BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Thanks Whippetmom for all your help: I just talked to my PS office, and she said they put in a Mentor 550cc At one point she said it is 13.2 and in another sentence she said it is 13.8 x 6.9. I am a little upset with this insurance PS, since it seems they don't listen to the patient. I had showed him I wanted the Natrelle 133MX 400 width 12.0 projection 6.3, so I am baffled at the huge amount of increase he put in me. He had agreed that was a good size, and the morning of surgery, he said I got the same dimensions in the Mentor. Now, come to find out, that is not the case.
The girl said they have to expand at least 100cc more than the implant they will put in, otherwise there will be no movement, and that the expander seems to gravitate towards the armpit, and not the middle. She says I need to expand to 575, in order to fit my 475ccNatrelle style #20 implant. At this point, I am confused, and worried about mega ripples.... Confusing at the least. Thanks for all your input Whippetmom..Your knowledge really helps us all tremendously..
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heebie-Jeebie-hang in there, try to take it one step at a time. I know they like to be cautious about what they say they can do, in case it doesn't go as well as they'd like, but I'm sure if it is possible they will try to give you the look you want. They will definitely be perkier and may look bigger than you may think.
joiedevivre-Now I'm confused. My PS says he doesn't like to over expand too much and it isn't always necessary. In my case he will put a larger implant in than the cc's I am expanded to. When I asked him why he wouldn't fill it some more he said it wouldn't really be necessary and he didn't want to put any more pressure on the skin. I know Whippetmom says PS's have different methods of achieving the same final results.
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Sweetie: I agree with your PS. I will definitely NOT let my PS expand me that much. I am very thin and already have thin skin there, and he was even considering a latismus muscle to help the skin , but I refused because I did not have any issue with the skin when I got the first expander, and did not want to go through all that. My implant on the other side is 475cc high profile, so I will not let him go more that 420 in the expansion. I am just wondering if having an expander that is too big for my frame will cause a problem if I do not over expand as he intends.Breast reconstruction is no fun.......
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Joiedevive_ I don't think you have to fully expand a TE either, but I'm not positive. I think it has a maximum fill recommendation because of skin integrity but it doesn't seem like under filling it would be an issue if it was too big of a TE and that's all he had to use. I had to have one of TE replaced due to a wound problem and I remember the nurse saying he would use whatever TE was available if he couldn't get the same one I had. I was surprised at that but she said it wouldn't hurt things. In the end though he was able to get the same one I had. I don't blame you for not wanting to do the LM thing, that seems like a lot more to have to go through. What size do you want to end up being? You said you are petite and thin? I'm 5'7" 130 and I only have a 400cc TE in.
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There is no requirement to expand fully. The size (mine was a 600 cc TE) is a "recommended maximum fill" -- which is to say anything UP to that amount -- though in fact my PS filled mine to 850 cc's... so clearly it's all whatever the PS wants to do (within reason).
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heebiejeebie: Well, another consideration with a nipple-sparing MX is that you are limited by size and dimensions of the implant, by virtue of where your nipple-areola-complex ends up on the mound. I do not understand your PS' premise about size if you do not have a NS procedure. Many of us were smaller prior to MX than we are now and as long as your skin is viable and responds to expansion, I am not sure why he is sounding so dismal about your sizing options.
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joie: Can you obtain the data regarding the type of TE you had on the other side - and the amount of volume in that pocket? You want pockets which expand similarly. I PM'd you....could you check your messages?
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Whippetmom: I think I was expanded to 480cc at Kaiser 10 years ago. Doubt I could retrieve the info as to what TE I got. I know it was oblong and she said it was the smallest one they make...Then I went to a 400cc implant with a low profile..the hamburger look because I did not know the difference, and that is all they could offer me at the time. I went to a seminar, and all the girls had the same low profile which looked like big flat pancakes..But, that was 10 years ago. I since had them changed to the high profile which is much better, but I want them to match..So, worried that this TE will make a much wider pocket than necessary. I have the style #20 475cc Natrelle on the good side.
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I PM'd you back to discuss what will be required. I guess this new PS does not think he can get you into a 475 cc implant without using a much larger TE.....
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Just checking in. Surgery went fine, they did a bit of lipo on my tummy and fat grafting on my left MX side. He put in Allergan 20-550 High Profile on the left and 15-397 Moderate Profile on the right, which is a bit high right now. I will be in a surgical bra for the next week and then I will post pictures.
Meds are kicking in-goodnight everyone and thank you for all of your help Deborah.
Deborah: Do you see any problems from the two different implants used?
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MJB.... So glad you are home and well!
Ladies. I HAD to post this.
You CAN get LE without a single node removed. You can have a mast... with nor further treatment and get LE. There are a few sisters on BCO that have extensive LE and had a mast only and no nodes touched. I personally was told all the " myths" about LE. So, I never fear getting it.. until the day my arm felt.. heavy.. and I " thought" I had back fat. WELL.. it was LE in the arm and truck of my body. It sucks.
Binney on BCO is an amazing resource into the world of LE and the myths of LE. I personally am in denial most days.. as LE SUCKS... but she is not.She has a website dedicated to LE. I would contact her if you thought you might have LE.
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MBJ - Glad you're home and things went well. Praying that the new girls settle in nicely, are even and absolutely beautiful!
