Exchange City

Suzanne50

Thanks for the info ladies...I am going to ask about drains when I go next week.

robinblessed54

I was told by my PS he might have to use drains if he saw it necessary when he got in there. I didn't know until I woke up what I would have. I didn't have drains!! After my bmx my drains were taken out after 6 days. I hardly had any fluid after bmx. But whatever is done, know it is for a good reason.

Robin

new__me

Mominator - i was thinking of you today. I hope surgery went well and that you woke up to amazing boobs

warm hugs and peaceful healing

Diane

Darumama

Hi Ladies, I'm going in on 1/28 to have my TEs swapped out. I can't wait! I had my mastectomy on 1/19/15 so these hard expanders have been with me an entire year due to chemo and radiation.

I was a little shocked when my PS told me to take two weeks off from work. Hopefully, that's just a conservative suggestion. Very afraid of reliving tough recovery from last year's surgery

I'm going a lot smaller than my original breasts on the reconstruction. I was very large busted prior to mastectomy- my bras were in the 34H-I range. I'm am finding the lack of extra "baggage" delightful- a crumb of a positive in a bad situation. The PS thinks I should go bigger, but I'm just not having it.

MinusTwo

Darumama - stand your ground!!! I too wanted to be smaller, but you have to insist. I have been happy with my 410 anatomicals two sizes smaller that the PS first envisioned.

maxdog

I have to admit, my exchange surgery recovery was just about as tough as my BMX. But, I am also having lots of SE's from meds that I wasn't on during BMX.

Scottiemom11

Darumama. . .my PS wanted to keep expanding me and I said NO. I ended up a small C and I'm quite happy with that. Best wishes for your transition to the squishy side.

Scottie

Tina1969

Thank you Robin. Yes, these TEs are very annoying and I'm anxious to get them out but I won't rush anything. I'll listen to me PS. He told me that he usually waits 3-4 weeks after the last fill. After my fill tomorrow I will be at 450 cc's. We'll be discussing implants tomorrow too. What kind did you get?

robinblessed54

Tina, I have 475cc Allergan 410 annatomicals. I will PM you a picture

ajbenefield12

Very excited to have scheduled my exchange- March 1, 2016...mt BMX was March 26, 2015 but like another I had to do Chemo and Radiation so it has been a long time with these in! I can not wait for March to get here. My PS said 1 week of work but lets do 2 just to be safe. I am ok with what ever he says. I have a great short term disability and a great boss so I can take as much time as I need. Good luck to everyone who is having their exchanges!

Mominator

Hello lovely ladies. I'm home recovering from my exchange. It was a bit harder than I expected.

Despite scopolamine patch and two higher dose Zofran tablets before surgery, I woke extremely nauseous and very dizzy.

Pain is only slightly less than mastectomy. I had hoped for so much less. Surgery was over 2 hours, although for exchanges my PS usually takes just1.5 hours. I think PS had to do a lot of pocket work for both sides.

Right drain put out 50 ml of fluid and left put out 40 in the first few hours, so I'm glad that PS gave me drains.

My hubby and two daughters have been wonderful. I've been resting and I did manage to eat a little applesauce and toast.

PNY

Mominator; Glad you are doing well enough to post:) Thanks for the update. My exchange is scheduled for Tuesday, My PS said I would need a good two weeks to recover and no swimming for four. So I figured there was pain involved:) Did you have any fat grafting. I am supposed to have some liposuction for that so I am sure there is pain involved there as well.

Hope your recovery continues to go well.

Phyllis

Janett2014

Darumama,

I too went smaller and am very glad I did. I went from a DD or DDD to a C. It is wonderful. Like many here, I too have Allergan 410s. There ought to be something good to come from this, and the smaller size is it for me.

My PS also said to allow two weeks recovery after exchange. I probably would have been fine to work after one week, but I was glad to have the two weeks. I did have some fatigue, and it was nice not to feel pressured to get back to a regular routine right away.

ZukiCat

hello Ladies,

Hope you're all well and Happy New Year - a tad late.....

