How perfect are your breast after exchange?

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Camillia
Camillia Member Posts: 185
edited September 2014 in Breast Reconstruction

So I had my exchange surgery a little over a week ago. It has been very easy, in fact, I have been feeling so well it is hard not doing too much. I am over all happy with how I look but I do have a few questions for those of you who have been there. How perfect of symmetrical are your breast after exchange? I have Sientra shaped implants and so I should not expect big changes like you do with the rounds. My breast look very similar in size but they are shaped a little different (I did not have radiation). Is this common?

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited September 2014

    I have Natrelle 421. One side is a bit lower than the other and a tad concave up top. I asked my PS to move the implant a bit away from the armpit on one side. In a bra you can't tell. I'm probably the only ones who would notice anyway. When I got the nipple tattoos it helped draw my eye away from the differences. 

  • jane1971
    jane1971 Member Posts: 14
    edited September 2014


    Not perfect at all.  I had exchange about a month ago with Allergan 410 implants.  Not crazy about them from a pure cosmetic standpoint-- they are pretty symmetrical but too firm and not as perky as I had hoped for.  Also, one side is a bit more concave.  PS recommends fat grating to fix that.  I'm contemplating a softer and rounder implant but PS says that round implants are more likely to show ripples though so I'm hesitant to trade mediocre for less desirable.  Anyone have thoughts on this?  Fyi, I'm super thankful to be "cancer-free" so to speak but I would love to look in the mirror and feel good again. 

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2014

    Remember that your originals were quite possibly not purely symmetrical, but after all the work done you tend to expect perfection - understandable.

    Also, every surgery has risks and there is the chance of infection, so accepting small differences may be a better option.

    It is, of course, your choice. Perfect or good enough, is your decision to make.

    The Mods

  • Staple
    Staple Member Posts: 35
    edited September 2014

    I have Sientra shaped also.  My doctor did a lot of fat grafting with the exchange, so initially they appeared bigger and more similar than they do today.  As time went on the differences became more apparent as the swelling went down - one has a dent and appears to my critical eye as slightly larger/fattier than the other, although they are both lined up and in the right position.    I'm not sure what anyone means by drop and fluff on these forums - they seem practically glued on and that hasn't changed since the surgery.    As time has passed I'm thinking about them less and have no plans for surgery.

  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2014

    Symmetrical, perfect breasts are incredibly rare even in natural breasts :) Really, most women with natural breasts have asymmetry, which can be slight to significant (like differences of 2+ cup sizes). This can be due to genetics, ribcage shape/asymmetries, etc. They are sisters, not twins!

    I did not do an exchange as I went to straight to implant, and am now just over 4 1/2 months out. Mine have dropped and fluffed a lot since I first had them put in and I am not sure they are done yet. I am very happy with them. I do notice a ripple/dent that is more apparent at times (seems to depend on what bra I was just wearing) on the outside of one of them, the side that was larger and had the larger skin flap to begin with, but it is not enough to bother me to want a separate surgery to address it - I would only do if it really a started to bother me and would require insignificant downtime at my own schedule. When it comes time to change implants in a few years, then maybe it can be addressed. In a bra, in clothing, and even naked, I am happy with them and actually like their appearance better than my natural breasts (these are more firm, symmetrical, and perky)

    At first they were not at all symmetrical and shaped very differently. One side had a larger pocket to begin with, and that side seemed to have dropped and fluffed faster as it was easier for it to accommodate the implant (I had about 445g removed from one side and 371g removed from other, with 435cc Allergan Natrelle Inspiras, smooth round silicone, put in). The other side took a lot longer and sat higher and tighter for weeks into months, so looked smaller. If one was really to inspect they might not be totally symmetrical due to ribcage differences or thickness of tissue, but to me they seem quite symmetrical at this point, and my nipples have also evened out (they were also wonky at first due to the differences on each side but now have evened out considerably).

  • Bren58
    Bren58 Member Posts: 1,048
    edited September 2014

    You are only one week out, so you really do need to give it time. It will probably take several months until you see the final result. Also if your implants are under the muscle your dominant side may raise a little bit over the years as  you use the muscles on that side more. I have had implants (both saline and silicone) since my 2000 BMX. They have never been perfect, but my real ones weren't either.

  • placid44
    placid44 Member Posts: 497
    edited September 2014

    I have some rippling on the non-radiated side. It bothers me, but I don't want to risk creating some other problem by doing fat grafting. I don't have me nipple tattoos...those re scheduled for December.

  • Camillia
    Camillia Member Posts: 185
    edited September 2014


    Thank you so much for all of your replies!!!

    I actually notices yesterday that my breast had already changed since surgery; they are rounder. Also, one was slightly bigger the first few days after exchange and now they are the same size. I really am happy over all and I really don't think that I want to go through more surgeries. It is good to know that everything is normal and it always makes me feel so much better to have you guys to come to when I am unsure. It is one thing to have my PS tell me that it is normal, but quite more reassuring to hear it from women who have been there themselves!

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