BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Whippetmom,
Thank you so much for your input. I was worried about the issues of going to a smaller implant but did not know if this worry was unfounded. At least I know what questions to ask now.
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so does the volume of ccs in the TEs correspond with the cc volume of the implant? So for example, my TE volume says 475ccs (is that how big it can go?), does that mean that my final implant can be no larger than 475 ccs? Im worried that after all this battling, wanting a good outcome (good looking foobs), I will end up too small and saggy looking (like a pancake with a raisin in the middle)
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My response above was meant for spiritual abundance's question on expansion.
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Thank you so much for the tips. I don't have muscle relaxers so may resort to either Aleve or, worst case, Percocet. I get my first full since surgery on Tuesday which is one day shy of 3 week post expander surgery. So hopefully I'm rested and recovered enough to handle a good one. I received 300 during surgery but my right is much smaller than left already and I'm looking for the full C look so not sure how much I'll have to endure but because of these stupid external ports, I want to make it quick. Again, thank you for your tips.
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Warriorwannabe:
Focus on dimensions of the TEs as compared to dimensions of the future implants. For instance, your TEs are 13.3 cm wide and 6.8 cm projection (something like that....dom't have time to verify right now), and a 550 cc HP implant is 13.6 cm wide and 5.5 cm in projection. You can see that this will be completely "doable". A 600 cc HP implant would be fine also. The anatomical I mentioned corresponds to the dimensions of your TEs, but just a tad bit larger, because the anatomical needs to be snug in the pocket.0 -
Thanks LemonMom!
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Whippetmom, once again, so helpful! Thank you
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Thank you very much
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Thank you very much was meant forMinus Two!
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Hi Whippetmom. Have you heard anything about the Ideal Implant? Thank you!
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Katy: I have heard of the Ideal implant but do not yet know of anyone who has this brand.
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Thank you Whippetmom. They are a consideration for replacement of mine if I ruptured one in a hard tumble.
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Katy....what in the world are you doing that might cause you to take a tumble?
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Whippetmom: running up the stairs in uggs to get beds and towels ready for my two kids to come home and my daughters boyfriend. The PS thinks it's unlikely but...it feels weird and the shape changed. Significantly. Thank you again. We are so lucky to have you here
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Hello WhippetMom,
I don't think I have all the information you need. I had NS BMX in late January and have Mentor TEs with max size of 800cc. Not sure of height - low, med or high. Thankfully, everything was Stage 0 so need for treatment - thank you God!
I am 5'4" about 135 lbs with an athletic upper and lower body. My pre-op bra size was 36B with ptosis and I desire to go larger/fuller and perkier. I just measured under my TEs and am about 32-33'" but could never fit into a 34 bra - always a 36 (not sure if that is relevant.)
Exchange surgery is scheduled for end of May. Currently I am over-expanded to 500 cc as PS says I need to be 50 ccs over desired size to fit Inspira implants and will lose 50cc to ribcage. I like the projection of the TEs but hate the wideness and dislike the gap at breastbone but actually look pretty good considering they are TEs. Thought 390 cc TE was a little small but 480 was a bit big. Plan is to use Inspira 495 TRX, 470 TRX or 485 TRF. PS will have all three available but is concerned about the 13cm width on the 485 TRF - may be too wide for my chest. She will be moving implants toward center of chest to the best of her ability and my anatomy, and doing grafting to fill in from belly and saddlebags - told me not to lose weight.
I am just nervous that I am going to look way too big and unnatural. In my mind, I am hoping I wind up with the 470 (and ultimately a 420 cc breast). Feel like I am thinking much too much about this but do NOT want anymore surgeries if I can avoid it and don't want to look ridiculous.
Thank you for your help. If you need more info, please let me know.
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To Whippetmom and anyone else who has any thoughts: I had the mastectomy ( removal of 733 on the right which had the cancer and 792 on the left - the right had previously had a biopsy years ago which might account for some of the difference) and immediate placement of Mentor medium height expanders in a 450 cc size. After fills, I am now at 400cc and I think this is a good size for my frame. I posted originally on February 21 and was concerned about being too small but did not want to be too big, as I have been most of my life. The expanders look different than my natural breasts - higher with no ptosis so maybe that is why they look big enough despite the smaller size. I thought I was going to want much more. The plastic surgeon thinks any bigger will make me look top heavy again. I think I agree.
