BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Whippetmom,
I'm not allowed to post link.
Can I send You link in PM?
I also noticed Mentor CPG 332 cohesive lll Tall Hight volume 270 cc have same base dimensions as Mentor CPG 333 cohesive lll Tal Hihght moderate plus volume 330 cc: w 11 cm, h 11,5 cm, but there is 0,9 cm diferance in projection. Will I be flat with an implant that have projection 4,7 cm?
As a reminder my TEs are Tall hight 350 cc, w 11,3 cm, h 11,8 cm, p 6 cm
Thank you!
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Krma:
Go the TE route first. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee you will be wishing you had done so after a direct to implant. A small percentage of women are uncomfortable with tissue expansion, but a larger percentage do just fine. SOme of us (me included) LOVED our tissue expanders! 😎 Quite a number of us lamented about having to lose them. Yes, that is true! No pain, no gain.
Honestly,your breast surgeon and the anesthesiologist have much to do with the comfort outcome. Proper pain management, CAREFUL dissection...the skill of the surgeon is paramount. Read the last portion of the thread header BEFORE SURGERY...
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Goldene: So you would be looking at the 305 cc implant. Frankly, I am not much of a fan of the tall height implants. The width to height to projection ratio tends to often render a tall flat appearance for SOME women. I would prefer a moderate height extra full projection implant or a smooth silicone round.
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I'm not sure if this is the right thread to ask but I'm wondering how long the gummy implants last?
My PS has retired and I have not followed up with the new one.
I've had my gummy in for 7 years. I think it looks and feels ok still but I'm not sure what to look for in case it fails.
Anyone know?
Thanks,
Marie
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Hi there....I too am not sure if this is the right place to ask...but I had existing implants prior to bc...since radiation everything has tightened and shrunk. My symmetry is way off. Can they put a bigger implant in to balance it out?
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Marie - I had BC reconstruction with Allergan anatomical "gummy" implants in 2011. At the time, they were still experimental. Now they are mainstream. The 'use by date' is 10 years, but I have been told that I may not need replacement for considerably more years.
J Ontario - do you also have silicone implants? Are they under the pectoral muscle? I too have one side that is higher & tighter due to rads. My PS volunteered at my last appointment that he could fix that. I'm not sure I want more surgery.
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I have mentor UHP implants under the muscle ..had them done just 10 months prior to dx. My skin healed really well after rads but now it sits up a lot higher than the other side. I really don't want to go smaller but I want to be balanced.
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Hello whippetmom! I am currently going through the expansion process, nearing the end (I think). I am 5ft, 125lbs, ribcage measurement is 30 inches. I used to wear a size 34B bra usually, and my measurement around the bust used to be 36in. I would like to be (or look like) a C after exchange. I have Allergan 133MV-13 400cc (width 13cm, height 12cm, 5.6cm projection) Natrelle TE's in now, and am expanded to 480cc at this time, under the muscle. I had my BMX in Nov 2016. I'd love to know what type of implant you suggest, and how much more expansion you think I'd need to do. My PS said she could go up to 600cc in these TE's. Thank you so much in advance!
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Thank you so much, Whippetmom, that was exactly what I was looking for! I'm so glad for the suggestions.
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Thank you very much, Whippetmom.
I had another fill and now I'm expanded on 290 cc. Love how 290 cc in expander look on me.
So expanders ptoject more and make breast mound look larger then same volume silicone implants (breast mound look larger with expander filled to let's say 290 cc, then with 290 cc silicone umplant)..I was woundering is there any rule/ratio on how much more cc's of silicone an silicone implant needs to contain compering to amount of saline in TE to get same size (projection) after exchange? 50 cc more? 100 cc?
Thank you so much...and sorry if my posts are confusing...I just want to get this right and want to be shure I understand everything before I make dessidions.
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I'm about 1.5 weeks away from my exchange. I have the 250 cc 133-MV tissue expanders, and I am filled to 300cc. I wanted to stop with the fills since I started getting a weird nerve sensation across my right breast, not painful but annoying. I can rub my finger along the "cleavage" side of my breast and feel a pulling along the outside edge of that same breast. It only started happening after the overfills. Weird!
I am happy with the projection I have and how I look in my clothes. I met with my plastic surgeon this week and he is recommending the Natrelle anatomical silicone implant in the 295-325 MF range. My under breast circumference is 30 in, and I am 5ft 4", and before my mastectomy was a 34-36 A. My PS is saying that he might try to go a little larger than my 300cc fill to get similar projection and fullness. I am very nervous about having another surgery, possibility of infections, healing process after cutting into my scars again. Any advice
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tinajens: I would recommend a couple of options: You could go with the newest Inspira implants by Allergan, the SRX (which has the highest projection) or the SRF, both in approximately the 520 to 540 cc range, or Allergan Style 20, 500 ccs or 550 ccs.
