BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

coachvicky

kbh2241

Unfortunately, I am from the world that boobs can never be too big. I would get mine bigger but as my PS reminds me, larger will not fit on my chest.

Anyway, have you been fitted by a professional for a bra? I say this because I thought mine were a little to the side also. We have a Nordstrom's in Nashville (about 85 miles north). I emailed the manager ahead of time that I was a BC Woman with implants. The manager set me up with one their staff members trained with implant fitting. Despite a fitting locally, I was in the wrong size. I am very please how I look now.

Coach Vicky

Imkopy2

Vicky- I had to tell you I followed your advice about the tube tops. My surgeon wants me to continue in my ace bandage until I see him later this week...your tube top idea also works great to camouflage the bandage. I haven't worn one of these in years. Hope all is well

Mich

coachvicky

Imkopy2

Glad the tube tops worked. I guess I will donate all those stupid sports bars that were suggested to wear! What I really liked about the tubes is that I could place a Carefree pad with the sticky side to the tube top to cover the incisions. I became allergic to tape and broke out. If you try this, everyone please get approval from your MD (Surgeon, Plastic Surgeon ...). My PS read the composition of the pads to ensure there was nothing harmful. I replied, "Really? Don't your think if it is good enough for a private part, it would work on my breasts?" Still, get approval first.

Have a great weekend ALL!

Coach Vicky

Imkopy2

Hahahaha I love that response...I most certainly will ask. Yes the tape is a pain for sure. We have figured out how to wrap the bandage so it holds the gauze pad in place. Enjoy your weekend

whippetmom

Dmoore:

400 ccs sounds on the smaller side, and so I wonder why they are too wide. Is there a considerable gap in the cleavage area? It might be a placement issue. My implants are 13.5 cm wide and yours are less than 12.0 cm wide. I have the same ribcage circumference as you and mine are not too wide. So I have a feeling something else is going on. You can always private message me a photo.

whippetmom

Michelle: Thumbs up for your comment about not settling for mediocre!

Vicky: Thank you for posting about Nordstroms!

Just a reminder that once you get implants, the best fit will be with European bras, like Chantelle, Freya, Natori, etc. Nordstroms carries these brands and please check with your insurance provider because many plans cover bras from Nordstroms. Nordstroms can bill your insurance company accordingly.

whippetmom

I wear tube top sundresses in the summer. I am 67 years old and I have not had breasts that could hold up a tube top since I was in my twenties!

Dmoore39

thanks for the response. I will send you a picture when I get home. There isn't a huge gap, maybe two finger widths. There was a large gap with the expanders so he did bring them closer. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong chart but I think the diameter is 12.2. It's mentor style 350-400. Maybe it's not the width so much but the projection

Dmoore39

I sent you a private message.

BlueSky1969

Hi;

I'm 5' 41/2"

48yo, breast fed two children

135pds

30" Under breasts (not sure if I did this right)

34 C

I am sked'd for Surgery May 1 - R side MX w TE

I would like the tear drop type but don't want to risk further cancer risks associated with the textured surface.

My PS mentioned using Alloderm.

Hope the above makes sense.

Gemini_girl

I have a question please. I have been disfigured since I had my BMX. I've been in PT due to a "hotdog" of tissue appearing under my right arm (they took 13 lymph nodes from this side). The "hotdog" is still there and I am two fills away from my expanders being done. However, with this last fill the expander on the right side seems to moving under my arm and it is becoming very crowded and uncomfortable there. Has anyone else had their expander move under their armpit before? Not completely, but part of it. I'm interested in any things that moved it more toward center. Other than pushing on it, I'm trying that without success. Thanks ladies

whippetmom

• Dmoore39: Hmm...It is either 350 ccs or 400 ccs.

whippetmom

Michelle...

whippetmom

Michelle: oops... what happened to the rest of my message?

I am very happy to add Dr Kim to my Chicago list!! Thank you

whippetmom

BlueSky:

To clarify, you are having a single mastectomy, not bilateral. The size/volume of your tissue expander will be predicated upon the base width of your native breast. I presume it might be a 300 cc or 400 cc TE. The key factor with a single, is that the MX side needs to match the native breast. In many instances, the PS will use a smaller implant on the native side, in order to better "tweak" symmetry. Symmetry is what is important. So I think you might be looking at a future smooth round silicone implant in the 450 to 500 cc range. It does all depend on how much skin is taken on that side and also whether you plan to augment the size of the native breast.

whippetmom

Jadalulu: Congratulations! It sounds like a fine choice to me!

whippetmom

GeminiGirl:

The remedy is an exchange to implants. Your PS will need to secure that right side near the armpit, with a procedure called a lateral capsulorrhaphy. This endeavors to prevent the implant from moving laterally into that space, as did your TE. As for the cording, if you are not getting any good answers or treatment, please find a good physical therapist who works with lymphadema patients. Do not waste your time anywhere else

Lovemygirbabies

Hi there.... I lurk a lot but rarely post.... However, I am coming up for bmx and staged reconstruction in about a month and am looking for some advice. I initially had three surgeries to get clean margins, no other therapy (against the advice of doctors- no one's business but my own). I am dealing with a local recurrence of DCIS- so much that it nearly covered my last mammogram and went all the way to the skin, so during my bmx, most of my skin will be removed. I had a breast augmentation in 2004- mentor 600cc moderate plus profile saline overfilled to 625 and 615. I am 33yo, size 34 bra band, 5'7" and approx. 125lbs at any given time. The PS doing the reconstruction said my current implants are far too wide for my ribcage (totally true- getting them put me up to a DDD and with my arms at my sides, the overlap my arms.) I am hoping to be around a full C post reconstruction but am not sure about what size implants I would need. My current implants will be replaced with Natrelle Inspiras, as that is what my doc uses. He wants to use saline expanders but I would really prefer air expanders- I really want to try to avoid going to the doctor frequently as much as possible. What size implants do you think I would need to get to a full C post-op? Doc also uses alloderm and fat grafting, and is known to be a perfectionist, which I'm happy about. I am dreading this as I really don't want to lose my nipples but am not a candidate for nipple sparing mastectomy.

