not state] I think that the high profile style should be fine. He could use the moderate plus profile also - especially if you stay in the 450 cc range.
The volume for reconstruction is entirely different than augmentation. You will have no fat or connective tissue - it is like trying to fill up an empty pita pocket. It takes more to make less.
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Whippetmom,
I just measured and yes my ribcage is 31 inches. He didn't mean to use the SAME implants
just the same size. I dug up the paperwork from 1986 and my old implants were Oval High Profile, one was 345cc and one was 365cc. The PS said since I was going from a DD to a C he would put in the same size, if he does that I'm going to be too small aren't I? Now I am not confident with him. I think I will make an appt. to drive down and discuss this with him. I remember he did say something about putting it in front of or behind something??? Thank you so much for your help. Robyn0 -
You also do not want saline implants - which is what it sounds like you have now. You want smooth round silicone implants. He will be placing them partially behind the pectoral musculature. 345/365 ccs would be small. Don't focus on cup size - it never pans out. Focus on what looks good and appropriate for your frame and you can go up or down from there. If you are hoping for a C cup - you are going to want to stay around 450 ccs to 475 ccs - and this is JUST a wild guess. It all depends on your body habitus. You will NOT be too big with that size of implant on your frame.
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Robyn: Incidentally...are you having a NSM by any chance? If so, the size of the implant would be also predicated upon achieving the proper nipple location. You might get a better nipple placement with one implant volume vs. another.
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No I have silicone implants now. I read somewhere if I fill a baggy full of rice and put it in the bra size I want that will give me an about size to compare to the implant? That does sound over simplified but he acts like size determination is no big deal and it's a HUGE deal to me. I'm going to try and see him next week, now I don't think I trust him. Yes NSM.
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Whippetmom -- When you recommend high profile implants, do you mean the Mentor or Allergan brands? Or, are they pretty similar in size? I have the sizing charts for both and would assume that the Allergan Midrange profile (style 15) is comparable to the Mentor Moderate Plus, would you agree? Has anyone on this site had experience with the Allergan Full Profile?
Also, I have one side reconstructed with Allergan HP 475 and the augmented side Allergan Midrange 213 which I feel is way too small. On second consults, one PS recommended the augment be the same profile as the MX side and the other said "no, you get a different projection and it should be a lower profile.' I personally don't agree with the latter and feel the profiles should be the same as my main complaint on the augment is that there is no tissue/ fullness above the nipple. Any thoughts on this? p.s. I'm still waiting on my medical records and when I get these, I'll get you the TE info. Thanks, Pam
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Oh me too, I have NSM on the MX side.... interesting comment about size of implant and nipple location if NSM, I think this is why it was a challenge for my PS and he didn't get it quite right. I'm told it is an easy fix though.
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vanderlady: If you really want to nail down symmetry, your PS could use a saline expandable implant on the native breast and silicone on the MX side. Two others on this forum have done this and really liked the precision of the match. And the difference in consistency was not an issue for them. The saline is fine with the native breast because there is fat and connective tissue to add to the volume and suppress any rippling. It is the Mentor smooth round Spectrum expandable implant....and there is also the Becker 50/50 - half silicone half saline - expandable implant also. You can PM rockwell_girl or Nedeza and ask them about this.
Deborah
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Lilah - I appreciate the information on rippling. I haven't found much or read much on here about it . Is some skin just naturally thin or is it because of the MX? Maybe that's the reason I've been so sensitive all of my life!
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Sorry Dawn that's where my knowledge (if that is what it is) ends... but it seems to me that being skinny is not a prerequisite for this issue nor is being on the heavy side necessarily a free ride when it comes to rippling. But it does seem to have to do with thin skin. Perhaps it's a matter of where we pack on the pounds (thin or not) and where we don't? Individually, that is.
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Hi Dawne - I agree with Lilah that there seems to be no correlation between a thin or heavier body type. It all depends on the thickness and integrity of the skin itself and your personal medical conditions. I too have a thin upper body. Tomorrow will be 3 wks since exchange. I notice rippling when I first take my bra off and when I bend over and after I shower. I was a 34B and am now barely a 34C. It's all my skin could handle. Before this BC experience I had no idea that I had thin skin.
Are you doing your massages?? I'm finding it a good exercise cause it's getting me reacquainted with myself. I have to say that the difference in temperature between my body and foobs takes some getting used to.
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Deborah, Thank you again so much for your help, I sent you a PM
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vanderlady:
In answer to your other two questions: Mentor and Allergan both have comparable style implants - just different names. Yes, we have a number of women who have used the Style 45 in Allergan - which is the ultra or extra full projection style of implant. It works well when you need to achieve the most volume possible - in the 800 cc volume - and on tall women with nice long torsos or women who need the extra height the Style 45 provides. Mentor's equivalent "ultra" is not available in the US to date which is fine with me because the dimensions of that implant are really bizarre.
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i talked to my BS today, he's going to have 450cc high profile on hand just in case! thank you whippetmom!!