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Goldene: No, sorry. The key is DIMENSIONS! Approximate the dimensions of your TEs and look for implants with the same or similar dimensions. Typically though, with your size of TEs, you need about 50 to 100 additional ccs in the implant, and this is in relation to your base TE volume, not your overfill volume.
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Bleujay: If you are going with anatomicals,the key is choosing an implant with slightly greater dimensions than the anatomical, to help reduce the risk of rotation. So something in the 300 cc range is preferable.
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Hi - I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask these questions but here goes. I will be having a UMX. I will be meeting with PS this week to discuss options. My BS said he thought I would do well with a nipple & skin sparing MX. So 2 questions -
1) does this type MX only have direct implants?
2) with UMX is there a type of reconstruction that tends to provide better symmetry w/natural breast?
Thank you in advance for your answer.
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Sitti: You are a candidate for two stage reconstruction - tissue expanders to implants. Symmetry is often a notable challange with a unilateral MX. The two stage process will afford more control over tissue expansion to the extent that as good a match as possible can be made with the native breast. Much depends on the size of your remaining breast, whether you have ptosis (droop) and if so, how much. Nipple placement on the mound also can be a challenge to get just right, and so often the native breast is augmented or a reduction might be necessary to achieve symmetry. The artistic and aesthetic driven skill of the surgeon is very important.
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Whippetmom, thank you for the response. I am concerned about the symmetry and will be talking to surgeon about that specifically.
Thank you again.
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Hello Whippetmom,
- I edited this post after seeing my ps on 2/21/17. Apparantly, they discovered a very slight risk of Lymphoma with the textured anatomicals they had planned for my exchange, and have moved away from using those in their practice as a result. The new plan is to use a smooth, round cohesive gel most likely 475cc, not sure of the brand, I think it was Allergan. I had my BMX 1/27/17. I am 5'7 1/2" and 146 lb, with medium bone structure. I was a full 36D to 36DD pre surgury. In 1993 I had a breast reduction and lift "Mommy Makeover" after nursing 3 babies left me deflated on upper poles. Unfortunately, I had a 50 lb weight gain due to taking Lyrica for nerve pain and my breasts which had been reduced to a perky B cup "grew back" to double Ds, I have lost the weight, but my boobs remained, and I decided I am happy with the fuller breasts. My ribcage measures 32.5 under my TEs. The TE info below is copied and pasted from an email my ps sent me. I am currently filled to 350 ccs. Plan to overfill my Mentor CPX -4 -450 cc expanders to 500cc. They are shooting for exchange surgery sometime in April.
As I am reading other women's posts and your recommendations though, I am concerned what he is proposing will be too small? I had a lot of projection with my natural breasts and I think it looked good on me. I have very broad shoulders, I am often asked if I am a swimmer because of the broad shoulders. It is my understanding that the expanders have more than the projection than the implants. If I am not satisfied with the size these expanders get me to, will they have to remove them and put in larger ones?
Also, I am noticing stretch marks developing on the lower poles. I did get bad stretch marks with my pregnancies (I have very dry skin). I showed the PA and asked if we should slow down to give my skin more time to gradulally stretch. She said it is totally my call, but that is typically where they will see stretch marks on reconstruction patients and slowing down may or may not make a difference. I appreciate your recommendation and hope to discuss with ps in the next few weeks.Right total mastectomy: 514 G
Left total Mastectomy: 527G
Mentor CPX-4- 450cc Expanders Moderate profile
Right TE:(200cc intra op 1/27/17) + 50cc 2/7/17 + 50cc 2/14/17 + 50cc 2/21/17 = 350cc TOTAL
Left TE: (150cc intra op 1/27/17) + 50cc 2/7/17 + 100cc 2/14/17 + 50cc 2/21/17 = 350cc TOTAL
Edited to add my TEs are pre pectoral, above the muscle if that makes a difference!
