BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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Whippetmom,
Thank you for the information and kind words! I will keep you posted along the way.
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Hello wippetmom,
I'm looking for advice as my exchange is nearing.
1. I am 5ft 1in tall, weigh 135lbs, and I am 35.5 inches around below my expanders.
2. My TEs are Allergan - Natrelle style 133sx, 800cc capacity but filled with 250cc.
3. Was a 38G prior to surgery
I obviously want to be smaller than a G. I would like them to sit well on my chest and not look like they are sagging.
I hope to be a B range.0 -
Whippetmom,
Thanks for all the time you have spent on this site. You and the other ladies have truly helped me out. I posted this before but I think I was on the wrong site.
I had a BMX in Sept of 2015. I waited until Aoril of 2016 to start reconstruction due to a pinched nerve in back.
The PS used Allergan TE 133LV-11-T the card I have shows 150cc. I am 5' 8" and weigh 155. I wore a 36 C bra before surgery. I would like to be close to the same size. I am currently filled to 190. He put in 80cc's at the time of surgery.The PS thinks I should be filled to a little over 500cc to get to my pre-op size. I think he plans on using the "gummy Bear" implants. I feel like I should have asked more questions. What is your suggestion? I've had 2 fills the first one 60cc's and the second one 50cc's. Both fills were painful for a couple of days even with muscle relaxers.
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stotamom:
You were quite large prior to BMX and much of the sizing determination will based on the amount of skin you have remaining. I think a good size would be around 500 ccs to 600 ccs - smooth silicone rounds. NO anatomicals. If the implants are too small and your pockets are considerably larger, you will have too much droop. I am glad your PS used the SX style TE - good choice.0 -
Mimito5:
Your TEs are pretty small. Doyou look very small currently? Also, by the term "gummy bears" , are you referring to anatomicals or to Sientra implants? If anatomicals, I cannot imagine what style or volume to recommend for a 150 cc LV tissue expander overfilled to 500 ccs. The anatomical implant needs to be snug in the pocket and approximate the dimensions of the TE, but preferably be a cm larger in width, height and projection. As it stands, the TEs are narrow for your frame and I would honestly recommend smooth silicone high profile rounds - from 600 ccs to 700 ccs. Find out what your PS means by "gummy bears".....
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I don't look that small now. I tried on a bra last night and I almost filled it out. I am sure my previous bra size was correct as I was professionally measured a couple of different times.I know when he measured across half my chest he said I would take a small TE. I'm not sure about the type implant. I had that visit back in August before my BMX. I just remembered him saying gummy bear implant. I certainly need to ask more questions. Thanks for your recommendation.
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I have been reading the posts and need some advice. I meet with my PS again tomorrow. I'm 5' 7.5", weigh 138 pounds, and rib cage 30". I was a full 36 C. I had breast cancer about 20 years ago with a mastectomy and reconstruction with permanent implant at time of surgery. My natural breast has always been larger than the implant. When I spoke to the PS I said I would like to be a little bigger than I am on the left side (natural breast) but didn't want to be huge. I wanted a natural look. He got out breast cups and said I could do a 600cc on the left and 570 to 590 cc on the right to replace old saline implant with silicone. Second meeting the same sizes were discussed again. He asked if I would be happy with that. Looking at the size of the cups, I said yes or maybe slightly larger if possible. He said he could probably not do more than 570cc on the right side but 30cc would not be a noticeable difference. I have a TE in the left side that he is currently filling. It is already larger than the right side permanent implant. When he took the bandages off I asked if he had changed his mind and put a TE on the right side too. He said no. I said it's looks much smaller than what you showed me in your office. He said I told him I wanted to be slightly bigger so he replaced the old 375cc on the right side with a 400cc. Oh course that is not what we discussed. I have two questions. 1) What size implant would be appropriate for me to achieve a full C or a D cup? 2) Is it possible to put a larger implant in the right side now that the PS has already done it with a much smaller one than we had discussed? Thank you so much the advice! I meant to add my old saline implant was under the muscle. The new silicone implant and TE are over the muscle
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This is also a fear of mine. My PS doing what he thinks is best for me instead of what I want. Good luck with everythingEFWS!
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Thanks so much. I will be meeting with him later today. I think it wasn't necessarily what he thought was best. I think somehow the sizes we had agreed on got lost between my last appointment with him and surgery. As I was leaving his office I heard the PS ask his assistant "what this other patient info doing in her file?" The assistance reply "That's not good." I'm just hoping it can be corrected!
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EFWS, I think mixing up patient's files may be worse than doing what the PS thought was right. I'd nicely let him know you overheard his comment as you were leaving and at least get an explanation or an apology? Honest mistakes happen but they shouldn't in the medical field. Hopefully he'll make it right...
