BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
-
Deborah, I PM'd you back = )
MBJ: if you don't mind me asking, what size were you before your MX? I was/am just so small "before" (an A) that I'm afraid if I go to a "small C" that it will be ridiculous since I'm pretty boney up top. I just keep having visions of Pamela Anderson, and that's so not me! Haha. But then again, I don't want to go too small, and have it look bad that way. Deciding on boob size is one thing that makes me laugh! That and how "matter of fact" it has all become to me!
0 -
Madison: I PM'd you....
My recommendation is 325 ccs to 350 ccs, high profile smooth round silicone implants.
0 -
Hi, Erica and Madison, listen to whippetmom as far as size goes. I am 5'6" and weigh 120 pounds, was barely an A cup before surgery. TEs were filled to 400ccs and changed out to 450ccs (whippetmom and PS recommendations) and I wear a 32DD bra but look like a C cup. I found this site tremendously helpful!! My pictures are on the picture forum if you are interested.
0 -
Hi Ladies I am new to the site and wanted to introduce myself, plus I have a couple of question I was hoping to be able to get some advice on. I am newly diagnosed, scheduled to have my BLM on 2/4. I am 170 pounds, very athletic (triathlete), originally a 42DD++, very dense and fiber cystic breast. I am 38 years old. I have interviewed two plastic surgeons already in prep for the surgery, I am scheduled to interview one more. The two I have already seen gave me such a different opinion that I am extremely confused. I wanted to see if I could walk away from reconstruction with at least a size D breast. I have been reading this board for a couple of days and you ladies seem extremely knowledgeable......is a D after reconstruction even possible??? One PS says yes, one PS strongly says no, and that I will only be a B at best.
PS#1's opinion:
BLM, Immediate reconstruction, memory gel, 800cc's, TE, Possible B cub out of the deal as final results, she doesn't believe I will be anywhere close to a C
PS#2's opinion:
Skin Sparing MX, delayed reconstruction at least 3-5 weeks to give pocket tissue opportunity to heal, no TE, no Alledurm (sp), believes my skin can support implant. Believes because of my large breast that I have more than enough skin to have a fuller outlook. Stated we could special order 850cc implant. He did mention TE however unfortunately I can not remember in what way. I have scheduled a follow up to clarify.
Have appointment with final PS on Thursday of next week.
I have not found anyone on the site who has posted about 800cc implants. Any recommendations or past experiences would be greatly appreciated. I am so confused and don't know what to do. Thanks and I am so happy to have found the site.
Meekone
0 -
Meekone - You've come to the right place. Whippetmom WILL be able to help you. She will need your measurement below your bust line. I don't see any reason why you couldn't have a D cup, but know that a D cup with a reconstructed breast is going to look different that a natural D cup. You won't have the projection that have with your natural breasts.
Whippetmom can fill in all the details. Being an athlete ... some have had their implants put completely under the muscle ... would this be an option for her, whippetmom?
I'm sorry you're having to deal with all this. But know that you've come to the right place.
Take care,
dh
0 -
Thank you Dawn, I feel so much better now that I have found a forum. It was really hard trying to figure out everything by myself and not having anyone to talk to who has gone through it. I have basically come to terms with it now, just so many decisions to make it is a bit overwhelming. Somewhat hard to go from a person who didn't lead with her breast to someone who seems to be "over consumed" with the new size they are going to be. I don't quite understand it, but I wont deny it either. I just want to look & feel like the same person. I know that is asking to much and that they will never look the same but I want to b as proportioned as possible. I do think I am a little "too" top heavy now, so I am looking forward to losing a little bit........geshhh.....I sound like such a contradiction in every sentence that I write huh? LOL
0 -
Meekone: What is your height and please provide me with your ribcage circumference. Measure around the ribs, under the bra line. If you wear a 42 band bra you should be somewhere around 37" to 40" There are many women here who have implants with a volume of 800 ccs. There are some women who have implants with a volume of 960 ccs [saline implants], which is what I am envisioning as a possibility for you.