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hi ladies! I'm navigating the filling process and didn't realize it would be so hard to know what you want! I was hoping Wippetmom would be so kind to give some thoughts? It is really so nice how you have helped so many people! Here are my stats... tissue expanders Allergan 133MV-13-T 400cc..... I'm currently overfilled to 410cc's..... I am 5ft 3.5", 123lbs, 29inches under breasts, my native breast size was 34b but fluctuated according to cycle and a few pounds up and down... I wanted to be a little fuller/bigger, was thinking 350-375 cc round silicone implants, does that seem too big?? I don't want to be too big but don't want to regret not going big enough either!🙈 I have the same complaint it seems most have , the tissue expanders are hard and wide and don't move. I hope the implants will be more squishy! Will I ever have cleavige again? I think the ps said I had a wide sternum so that's why no cleavage but even with my previous small breasts a good bra could do a lot! lol. Thanks for any advice :
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Shoregirl: You need at least 550 ccs in a smooth round HP style implant. I would even venture to state that the implant which best mirrors the dimensions of your tissue expanders would be Mentor ultra high profile implants, 650 mL. Here attached are the comparisons.
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Peacethirteen: Too small!!! -Allergan Style 20, 500 ccs. YES your implants are fine for that size. Minimally 450 ccs or 475 ccs.
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Thanks, Whippetmom. Now I am concerned. PA told me they will over fill to 500cc and then put in a 475cc, said they have to put a smaller implant in than the expander was. But looking at the charts you provided, I don't even see a 475, so I wonder if Allergan makes one, and if the dimensions are different than the Mentor? Was the Mentor chart you provided for the ultra high profile? I still wonder if I need bigger expanders to get to the size I was pre-surgery.
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thank you Whippetmom!! I feel better about the cc's, and quickly got used to them, funny how fast that happens:) I am just so confused about projection and how to know what projections would suit you better. I am a little afraid of high profile, what do you think determines high profile vs. moderate profile being a better look for you? Does either one produce better cleavage? If you want to maintain a very natural look should you gear towards moderate profile? Or is it more about matching the tissue expander/native breast width dimensions? Sorry so many questions! If I chose moderate would you still suggest the same cc's? Before all this I never knew there were different "shapes"..... soooooo thankful for the help you give everyone, I feel like I won't make a blind decision!
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Peace - it's about matching the implant style to your body type, weight, measurements, etc. After mastectomy we have no breasts tissue left, so projection is an issue, unlike with augmentation. And do consider that the TEs may have more projection than the actual implants. Whippetmom knows her stuff.
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Shoregirl: Well, you have a 400 cc TE, so 475 ccs is larger than your TE. Here is the Style 20 chart.
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Peace13: Projection is one of the hardest things to achieve in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. A moderate style profile style implant will be pretty flat on the chest wall for most women. Moderate Plus is better (Style 15 vs 10 in Allergan. ) Overwhelmingly now, high profile is the most utilized style for breast reconstruction when silicone rounds are selected. Some women want to minimize the appearance of their breasts though, so I can appreciate if someone wants to make that choice.
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Peace....What MinusTwo said.....
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thank you Minustwo and Whippetmom! Yes that makes sense, so we are really starting from nothing after a mastectomy. It's true what someone else said before that its hard picking a body part! I feel much better going to next appointment now
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Thank you so much whippetmom! I will take a look at these and talk with my PS.
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Thank you for the style 20 HP chart Whippetmom. My TEs are 450cc, which are still smaller than 475cc. But my pa had said the ps would use a SMALLER implant than my TE are being filled to. They plan to overfill to 500cc and use 475 implants. I had said I am concerned because in your previous post to me you had said "you need at least 550 ccs in a smooth round HP style implant. I would even venture to state that the implant which best mirrors the dimensions of your tissue expanders would be Mentor ultra high profile implants, 650"
Please excuse my confusion, but it does appear the chart you referenced in the 1st post was not the style 20, not sure the style, but as you said, the 650 on the 1st chart (catalog # 350-5650BC) does appear to have the closest match to the dimensions of the CPG-4 450cc TE. The 475cc in the Style 20 only has 5.5 projection, much less than the 7cm projection of my expanders, and the 650cc of the style 20 only has 5.9 projection, but a 14.2 diameter, which is wider than my expander. Was the chart referenced in the 1st post for Ultra high profile, and the style 20 is regular HP? Is it possible to get a 650cc implant in a pocket that had a 450 expander in it overfilled to 500? Is it possible to go with the Natrelle Inspira for more projection even though I have Mentor TEs? I obviously need to consult more with my ps, but any suggestions you can arm me with I do sincerely appreciate. This just doesn't make sense to me, maybe it's the brain fog. I did tell the ps I wanted to be as close to the pre surgery size I could be, and I don't think 475 is going to get me there!
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