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I just had surgery last Wednesday. My PS replaced a saline implant under the muscle with a silicone implant over the muscle from a mx 20 years ago and placed a TE on the other side after a second mx last week.
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Thanks Lori. I know honest mistakes happen even in the medical field. I just want it corrected.
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Best wishes for a speedy recovery! I hate it when Drs tell me such and such happens to 1 out of 10,000. They never mention that I'm 9,999. Good luch
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Hi Whippetmom,
First thank you in advance for you help.
I'm 5' 7.5" tall, weigh 136, have a 30" rib cage. I was a healthy 36 C prior to this last mx. I currently have a Mentor Smooth Round Spectrum Saline TE 525cc over the muscle. I had breast cancer 20 years before this new one which was just diagnosed in March 2016. The previous surgery was also a mx with a saline implant under the muscle, placed at time of mx. My PS was going to replace the old implant with a 570cc Mentor Smooth Round Moderate Plus Profile silicone implant and the current mx with a 600cc. Somehow between the last office visit and surgery he apparently lost the sizes we had agreed on and put a 400cc Mentor Smooth Round Plus Profile on the old mx side.
Three questions, if I may.
1) based on my statics, what size do you think would be best for me.
2) is it still possible to get this 400cc implant replaced with a larger implant? I had good skin coverage before but I'm not sure if he trimmed excess skin for the smaller implant. The PS did say the old implant under the skin was 375cc. I really have no idea what size it was. This current one looks smaller than I looked before and that one was smaller than my natural breast
3) The PS took the port out today after filling to only 520cc. Is it possible to go larger when he switches out the TE for the silicone.
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Hi to all!
I just wanted to post an update. I am 2 months post exchange (exchange TE with teardrop implant after a mastectomy on left cancer side and direct to implant prophylactic nipple sparing mastectomy on the right). The bruising which had formed on the right has been absorbed. The scab that had formed around the nipple incisions, fell off the skin only a week ago. The right breast still looks a bit bigger than the left and it also looks more like a breast because the skin and nipple were spared. I can now sleep on my sides without feeling any discomfort, exactly the way I used to before reconstruction. I can move my hands and lift household weights and do my chores just as before (but I am still not overdoing it). I like the fact that the teardrop implants are firm and I have never felt them move around. The right breast feels harder when squeezed, whereas the left breast feels softer, probably because of the thinner skin and the lack of fat on the left. I even did the flashlight experiment. The left breast was bright and red, when lit, with small veins going through the skin, whereas the right breast could barely be lit by the flashlight and large veins were going through there.
As a conclusion, I suggest to everyone who is given the option, to have a skin & nipple sparing mastectomy. I love my right breast, it feels and looks as though I had a cosmetic surgery to it and not a mastectomy. My left breast which had to go through a modified radical mastectomy and then TE placement, is just OK. Maybe if I had fat grafting (which I did not) it would be better and it would look more like a natural breast.
Be and stay healthy!!!0 -
EFWS:
I think you need a Mentor smooth round Moderate PLUS profile implant - 600 ccs. You need whatever volume on the other side to match 550 ccs? 575 ccs? I do not know. Personally, I would get a second opinion from another plastic surgeon. Yours placed a 15.0 cm wide TE on one side and then used a 13.0 cm wide implant on the other. I would not submit to a revision before seeing someone else.
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Whippetmom, thank you so much for your advice! The sizes you mentioned are exactly what the PS originally said I should have. He is supposed to be one of the best PS's in the area specializing in breast reconstruction. I know for sure my file was mixed up with another patient's. I over heard them talking about it as I was leaving the office I'm my first visit after surgery When I asked about it he insisted it was just a minor mix up and that he put the size in I said I wanted. He opened my file to show me his notes. I saw two photos on a page before he quickly closed the file and left the room. When he came back he asked when I was going to see Dr...... and I said that's not my oncologist surgeon. He said "oh I thought it was" and left the room again. Something about the photos kept bothering me. It finally came to me a few days later. I don't think they were my photos. The woman in the photo had a right breast much larger than her left. I was the opposite of that before surgery. I have another appointment with him on June 1st. I don't know how to approach this. I'm sure they don't want to admit their error for fear I might sue. When I all want is to fix this! Do you think it's possible to get a 400cc implant replaced with a 570cc? Is it possible to have my 525cc TE exchanged with a 600cc silicone implant? Thank you again for all the time you so generously give to all of us who were lucky enough to find this site!