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Giselle7 - I'm having the same experience with rippling that you are ... when I bend over, if I hunch my shoulders, I've noticed the shower thing too. My PS told me today that I'll probably experience even more as the implants settle and the swelling continues to go down. I was just instructed today on the massage. I've heard you all talk about, but no docs had mentioned anything about it to me. I asked my PS today and he gave me a sheet on how to do it. 3x a day? Are you supposed to take 15 minutes during lunch, hide out in the bathroom and do it?
I was surprised it was so often! And the temperature ... funny you'd mention that, they're freezing! I touch them and they feel like ice cubes. Re thin skin ... they told me today that because the skin is thin ... if I chose nipple reconstruction, there could be some healing problems. 
Are you going to go for the nipples? I'm not sure at this point ...0 -
Dawne-Hope - I am to massage once daily by slowly pinching each foob left to right and up, down 10x. That's it. I decided to use a little vitamin E oil on my fingers so they glide more easily. I'm still a little sheepish about doing too much touching. I like the idea of doing it in the shower as well.
There will be no fipples for me. Skin just too thin. I will be a 3D tattoo girl. I have already been scoping things out.
Funny, the bathroom thing reminds me of pumping out my breast milk at work. That was a long, long time ago!
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If I may interrupt...
Deborah or anyone...
at the gym... is it OK to do push ups or chest press? My body does this easy... BUT... will this hurt my implants? I am finally able to do training again... ( my medication takes care of my pain now.. wahooooooooooooooooo) I love being able to work my pecs again.. and build my chest.. like I had two yrs ago. BUT... I just wonder if it is bad for the implants.
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G7 & DH - Funny that you mention the temperature of the foobs..... that was definitely a shocker to me when I first felt it too. I thought.... gee, they didn't tell me about this. It is especially bad after working out and then you get cold. I worry about how it is going to be in the winter because I have Raynauds and if I get cold, I'm down for about 3 hours.
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Whippetmom -- Interesting thought on saline on the native side...... I'll have to think about that and I'll discuss with the PS. When I was bra shopping yesterday at Macy's (in another part of the county) the saleslady recommended I see this one PS..... this was the second time his name was referred to me. As it was a spur of the moment decision to go shopping and I'm not usually in that area, I took that as an omen. So, I made an appointment to see him next week. I figure, I'll go see the two best PS in the county and decide between the two. Although I have to say, with my new bra, I'm a lot happier with the position..... funny how something as simple as that can help. I'm going to a local support group meeting tomorrow night for my first time.... I'll be asking them who to go to as well.
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Estepp - I'm not sure if it was on this thread or the exchange thread but there has been a lot of discussion about pectoral exercise after exchange. Whippetmom included some good info on the topic. Make sure to look into this issue before you go any further. You don't want to wind up having to have a revision due to exercising your pecs.
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Giselle... good advice! TY!
I was going to call PS tomorrow about this... but wanted to see what you all say, too. Due to my LE, I cannot lift heavy ... but I was hoping I could do push ups ( " man kind") and Chest presses with about 20pds. ( this is light)...
I am here to take in all advice and info. I will run this past PS...
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Hello whippetmom,
I was in touch recently as I'm gathering information for my recon after a R skin sparing Mx with TE- surgery has now been booked for late November - I PM'ed you my information a month ago, but to recap - I was/am 36C cup, height: 68.5 inches (5 foot 8.5 inches), weight: 154 pounds, rib cage: 34.6 inches.
I've now had a chat with my PS and he is suggesting I go with Mentor 322, moderate plus profile cohesive III, 330cc. I would love to have your feedback. It's 12cm wide, 11.3cm high, and 5.1cm proj.
thanks,
Lisa
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Deborah, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the pics, you look amazing, look like you do have very nice volume and very good projection. now I have a positive image in my mind of how I hope to look like when all of it is over.... thank you for that. Surgery is today, I'm about to go to the hospital in a couple of hours, wish me luck... I'll be back in a few days and let you know what size TEs implants my PS used on me.
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I had BL Mast in 4-2010 then my exchange was in 9-2010. I have had pain ever since. Mostly on the right side. I have been talking to my PS about having my implants replaced. I'm wondering if they are too heavy they seem to big. I'm 5'2 156 and my rib cage is 32. I have Allergen Mx-410 size 685. I have had nipple surgery too and just a few months ago had the areola tattooed. My PS just keeps telling me give it time. I think I look way to big. They are very wide also. He said we will have to wait at least a year and do some documenting first to get insurance to pay. The right one is lower than the left too. I was Diagnosis 2-2010 DCIS Insitu. ER/PR/Her2 Triple Neg. No radiation and no nodes removed. On exchange city a few Ladies said I should be checked for LE. I'm afraid I know nothing about LE. My BS has told me over and over I have no worries about LE because she removed no nodes. I did see a PT for a while for my lower back after sleeping in the recliner for days my siatica was really bad. Any thoughts and help would be appeciated. Not sure what to do. I'm going to make an appt with my BS today and see if I can get a referral to some one about the LE. I have not seen her in almost a year. I'm wondering about my nipple placement if I have another exchange. Has anyone come this far only to have them exchanged again???
Thanks Di
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