BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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Lori: You should know at the three month mark. You have the option of going back in for a revision - to replace that small implant with one larger. By law, insurance plans must cover revisional surgery for symmetry issues.
Minnesota Statute:
"(c) Reconstructive surgery benefits include all stages of reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed, surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance, and prosthesis and physical complications at all stages of a mastectomy, including lymphedemas, in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and patient."
You will just want to get it done within the same calendar year, if you have a yearly deductible.
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Deborah: Right now I have the last step (nips) scheduled on 04/01. Do you think that is something I should wait on doing if I feel replacement is necessary?
Thank you for your earlier help on the implants. You were spot on and for the most part I am very happy with the end results.
Blessings, Lori
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I would wait Lori. Most definitely.
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Ok thank you.
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Whippetmom - I do like the size I am now so think I will go with the 400cc implant, you said no more fills but my PS likes to overfill and said if I go with 400 then he wants to fill to 500cc
I did find the pics of Val61, wow what great results. She had 425cc's and that made her a 32D or 30DD. I currenly measure at a 34C. Would the extra 25cc's made that big of a difference or is it the style that would?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm starting to think rocket science is easlier then this.
I know in the end everything will look great it's just hard for me to decide not knowing exactly what the end result will look like. 0 -
Dani...I don't grasp why you need to be overfilled to 500 ccs to exchange out to 400 ccs, but if this is what your PS requires, then I guess that is what you need to do.
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I was over filled to 850 cc's and exchanged out to 685... I wish I could say that resulted in a lot of ptosis but it did not!
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It is not the ptosis issue for Dani - it is that at 320 ccs she was "tight, shiny and red" and my concern is her skin integrity. She had pretty small skin flaps...and a previous history of rads...
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Lilah do you have droop on your natural side? I have a bit but then none on my implant side.
I saw the PS today and he said that my implant side may still drop a bit - I have more upper pole fullness on the implant side than I do on the natural side even with the lift.
I'm wondering what will happen if I lose some weight? I'm about 15lbs overweight right now (it's mostly around my middle) and now that I'm finished with tx and no future surgeries scheduled I was hoping to make a serious effort to lose some.
Will my natural side get smaller? Has anyone experienced this?
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My PS did say he like to overfill to give the natural droop. I think my skin is doing ok I was very shinny and red after my 3rd fill at 90cc but we dropped my fills down to 50cc's and that seemed to help. I just noticed I have a little bit of discolour on the right side but the left looks fine.
I will take some pictures and see if I can post them on the photo forum, if not I can PM them to you Whippetmom.
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Dani - did you have radiation?
I did and my skin has a reddish colour to it just below the incision line (my PS has used my MX incision for both the TE and exchange surgeries).
It's not itchy, sensitive or burning - it's just there.
If you go to the pic site you can see that I posted a photo of it.
The PS said it's just radiated skin acting up and that it will fade with time as the tissue settles down from surgery.
I've been given the go ahead to use Vaseline Intensive Care and Lubriderm Lotion and rub it on my implant and incision scar.
So just like the Silence of the Lambs "It rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again" I'm going to be rubbing it in and hopefully the redness will go away!
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Hey Deborah, just checking in. My exchange is this Friday and then Monday is an MRI to check a suspicious node in my neck. I have been going to the gym 5 days per week for the past 6 weeks and have lost 12 pounds. For the first time today I got dressed and looked in the mirror and my boobs looked bigger -- because the rest of me looked smaller. So I guess even if I don't get the 650s I am pushing for I can continue to lose weight and have bigger looking boobs. That's one way to go about it. My goal is to lose 50 pounds by the time I turn 50 (18 months from now).
I can't wait to have these rocks replaced with squishy boobies. I will post pics on the forum when I have something to show.
"Bodacious Jen"
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Deborah - thanks (I should keep my mouth shut sometimes
Marie -- my natural breast has some natural droop and my implant side has almost none (a slight bit I suppose). I don't like it/wish they both drooped the same -- but in a bra it doesn't matter (in a bra they look the same, especially an underwire which I only started wearing recently). Re: weight loss -- yes if you lose weight your natural breast will get smaller. It's real body tissue! If you gain it will get bigger
Your implant side will not change. I also have a slight difference at top of upper pole (implant a tad fuller) that goes away when I wear a bra (the bra pushes up the natural side and then they look the same). Edited to add: in the first few months the slight difference at the upper pole seemed more pronounced and now it is barely visible... I guess that is the bit of drop one gets with a gummy
So I think you will see some changes in the coming months.0 -
MarieK - I did not have rads for my BC I did have it 16 years ago for Hodgkin's, that's the previous history Whippetmom is referring to.
I was not able to put pictures on the photo forum last night (can find the cord for my camera
) but I will go to my parents place and do it tonight.The discoulour is very slight I didn't notice until I actually took at look at my skin. My right side was slower to heal as that is my BS side and nodes were taken so more work was done. So perhaps it has always been there and I just never noticed.
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Lilah: No....you were 100% correct! The main reason for overfilling is to achieve ptosis and for women who have very tight breast folds, this seems to be of considerable benefit. Especially if one is a unilateral - as it is important to try to get as much natural droop as possible to give symmetry. Even though the PS might perform a lift on the native breast, it will always have some natural ptosis.
But I feel that for some, it is better to have a tight breast fold than compromise the skin integrity.... 0 -
Jen: Praying for you...keep us posted about your exchange and your MRI results...
Congratulations on your weight loss and your fitness regimen!