I am 5'3" ( a little taller than I thought) and about 120 pounds. I am a small person. 57 years old. And today my rib cage seems to be larger at 30.5 inches rather than the 29 I measured previously. My prior bra size was 32DDDD.
No alloderm was used as the plastic surgeon was able to use my own tissue to build in support. The expanders are under the muscle.
The left looks pretty good but the right (side that had the cancer) does not match. It is higher and not as round as the left. The surgeon is hoping to correct that at least some when I get the exchange. Part of the issue apparently has to do with scar tissue and I have sort of a dog ear under my right breast in the middle of my chest (a part of the skin that has not filled out) that has improved with each fill but is still there. I am not sure that will change with the implant exchange.
Apparently it is easier to get a good cosmetic result going from smaller to bigger than it is from bigger to smaller. These look more like implants than I expected as there is not much "drop" - of course, before I had too much drop. I don't think they look bad - just a big change from what I had.
My main concern now is that I am afraid that I will lost the projection that I have with 400cc in the expanders when they are replaced with 450cc Mentor MemoryGel round smooth high profile implants. I know the silicone is softer and I am concerned it will be flattened by the muscle.
Am I worried over nothing? It seems some women do not lose projection and some do. Is a 50cc difference enough to compensate for going from expanders to silicone implants? When I look down, I see breasts sticking out - which looks normal to me and I would hate to lose that.
Thanks.
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Dear Whippetmom and all ladies,
I am writing to report my experience on the exchange surgery that took place on March 24th.
A short reminder of my story: Due to the mastectomy I had of my left breast more than 3 years ago, on November 2015 I had a surgery to place the TE Mentor CPX, medium height, 650cc. In 3 months, the TE was overfilled to 680cc. One month after that last fill, on March 2016, I had a surgery that included an exchange of the TE for an anatomic implant on my left breast and a prophylactic nipple sparing mastectomy on my right breast with direct to implant reconstruction.
On my left breast the PS replaced the TE with a Mentor anatomical implant, tall height, high profile, 610cc. That was the easy part of the surgery. On my right breast, he performed a nipple sparing mastectomy and placed a Mentor anatomical implant, tall height, high profile, 485cc. There was a need for a smaller implant on the right due to the skin that was spared. He also placed the nipple higher performing a mastopexy because my right breast was ptotic. Finally, because my right breast areola was rather big, he cut a piece and used it as a transplant on my left breast.
Today, almost three weeks post surgery, everything is healing well. The transplant of the areola on the left breast was successful. The left breast is healing quicker than the right breast because the muscle and tissues had already been healing since the previous placement of the TE. On the right breast there was more pain which the first four days prevented me from being able to lie down and get up from bed on my own. Also, the right breast is still swollen and even though the implant is smaller on the right, the breast looks bigger. It is not very obvious in clothes, only without clothes.
The PS told me that the swelling on the right breast could take up to six months to subside. Is there someone who could confirm that? I am wearing a sports bra with buttons in the front 24/7. I am really looking forward for everything to heal completely and for the swelling on the right to subside so I can see what my new foobs really look like! So far, I am pleased with the result and I really like the shape that the anatomical implants give to my foobs. I like better the size of my swollen right breast but I will have to settle for the size of my smaller left breast which is a not very full C cup. On the bright side, I will have the C cup I wanted the least (but prefered a D cup), plus breasts that are firm and no longer ptotic! I don't think I will be doing anything to reconstruct the nipple on the left breast, the transplanted areola is enough for me, at least for the time being.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any thoughts are appreciated.
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Whippetmom,
I am 5'5" and weight 165. My rib circumference is 34. I had a PBMX on March 9. The PS used a Mentor Artoura high profile TE 475CC. I woke up with 250cc and have had two fills of 100 each. Totaling 450cc. I previously wore a 36D and would like to be that size again. I believe he uses mentor implants.
What do you think I need to fill to and what do you recommend for exchange?
I appreciate your input and am so excited that I found this site. I have found so much information and support.
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Katy: Now you know to slow down! 😉 It takes a lot to rupture the newergeneration silicone implants. They can displace, yes, but wear a very supportive bra - sports bra- to keep everything in alignment. Keep me posted!