I am inclined to favor PS# 2's ideas towards reconstruction. Women who are large breasted pre-MX have ample skin envelopes, and if there is a great deal of skin and TEs are used, the end result is that the skin is stretched even further and then there is far too much ptosis [droop] and even the largest implants cannot fill the skin envelope. I would prefer you not delay reconstruction though, as PS#2 suggested. You might go see Deborah Bash, MD at the Mayo Scottsdale, as she does a lot of one-step recons - meaning, if you are a candidate for this procedure, you wake up with implants. I have seen some beautiful results from that plastic surgeon.
But provide me with the information....so we can see where you should be.
D
0 -
Deborah,
I have been following your conversation with Meekone and that is where my concern lies...stretching my skin too far. I am filled to 660 cc at this point and my PS is recommending (as you suggested) 750 cc silicone implants. I have another appt next Friday for another fill, I like the size I am now with the TE's..I look pretty impressive in clothes, so do I really need to expand anymore to accomodate a 750 cc implant. I will send you a photo this weekend to show you where I am and so you can see how they look. I feel pretty tight after the last fill..pior to that I still had extra skin to fill up. If I stopped with the fills at this point would the implants give me a comparable look as what I have with the TE's? I think I like this size.
Kelly
0 -
Kelly, send me photos, but with what you are describing, I would not fill any more at all and yes, 750 ccs would be attainable with what you have currently.
Deborah
0 -
Hi Mrs Deborah
hank you so much for the information, I measured right up under my breast and I ended up with a 35 1/2, I am 5'6. I usually wear my 42 bra's on the last hook (tightest).I recall PS saying that he did not think I would need expander's, however our meeting was before I had my appointment with the Radiologist. PS told me we may have to make some adjustments to that plan if chemo and radiation was involved and I think that is when he started talking about TE's possibly due to cosntriction of the skin with radiation.
The radiologist feels I am high risk because of my young age & because I first discovered the lump when I was 36 but they refused to give me biopsy, once again because of my age, I finally went "postal on them" and demanded biopsy in Dec, results came back invasive and aggressive BC. Primarily because one lump created the other and they appear to be connected. I have two multicentric tumors that are close to the surface but not on the skin. Because of this he believes I should get chemo and radiation. They have not done the gene or Onco (sp) testing so I don't know my score, margins, stage or lymph node involvement. They tell me all of that will be done and they will know more definitively once the breast are removed.
I am going to call tomorrow first thing to try and get on Deborah Bash's schedule for a consultation. I cant thank you enough, I am excited to try and see Deborah. Any additional info/insight from you would be greatly appreciated. You are truly a blessing!! I will keep you updated as to a possible appointment with Deborah!!
0 -
Erica: My MX side was always slightly larger, a B but my right side was an A. So I always had to wear padded bras and I wore a 34-36 B prior to recon. I am pretty boney in the chest area, too, but what I have now looks natural and the size Whippetmom recommends is slightly smaller then what I have and after the swelling goes down, you won't be too big at all.
0 -
Meekone: Come back here and let me know what you decide to do. With your ribcage [which tells me you are wearing the wrong size bra - you should be a 38 band...] you could even use the Allergan Natrelle Style 45, which is an extra full projection style implant. I think 800 ccs would be just about right. But it all depends on who you end up with - whether you will need expansion or whether you have the one-step.
Keep me posted!
0 -
Kelly....Just want to add something:
I think you would most likely have a similar appearance with 750 cc implants, as long as your TEs are no more than 600 ccs. I know you are filled to 660 ccs, but this might be "overfill." If you could get the style number of your TEs - we could narrow it down even further. We want to look at the dimensions of what you have now...
0 -
Thanks so much for the responses! Ok I finally sat down and got all my info to post for you.
My implants are: Style 20: Natrelle Silicone 700 cc's, I measured my ribcage with my phone charger cord ugggg soooo hopefully it is close lol I had 32.