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WOW! Jen congrats on your weight loss and your goal to lose 50 by 50! I love this idea.
I hope your exchange goes smoothly and your MRI shows nothing abnormal!
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Thanks for the info Lilah. I hope that I have some more drop on my implant side and I will give it time as you've advised (never thought I'd hope for less fullness and some droop!).
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Jen -- I agree: great goal! I wish I had thought of that before I turned 50 this year LOL
Marie -- I think it's tough for us uni's whose native breasts were larger (and reduced). Those who start smaller and augment their native breast to match an implant have better results with matching. That said, at least we still have one breast left (I guess that is good anyway
It is what it is... and, for me anyway, as time passes I care less about matching perfectly and more about just living my life. I haven't gotten a nipple yet and I have to say that the more time passes, the less I even care about that (the thought of more surgery -- ugh -- I have to weigh whether it's really worth the aggravation). I am surprised at how much I just don't care anymore. The fact that I look good in clothes and feel comfortable out of them is enough for me. 0 -
Lilah: I hear ya about not wanting to do anymore surgery. Part of me just wants to cancel having the nipple done. What if it looks worse after they are done???? Yikes!
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I know that feeling -- but I say go for it! I probably will as well when push comes to shove
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WOW!!!!!! What great info!!!!! I only wish I would of found this sooner.My exchange surgery is set for March 7th, so it's just around the corner.
I will pass this on to others, that I hope to help in their steps to recovery!
Thank-you
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mtks: PM Whippetmom for any last minute questions before your surgery! Better to be well informed then have to have a second or third surgery. Hugs!
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Hi, just checking in. Saw the PS today regarding my upcoming revision surgery on March 16. He said he will reduce the skin, elevate the scars, and replace the implants (now Mentor, smooth Hp, 375cc) with either 425s or 450s, just as Deborah had suggested to me over at Tim Tam's site. He'll also search for the pec nerve that didn't get cut last time. He said, in response to Deborah's suggestion regarding doing fat grafting on my right side "step," that he can't do fat grafting in this surgery as the skin must be healed first in order for it to take. He said he would put in a lot, like 30cc, on that side when he makes the nipples/areolas in the next surgery. Also, now that it's been almost three months since exchange surgery, the implants have finally dropped & fluffed - just in time to get replaced! Gotta laugh, and keep a sense of humor here . . . just glad to see they actually do drop & fluff, as it seemed mine never would get there.
Thanks & Hugs to all of you!
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Thanks everyone for all the information you have provided on this thread. I haven't posted much, but I've gathered all sorts of information that has been helpful in my appointments with my PS. My exchange surgery is tomorrow morning, and I'm excited to change out my coconut shells for something softer and more pliable!
Deborah - you were right on in your estimation of what size my implants should be. My PS chose Allergan 650cc implants, although she said during surgery she may switch if she doesn't like the looks of them.
I asked about moving the implants closer together than what the TEs are. She said that she will do her best, but that she may be limited by where my pecs attach to the sternum. She said that varies from woman to woman (which makes sense). Has anyone heard this from a PS before?
Thanks and good luck to all of you.
Heidi
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Yes Heidi, that does make sense, and this would also have pertained to where your natural breasts, before MX, were positioned on the chest wall. I do know that my own implants share the same placement characteristics of my native breasts, pre-BMX. So it all sounds good to me - what your PS has planned for you. I'll be praying for you tonight! Let us know how you are doing when you feel up to posting!
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Melissa: Good to know what your PS feels about FGT at the time of the exchange, since there are some gals who have had it done at the same time. I thought it was perhaps good because it would be that old proverbial killing two birds with one stone, but if it is of little benefit unless the tissues are healed, then why do it? The ONLY time then I still feel it would be warranted during the exchange would be for addressing the radiated breast tissue - when it is not simply for filling a step-off or ripples - but changing the integrity of previously irradiated tissue. Then I think that it is definitely worth the attempt.
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I just got my preop and surgery date for getting my TEs for March 29th. I am so nervous but i keep telling myself this is a good thing, and that it won't be as bad as my bmx which by the way wasn't as bad as I expected. I always make myself crazy with anxiety. I am trying not to be so freaked. I really want this but I am a bit frightened.0
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Carrol: Congratulations~! You have been waiting for a date! You are going to be just fine! I am just glad you finally secured a date for surgery.
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Hello ladies,
Just an update after having my exchange surgery yesterday. Everything went very well. My PS used the Allergan 650cc implants as planned and said my new foobs look great. She had to put a couple stitches in on the left side to prevent the implant from slipping under my arm when I lie down. I haven't unwrapped the ace bandage yet, so I have yet to see the foobs in their full glory. When I peak down there, the cleavage looks good. I've poked them in a few spots, and it's so nice to have squishy boobs again! :0)
The pain has been minimal. I took drugs last night thinking they would help me sleep better, since I don't normally sleep on my back. I slept just fine and haven't taken anything at all today. My only real discomfort is the area above the foobs (sort of under my arms in front of my armpit) where she did some lipo.
Thankfully I have no drains (I hated those things!). I'm scheduled to go in next Friday to have my stitches out. My PS said I can unwrap and shower today and then wear a sports bra until my next appointment.
I haven't had a chance to post to the picture forum, but I had my sister take a picture of me yesterday with the TEs in place. I'll have her do the same with the implants in to see a before and after.
The PS also alerted me to the drop and fluff process. Does it really make a big difference, or is it more subtle?
Good luck to all of you with upcoming surgeries!
Heidi
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