On Friday it will be 6 weeks since my exchange surgery and I am feeling pretty well physically.

But..... I am also feeling very disappointed and feel badly about it. I am disappointed because the gap between my breasts is still huge! And I am quite certain it keeps spreading! It's 2 inches at least currently. As well, my PS says he was only able to put in 225 gr natrelle high projection profile implants. I was originally okay with this as my gap was smaller, but now that it seems to be spreading the implants look too small on my chest now. I have a small rib cage - 27 inches, so the gap looks even worse on me.

I see my surgeon tomorrow and I really like him and I think he did a good job so I don't know what to say about any of this.....plus I can see some rippling as well. I had such a bad reaction to the anaesthetic that I am very leery about more surgery.

Okay, pity party over. Thank you for listening........

pch

Hey everyone, I'm one those who also want to be a bit smaller than my previous full C to D (when I've put on a pound or two) self. My PS first suggested 600 cc high profile Mentors and I just about coughed up a lung. I'm 5'2" around 112 lbs normally. Anyone with 525-550 cc high profile Mentors out there to weigh in on where that leaves you? I'm about three weeks off from exchange and still pondering. Thanks!

kingster

pch, I have 700ml high profile smooth rounds and fat grafting 165 ml each side, and I still have a few flat areas and divots. My ps said don't look at it like breast augmentation implants, cuz the implant is your whole breast. I was a b cup before and now a c cup cuz of the wider width. I weigh 175-180 lbs and 5'3". They weigh about 1.5 pounds each.

Zukicat, all I can say is be totally honest with your ps. Also, maybe wear a supportive sports bra at bedtime to help keep your implants from going out toward your armpits. I still wear a bra at bedtime cuz the support feels better (I've had my implants for 10 months now). My left side was noticeably lower at first, but I've been gently trying to work the right one down...now they look more even ( left is still a little lower).

Scottiemom11

Pch. . .600 sounds pretty big. I stopped my expansion at 250 due to my nerve pain and PS was able to get 300 HP Mentors in. I'm and small C with those. We did discuss have the most projection for my MLS o I be leave the are smaller around with more projection. I have very tight pockets and pecs so they are close together and don't shift.

Zukicat. . .ask your PS about the possibility of revision to tighten the pockets.

Scottie

MsVeryDenseBreasts

PCH, I had exchange on 12/28. If it helps...I'm 5'6" 104 lbs and was a small 34C before. I have Mentor anatomicals (Memory Shape) 350cc Moderate Plus profile. My old bras seem to fit and I absolutely (personally) would not have wanted to be bigger than this.

mjh1

pch - if u don't want to be a c or d than i think you need smalerl. I'm 5'1" 107 lbs. First set of boobies were mentor smooth rounds mpp 425 cc. That was a b cup on me. Second set was mentor memoryshape mpp 525 and that was a c on me. My final set ( I hope) is mentor memoryshape hp 555. Theyre a full c or small d on me and I love them. I of course wanted to b a full c cause the boobies that tried to kill me were a small b. Have u asked whippetmom for her advice??

Zukicat - sorry u too r unhappy with your exchange. Unfortunately PS don't tell us before we begin how common it is for BC patients to need a revision or two to get things Right. It took me two revisions to get my twins (long story but pec muscles was detached by 1st PS). If you read through the posts you'll c that the majority of women have some kind of tweaking done after exchange. I know that's of little comfort but at least you're not alone. We specialize in pitty parties here.

Mominator

Hello everyone! Here's a question to those who have their implants already:
Have you heard of having different size implants between the two breasts?

PS had met with me right before surgery and we had agreed on FX410410, which is 410 gm. He said he would be using the sizers to check before he put in the implants. But I'm reading through the paperwork and I see that my left breast received model FX410450, which is 450 gm, and my right breast received FX410495, which is 495 gm. The right breast does seem a bit bigger than the left.