I purchased the Chantelle # 3951 34DD; Wacoal 855136 and 851112 also 34DD.
I love them all if it wasn't for that rubbing from the wires! I am going to go back to Nordstrom and have them measure me again. You think they could be too big and therefore pulling the bra tighter to my chest... My breasts seem to fit nicely in the cup. I wish you all lived closer so I could drag ya with me to Nordstroms. This whole bra thing is so hard LOL
Deborah, I will try on the ones you suggested also and see if that makes a difference. I guess I didn't realize the wires should not be touching my skin. So I will look out for that also.
Thanks again you all are so helpful!!
Cheryl
0 -
Hi Whippetmom, I was able to schedule an appointment with Deborah Bash on this upcoming Monday for a consultation which is great, so you think I was wearing a bra that is too big huh...it figures. I will take your suggestion for Allergan Natrelle Style 45 with Extra Full projection. I will PM you with details on my conversation with Dr. Bash on Monday. Thanks again for you help. It is funny, since reading the blog I actually feel empowered and informed.....great to feel not so helpless and loss.
Meek
0 -
Deborah,
I have 133MV-15 Allergan tissue expanders. I know that some of the girls are filled more than their permanent implants and some are less. What is the deciding factor for this?
Kelly
0 -
Meek: But Deborah Bash will likely not use an Allergan Style 45 if she does her one-step. I think she is pretty set on a certain style of implant with most of her patients. So I will be very interested to hear what she tells you. You are doing it right....the way we all should be able to do it. Getting all of your information beforehand, soliciting various opinions...
Deborah
0 -
Kelly: The MV-15 to 750 cc high profile smooth round silicone implants sound very good to me! Nothing smaller though!
0 -
Me again - I have another question. Do 325 cc's in a TE have the same appearance as a 325 cc implant? Specifically, is the projection the same? Still trying to figure this all out. Thank goodness I have somewhere to ask these questions! I sure don't want to have gone through all of this and then wake up after the exchange surgery and end up with something different than I thought I would have.
0 -
madison777 - I cannot exactly answer your question, but have a general answer. I had 310cc's in my TE's. Loved how they looked in my clothes, hated what they looked like naked and felt like. I had 325cc's implants put in ... much better to look at, not near the projection I had with my TE's, however. Generally, an implant is going to have less projection than a TE. TE's are hard and immovable, implants are soft and pliable - thus not the projection.
If you like what you have now with the 325cc's and you're still able to get fills without any skin problems, keep getting fills. I'm not sure how many more cc's you'll need, whippetmom will know, to have the same projection you have now with your TE's.
0 -
Thanks so much for the reply. Whippetmom has been great. She suggested 325-350 cc's implants. I was just trying to figure out if the same amount of cc's in a TE looks the same. In the posts above whippetmom says, "I think you would most likely have a similar appearance with 750 cc implants, as long as your TEs are no more than 600 ccs.I know you are filled to 660 ccs, but this might be 'overfill'. " Does this mean that 660ccs in a TE looks like a 750 implant?
0 -
madison: Well, it typically takes an additional 100 ccs to 150 ccs to create the appearance of what you have with your TEs. But I am basing this on the mfr's recommended volume of the TEs. For instance, if you have TEs with a recommended fill volume of 400 ccs but your PS has overfilled to 500 ccs, I would not necessarily recommend 600 ccs - I would recommend 500 ccs to 550 ccs- skin permitting of course. Your skin integrity and response to expansion is crucial. We all respond differently to expansion. Not every PS overfills and not every case necessitates overfilling of the TEs beyond the mfr's recommended volume. Of course, you throw a short height/low height TE into the fray, and we have an entirely different scenario. With the low/short height TE, the PS is often capable of using an implant with significantly greater volume than the TE - even up to 40% greater volume.
kdhawk....this should answer your question also. I will add that what inspires a PS to overfill typically, is that he sees the need to gain more projection - to get the skin envelope to stretch more if he observes that he needs to ensure good implant coverage [so that the implant is not too tight in the pocket], to get a patient into an implant larger than he originally intended, or if he feels he needs to do so to get some ptosis or "droop". Ptosis is most often desired with unilaterals - especially women who have a healthy "maternal droop" with the natural breast, so that you can gain some symmetry accordingly.