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Lemonmom: Your TEs do not have a maximum fill level specified by the manufacturer. This is just a subjective number your PS came up with. If you are overfilled at 500 ccs, your TEs are smaller - do not know how much smaller - but this makes the Inspira sizes you listed sound quite reasonable. Lateral capsulorrhaphies should be performed to secure the sides once you have the exchange, so that the implants will not migrate laterally, as did your TEs. The pockets can be opened up and the implants moved more medially, but they likely still need securing laterally. An implant width of 13.0 cm does not sound large at all for your frame.0
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Carpediem: Then ask your PS to order Mentor ultra full projection style implants - 590 ccs. You certainly have the dimensions which would allow for this style and volume of implant. Your TEs are 12.7 cm wide and 7.0 cm projection and the 590 cc ultras are 12.5 cm wide and 6.1 cm projection. Show your PS the numbers. They are not too large for you....in case you were going to ask.....<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6037276/uploads/images/emoticons/17.png" alt="Winking">
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Whippetmom -
I was going to ask! Do I need to get more fills? I am currently at 400 but the expanders will hold 450 although I understand they can be expanded past that.
I find this all very stressful and your input helps. I like the size I am now (pretty much) and am terrified of making a choice that I will regret.
Thanks
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Thank you WhippetMom! When I said "overfilled", I meant 50ccs larger than desired size ie the expected volume Inspira implants will appear post exchange. Not over the max of TEs.
Wish I had seen this board sooner!!
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Carpediem: Then ask your PS to order Mentor ultra full projection style implants - 590 ccs. You certainly have the dimensions which would allow for this style and volume of implant. Your TEs are 12.7 cm wide and 7.0 cm projection and the 590 cc ultras are 12.5 cm wide and 6.1 cm projection. Show your PS the numbers. They are not too large for you....in case you were going to ask.....
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Okay Lemonmom! Those numbers are arbitrary, because every plastic surgeon has their own formula they want to follow. There is no prescribed theory regarding expansion and ultimate implant size. If that is what your PS needs to do to get you to your ultimate DESIRED goal, then that is what it shall be! I do not know your actual TE style or volume (manufacturer's volume), so I am just going by your vital stats and what you say you hope to achieve. Look forward to hearing about your results !
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SissiAngel: The first month or two after the exchange is hard on nearly everyone...it is just the conundrum of coming to some sort of closure with breast reconstruction. We have a perceived idea of what we want to see and it is not always that way right out of the (exchange) box. So I think that it can take a month for the swelling to subside, and perhaps two, depending on how much pocket work was done and how quickly your body heals. Two months seems like two years at this point....so it is best to do what I tell everyone to do at this point, and that is to "step away from the mirror."
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Cincymomof2:
Since another member asked the same question on 4/2/16,and has the same TEs/style/volume as you, I will reiterate what I told her:
"So if your PS uses anatomicals, the only two I would recommend would be Mentor's moderate height, high profile anatomicals - either 555 ccs or 620 ccs. They approximate the dimensions of the Artoura TEs. If you chose silicone rounds, and if Mentor is the only brand she uses, I think that 550 ccs to 600 ccs in a high profile implant would be a good size for your frame. You could go with the ultra full projection style in Mentor, but that would require going up to 700 ccs, although the dimensions would still be comparable to your TEs. So you have some choices and I think that you just need to go over them with your PS."
I think that this pretty much mirrors what I would tell you - and that with your desired size and pre-MX breast size, getting to a 700 cc implant should be very doable. I think you need to let me know when you are happy with the size. You can overfill if necessary, but, again, you might have sufficient skin envelopes, given your preexisting breast size.
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Carpediem....I do not know if you need overfilling. Talk to your PS about the sizes I mentioned....especially letting him know you are interested in PROJECTION and keeping as much as possible. So tell him that you have looked at the ultra full projection style and would like for him to consider that style. I will link the Mentor website so that you can click on the tissue expander section and print out the page describing the dimensions of your TEs, and then you can click on the Mentor implants and go to the ultra full projection style and print that off. Sometimes showing the PS the dimensions and comparing the tissue expanders to the implants, can support your case for consideration of a certain style/volume of implant. I will link the Mentor site in the next post, because my internet is iffy right now and I don't want to lose this post
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Thanks! This is such a big decision. I feel like I know very little about sizing. PS has done many but this is my first and only.
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