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EFWS : The answer to both questions is "yes" since:
1. That is where your PS said he was taking you, in terms of size (before the error in patient filing)
2. Your 600 cc MPP implant is appropriate for the dimensions of your TE.0 -
Whippetmom
Thank you again for your help and guidance. It is very much appreciated! I will post my info Re my two cancer diagnosis almost 20 years apart when I get the final report. Still waiting for my Her2 test. This has been such a helpful site. I have seen people post calling you an angel and you definitely are!!!
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Hi WhippetMom,
My TEs were MH450cc filled to 500ccs. There were replaced with textured Inspira 470TRXs. One week post-exchange with fat grafting, I think my PS did an excellent job! I feel very blessed and am praying for a continued smooth recovery.
Thank you so much for your help! This is a very beneficial forum and website for so many - I wish I had known about it sooner!
LemonMom
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LemonMom: Such good news! Congratulations
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Great news LemonMom
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Hi All
I was diagnosed May 10 with invasive ductal carcinoma. I am choosing a double mastectomy for sure -already have implants (D cup) so I'm deciding between expanders and just going direct to implant? I don't want my breast size to be any bigger it's just that I got 2 opinions from 2 different hospitals suggesting these options. I know a lot of women go with expanders but can someone offer advice or experiences on going direct to implant?0 -
I know that there are different viewpoints regarding tissue expanders versus direct to implants, when a patient has previously been augmented with breast implants. Frankly, a higher percentage of those women who went direct to implants, ended up being explanted and then having tissue expanders for several months prior to going back to implants. It also depends whether you are having a nipple sparing procedure. In this case, it is tricky, because you want the nipples to end up in the right place on the mound. So it is up to your plastic surgeon to determine what is needed in this instance. I don't know why, but I just favor tissue expanders, so that everything can be better controlled. Certainly anatomical implants are out - as per expert recommendations as noted in the header to this thread. What are the different opinions you received?0 -
My PS told me the exact same thing yesterday whippetmom. I had previous reconstruction (lost 3/4 of left breast due to abcess) and he felt more comfortable doing the TEs and moving things around at time of exchange (if they were able to save my nipples). My first reconstruction was in 1985, I was told the at that time my implants would go under my breast tissue. I allowed my PS to manipulate my implants and I flex and relaxed my chest muscles until I was about to scream! He and my BS thought that 1985 would have been way to early for that type of procedure. When he was done squishing and squashing he said "I'll be damned, they are under the breast tissue!". We'll know for sure next Wednesday :-)
Thank you for all you do for us here!You rock whippetmom!
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Hello. I meet my plastic surgeon tomorrow for the first time. I'm 5'7" 271 pounds, so very overweight. I am losing... down 10+ pounds but lots to go.
Trying to decide if I should skip reconstruction until post weight loss or have smaller implants than I would need at this high weight.
Any suggestions?
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tsoebbin - I'm curious as to what whippetmom will recommend bet I wanted to chime in since I've sort of been where you are. I am 5'8" and I was 260lbs when I was diagnosed in May of last year. First of all, ask you PS his/her opinion. I was slowly losing weight but by the time I had my mastectomy I was not where I needed to be for reconstruction. My PS encouraged me to get to get my BMI to 30 before starting reconstruction. I'm sure if I had pushed he would have done the reconstruction sooner but he told me that my cosmetic results would be better and my risk of complication would significantly go down at that BMI. He also said I would have a difficult time continuing to lose weight once the expanders were placed. He was SO right! I gained weight with my surgery (do every time) and even 4 months later I have yet to lose those the last 10 pounds. I'm so glad I listened to my PS. I took the six months between my mastectomy and expander placement to lose weight (40 pounds more, 70 total), work out and get healthy. I've had issues with the normal pain and discomfort but no complications. I feel so much better about myself and my health and having some shape now has been rewarding. I'm looking forward to my exchange next month. I still have weight I'd like to lose but I don't feel like I have to guess about what size implants to get and even if I had complications, I know I would have done everything I could to avoid them. Goodness knows, we don't want to go through anything more than we have to!
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Ringelle... I cannot thank you enough for posting your reply. I have been wondering if the path you chose would be much better for me. I will ask the PS tomorrow and apologize if I've asked this in the wrong place but I'm very grateful for any input.
😃
Traci
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ringelle- congrats on your weight loss!!!! I have gained 20 pounds and can't seem to motivate to do anything about it. You are inspiring
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Ringelle, You are doing great, and should be super proud!! It is so difficult to lose weight!! I've just had my exchange and still want to lose weight and have been wondering if I do, do the implants look larger since I will not lose fat in that area? Does anyone know that question?? I feel my implants are smaller than I really wanted.
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