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Welcome home MBJ! Rest up and be patient
I am so excited for you!Laura -- thanks again for this -- I thought it was only an issue for those with nodes removed. Wow.
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Thanks Deborah for that information and food for thought, I'm going to take that away and chew on it for a while. I'm not booked for surgery until Nov 26th, and will certainly see my PS before then and have a bit more of a chat.
MBJ, I hope you are comfortable, and all is going well.
Lisa
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Whippitmom: Thanks for your answer. I was so thrown off balance yesterday that I never questioned him on it. He made is sound as if little to no skin stretching is possible, so If I don't get enough skin I am out of luck.
I think right now I'll just have to wait and see what next months surgery brings and address the expansion later.... while keeping up with what everyone here is going through.
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Hi everyone! Exchange took a bit longer then expected--3 instead of 2 hours--plus my anesthesiologist wasn't as good as the last one. Of course this time they let me drink a ton of water and juice so that I would pee and they could send me home. I woke up from my MX within an hour and felt euphoric, but I woke up from my exchange in pain and grouchy and incredibly woosie. I was told they were going to use the same meds as last time but I suspect they used morphine after all, even though I asked them not to! I only have pain a bit on my right side and I also paniced when I woke up because it took awhile before I could use my arms, but they are fine now, just a bit of pain under my left are because they fixed (hopefully) the drooping skin and took out a remaining bit of scar tissue that still remained. It looks as if my right breast is larger then the left, but I won't really know until they do the "unveiling" next week.
Meds are kicking in, talk soon!
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MBJ - Yeah! I am happy you are back with us and that your surgery went well. I'm with Lilah as patience is needed at this time.
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Hi MBJ! SO glad to *see* you this morning!
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MBJ -- if the PS did more work on your right breast (is that the MX side?) then there could be more swelling there. Regardless, remember that swelling IS a part of the healing process and each side can be at a different place with regard to that... so you need to give it a few weeks before you can be sure that one side is bigger (and not just more swollen).
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MBJ -- if the PS did more work on your right breast (is that the MX side?) then there could be more swelling there. Regardless, remember that swelling IS a part of the healing process and each side can be at a different place with regard to that... so you need to give it a few weeks before you can be sure that one side is bigger (and not just more swollen).
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Lilah: My right side is my "natural" side. I think it's because I just have more breast tissue up top and he mentioned that he may have to do some more fat grafting. I really won't be able to say anything until I get the bra and bandages off, but they look to be a close match and that's the best possible outcome. I personally think he could have gone larger on my left side because even though it's 550 cc's it's being squashed by my pectorial muscle. Much bigger then I used to be, though! Funny how the longer I had the TE in the smaller my breast looked! I can't believe how greedy I have become! LOL!!
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BTW: I did get a drain on my MX side only.
Thanks again everyone for your well wishes. I can really feel the difference on my MX side. My right side aches though.
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MBJ: Congratulations! Just remember that the MX side is going to go through a myriad of changes over the next two weeks to a month - and that what you see at the first unveiling will not be representative of how you will look down the road.
Cannot wait to see them!!
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Deborah: I can't wait to see them, too!! The curiosity is gonna kill me! I don't know how I can thank you more for all of your help--I never would have known what to do and I would have hated being any smaller then this. According to my measurements, I should be a 36C, but I will go get a professional measurement when all the swelling goes down. BTW: How long should I wait before I get measured? I am very pleased and excited that he was able to get me to this size. If I hadn't been sewn down on the side, I probably would've gone bigger, but I think that this size makes me perfectly proportioned: 39-30-39! It's going to take some getting used to but I am glad they don't feel heavy.
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Ah MBJ - well for what it's worth my good side was VERY swollen for weeks after surgery -- partly due to a lot of bleeding. So the whole swelling thing may be a factor for you as well (with or without bleeding) there is simple more tissue there that CAN swell.
And yeah what Deborah said about MX side dropping and fluffing
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MBJ: I would wait two or three weeks before going to Nordstroms to be measured. You want the benefit of settling and healing to take place. Has your PS prescribed or provided a compression type bra or recommended a sports bra to wear post-operatively?
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Deborah: They just sent me home in this awful compression surgical bra with no mention of anything else. It's lovely and stained with some antibacterial stuff and attaches with velcro. Almost looks like a sports bra, but not quite. He mentioned early on when I brought it up, no underwires. Should I post a picture of this contraption on the Bras thread LOL?!
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MBJ - A contraption it is! Sounds like the same bra I was sent home with. Couldn't wait to get out of it. I went bra shopping a week after exchange. Quite honestly, it was too soon. I had to be so careful not to hurt anything and maneuvering around to get the bras on was not that much fun. I went back a week later and it made the world of difference. It is hard to be patient!
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Giselle: Not much that I can wear in this 90 degree weather with this surgical bra being larger then most of the summer tops I wear LOL! I am hoping they will take me out of it next week when they remove the drains. I will bring my Spanks wireless to see if they will let me wear that one instead. This bra is so tight my neck is sore!
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Yep, I had the same surgical garment. I think it is a disposable surgical bra frankly. Don't bother washing it....it will self-destruct.
I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Jeremiah 1:5.
Diagnosis: 10/15/2008, IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 2, 0/1 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-0