My right breast has always been larger than the left (during mastectomy 812 gm was removed from the right breast and 666 gm from the left), but I was expecting to receive the same size implant for both breasts. PS did a lot of pocket work in both breasts, as both breasts are really sore and have been putting out a lot of fluid in the drains. I saw the nurse yesterday and I will see the PS tomorrow.

So, any ideas??

I'm not upset nor angry at anyone. I'm just really surprised.

kingster

I know some breast augmentation ladies get different sizes all the time to correct asymmetry. Maybe your chest cavity was larger on one side than the other? I would definitely ask.

new__me

Mominator my PS already told me he will most likely use 2 different sizes. My right breast evidently sat deeper in my chest and now the TE on that side has 100cc more than left and it still is a bit smaller. I trust his judgement. Will see him tomorrow to have another fill in both.

mysunshine48

Anyone ever heard of a stitch granuloma? I have a small nodule/lump on at 3:00 on my right breast. I had my exchange at the end of September. So, I went to my breast surgeon today and he did an ultrasound. He thinks it is an alloderm stitch granuloma where the PS stitched in the alloderm. He was not concerned, but wants me back in 3 months for another ultasound to see if it has changed. IF it has, he is going to do a fine needle biopsy. I sure hope he is right.

BUT, have any of you ever heard of this?

maxdog

Mominator-I currently have the same size implants on both sides, 750's and my right(cancer) side looks smaller. My right breast was always bigger, so it is odd to me. I don't see PS until March, but it seems I may need a larger size on right side.

Mominator

mysunshine: I had stitch granulomas from my neurosurgery. The inside stitches are dissolvable, and are usually absorbed by the body. But my stitches formed little bumps just under the skin. Eventually, the bumps worked their way out of the skin. It felt like pimples. I did scratch a few out and they were indeed tiny little grains.

Kingster, new_me, and Maxdog: I thought after the BMx that the two breasts would be more equal in size. Maybe the right is more swollen than the left and they may still look even after a while.

Leslienva

Zukicat, When I asked my PS about the space between my implants, she said that was how I was BEFORE the mastectomy! I was always small (A cup) so maybe it wasn't as noticeable, but I still don't quite believe it. And I'm still smaller than I wanted to be due to a lot of scar tissue on my radiated side.

Mominator

I just got back from my post-op appointment with PS, and I found out why it was more extensive than just an exchange and why the implants are different sizes.

As we expected, Plastic Surgeon had to do a lot of "pocket work" on both breasts. Also, PS removed some fat tissue that was just under the skin on the lower halves of both my breasts. The fat was keeping the skin stiff and slowing down the healing. The fat was "not exactly necrotic" but it was "definitely not happy" where it was. I don't know how much total he removed, but it was a lot. PS said he removed about 50 grams more from the right breast than the left. So that's why he put a bigger implant on the right side (495 gm) than the left (450 gm) to even them out. PS thinks the breasts look even now, or perhaps the left is possibly slightly bigger.

Both breasts are really swollen, but are starting to shape up much better. I am happy with the results.

robinblessed54

Do you think the fat was left because this was propholactic? My PS left only a thin layer to help the implants not show edges. It did a great job! I have no palpatal edges.

Robin

mjh1

Sorry I have to hijack this thread for a minute but since we're on the subject of fat, does anyone know of a proven treatment for cellulite?? I guess all those day spent recooperating from my surgeries has now given me cellulite!on my booty. I finally have a set of boobies I can go topless with and now I can't wear a thong...lol.

ZukiCat

thank you all for your replies.

I saw my PS yesterday and he agreed that the space was pretty big. He told me they could do some revisions which included using an alloderm-like product to make an interior bra to pull/push them closer together. Ugh. But he said in the mean time to buy a bra that pushes them closer together and to wear it as much as possible, as the scar tissue is still forming, even after 6 weeks. I don't think it will do much, but we will see. Great.

Also, I have to report to the hospital clinic he runs on Monday morning to have an internal stitch removed before it punctures through my skin! Yikes! A lot of my stitches near and around my incision seem to be very slow in dissolving, but he said to wait and see with the others.

Fun times lol!!