Deborah
0 -
Got it - thanks for the explanation. So right now I have 250 cc's in my TE and I like the projection. So I should ask my PS for 350 cc implants(just like you suggested) to get the same appearance. Am I finally understanding this???
0 -
madison....
Yes, I think that 325 ccs or 350 ccs would be fine. Some of this is also just based on experience with seeing what implants of a certain volume look like on a chest wall like yours. We also are factoring in that the implant volume will also be distributed in width, as the implants will be close to one centimeter greater in width. This is fine...you will be happy with a little more width - it takes width to create cleavage and fill up a bra.
Here are your TEs:
10.7 cm width and 6.2 cm projection
Mentor 325 ccs HP: 11.4 cm width and 4.6 projection
Mentor 350 ccs HP: 11.7 cm width and 4.8 projection
You can see that the projection with the TEs serves a function which does not transfer to the implants. The projection of the TE is to expand the skin - to stretch it outward - for the purposes outlined above.
There is an Allergan implant [Style 45] which is an extra full projection implant, with dimensions as follows:
10.8 cm wide by 5.1 cm projection.
I just think this would be too narrow for your frame and there would be too much height with this style of implant and you are too diminutive for such a tall height implant. They might look like torpedos on the chest wall.
0 -
madison: Did you go to the pictures forum yet? I really want you to look at some photos - those I mentioned...Dawne-Hope, DENRULZbc, MapleLeaf, Linda54....
Dawne-Hope.....can you think of any other petite gals?
0 -
whippetmom - I can't think of names but a lot of the 'petite' women threads are bumped up right now. If I think of names, I'll let you know.
0 -
KristenPink is another one (300cc implants)
0 -
Yes, I got in and started looking around, but I have not had the time to really study the pictures to see the difference in the appearance of the TE versus the implants. I will definitely take the time to study them before I make my final decision. Although, I think I already have my answer. Even though my TE is not filled to recommended volume (275 cc's), it probably already has more projection than I am going to see even with the 350 cc implant. I will definitely post my pictures in the forum when I am done. I want to help others who are confused like me. Seeing pictures and having you to explain things really helps. There is no other way to understand how this is going to work. My PS sure didn't explain it.
0 -
Hi Whippetmom (Deborah),
I would love to have your opinion on what size implants I should go for....my last fill is this Thursday (supposedly). Here is my story. 9 years ago I was diagnosed with DCIS in my left breast. I had a lumpectomy and radiation. I was fine until I had my mammogram in July 2010, when they found calcifications again in the same breast and sure enough it was DCIS again. I decided to have a double mastectomy, but since I had the previous radiation my PS would not do just implant on the radiated side. I ended up having the latisimus dorsi procedure and TE on the left side and just TE on right side. Since the lat dorsi side has the extra tissue/skin, it has more to begin with and better projection. My expanders are Allegran 133MV-12 300 CC. So far I am filled to 415CC on right side and 375CC on left side, and left side still looks bigger. She plans for this Thursday's fill to be my last one and to get me evened out. Also, I imagine my implants are going to have to be different sizes to accomodate for the lat dorsi. I just want to look as even as possible, of course. Prior to surgery I was a 34C on my non-cancer side, and smaller on the lumpectomy/radiated side. I would like to stay a C cup. I am 5'2" and about 120 lbs. My ribcage is about 30". Also, I do not need any other therapies. The small amount of DCIS was removed with the biopsy, and all tissue taken from the mastectomy was benign. I would appreciate any info you could give me. Thanks, Missy (rockyroad1203)
0 -
Wow, so many newbies here! So glad that you have found us and you are in great hands with Whippetmom!!!
0