whippetmom

lovemygirlbabies:


I think AirXpanders would be a good choice. You could keep them as long as necessary and gradually fill to tolerance. I will have a difficult time predicting how large you can go though, because of your non skin sparing MX on one side. I hope they will reduce the skin flap on the prophylactic side, to gain better symmetry. I think that the ultimate size of implant will entirely hinge upon the degree of expansion achieves with tissue expander on the NSS side. Ideally, 450 ccs to 500 ccs in a high profile smooth round implant would be a good size for your frame, but let's see what size of TE they are able to use at the time of surgery. Keep me posted and let me know where you are after your BMX.

whippetmom

Thanks to everyone for contributing and answering newbie questions!

Lovemygirbabies

He is planning on reducing the skin flap on the other side He mentioned that my skin is already thin from having been stretched in my augmentation and that he didn't know how much it would stretch either. To that end- I'd love to know if anyone has tried dermarolling their skin through the expansion process (with like a .25mm or .5mm roller) to induce collagen production/thicken skin

whippetmom

Please do not dermaroll You will jeapiedize your reconstruction results and put yourself at risk for infection. This is nota procedure for post-mastectomy patients.

Lily55

I am very naiive about all this......and don´t have a choice of surgeon.  She has said Allergan anatomical Natrelle implants after expander (expander surgery imminent) but now I am reading that round may be better?  I am a UMX who had radiation..........I have done some fat transfer to area to remove concavity and improve condition of the skin but I feel all at sea.......are all anatomical implants with a rough surface?  

I am in Europe not the USA........

brcatutu

Hello!

I'm 5'6", 137 lbs, and have a 30.5" rib cage. I currently wear a size 36B and am wanting to stay pretty close to my current size - maybe slightly larger. I'm planning a prophylactic double mastectomy direct-to-implant. I don't have tissue expanders. When I met with my PS he suggested 650cc prepectoral. I thought that sounded big, so I just wanted to get your 2 cents. I don't know what brand of implants he uses.

Thanks in advance!

TrmTab

On business trip in DC, at lunch break went to Nordstrom's to get a bra fitting...needing help with my shrinking R side with weight loss and the 800 too big implant on L

At any rate, having been okay but not totally satisfied with 38D/DD depending on style...the Nordstrom's fitter put me into a 4D! It fit and looks like a D in clothes, it just fully captures all the side boob and as it is an underwire, is sufficient to deal with the wideness of the implant. Wacoal Awareness Underwire..you have always talked about these crazy bra sizes but it was spot on!

Plan to get a revision - smaller when I get down to my pre-BC weight (10 more lbs)...will check in with you with current measurements at that time, so you can provide some judgement of how much to down size. Have gone down 20 lbs since exchange.

Bought one and will see if I think it works...will have to cut out the tags (only kidding) as my husband would think I am insane with that size!

Best to all, TT

whippetmom

Lily55

European plastic surgeons seem to almost exclusively use anatomical implants. They all have a textured surface to some degree, to help prevent them from moving and rotating in the breast pocket. In your case, symmetry is very important. Does your PS plan to augment the native breast with a small implant, in order to better control the outcome where symmetry is concerned?

whippetmom

brcatutu

Well, 650 ccs sounds a bit ambitious - with a direct to implant - and you would be larger than you are currently. That said, it is possible that your PS sees a need for that size? I would think 550 ccs (high profile smooth round) should be a good size for you also.

whippetmom

I am so happy that you finally got to a Nordstroms for a fitting! A lot of gals have reported that the Wacoal Awareness bra helps disguise some asymmetry.

Congratulations on losing that weight! I know it is a monumental achievement!

whippetmom

I am sorry for being AWOL recently. One of our whippets is only seven years old and three months ago we found out he has rapidly advancing heart disease.
There were no signs, other than I noticed he was more exerted after running and his respiratory rate seemed higher than usual, which was what prompted me to take him to the vet.

You can imagine how much I have researched and how involved I must be with the medical management issues. I feel so out of control when it comes to the medical realm with animals. I know just enough to be dangerous, Kip has been a challenging dog to say the least. He has a tweaked little brain and has had some behavioral issues that have been trying for all of us. He has destroyed one leather chair, two upholstered chairs and a sofa. For all of his distressing faults and foibles, Kip loves me. I am his person.

He has been like a dog on steroids and apparently that is what has contributed to damaging his heart and now lungs. He still has a voracious appetite and has a quality of life worth keeping, but things are changing rapidly in the past two days. Usually he is sleeping right next to me, and tonight he is downstairs, seeking solitude. That is why I am here writing at 3:30 in the morning. I know the time will come, sooner than I had hoped. I love this dog and it is breaking my heart.

I am asking God to put a hedge about us all. I do not want to let stress back into my life. But as for Kip, I promised there will not be a moment of suffering. So tonight I am thinking this is a turn and a change that signals that time is coming sooner than we had ever imagined.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers! We covet them!

Deborah

VegGal

So sorry to read about Kip. It does sound like he has approached the home stretch. Dogs live in the moment, and have no regrets or sadness about a short life. He will know only love and fun times and now comfort.

Last year I lost both of my elderly dogs and my mom over a 4 month period. It wasn't a very good year. However, as with everything, we grieve and adjust and "reconstruct" and continue with our lives.

Hugs,

C