BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

I was diagnosed with Stage 2A triple negative breast cancer last November (2014). I had a mastectomy on my right side in December, went through chemo January-May (2015), had first stage of reconstruction in July, and the second stage just over one week ago. The PS was very friendly and helpful. During the first stage, I had a lift and small implant on the left side. The right side used skin from my back and then had to have an expander put in. On the second stage, the expander was removed, anatomical implant put in with some fat from my mid-section. The day after my surgery, when taking off the bra and bandages, I could immediately tell that the right side was not big enough and noticeably smaller than the left side. I was very disappointed and very emotional. I wanted it to be my last surgery. I called the PS's office to schedule an appt to have the stitches removed, but I wanted to meet with the PS before that to discuss the size. He called me the next morning and his friendliness quickly changed. I was completely shocked at what he said and the tone he used with me. He asked me if I measured it, he said he did everything I asked him to do, and he said that I needed to be better educated on how to choose the correct implant. I had already been crying that morning and after he hung up on me, I started bawling. I couldn't believe his demeanor. I said in every appt that I wanted to be symmetrical. I told him that I thought the anatomical implant would be best since I still had a natural breast on the left side and he agreed. I never told him what size to put in and I trusted his judgement. I went a couple days ago to have my stitches taken out and I brought a friend with me for support. As soon as she saw me, she said she could see the difference in size. Other people have too. I cannot go without a bra and I certainly wouldn't look right in a swimsuit either. At the appt, he measured both sides and he said they were almost equal. I told him that I realize that one side may be slightly larger/smaller than the other, but it was very noticeable. He wouldn't listen to me or my friend and he kept interrupting us. He wouldn't look at me with my clothes on to see the difference. He told me that I had to figure out what needed to be done and how much more fat, etc. would be needed. Again, I was shocked. I'm not the professional that has been doing this for over 25 years.

I went home and put a 1/2 cup of rice in a small Ziploc bag and put it in my bra. That made the right side comparable to the left side. I looked online and saw that a 1/2 cup was equal to 120 cc. When I was with the PS, I asked him what size implant he put in and he told me. He showed me the size of the next larger one too. Well, the next larger size is 110 cc's more. That right there tells me that he put in the incorrect size. He is being so stubborn and doesn't want to hear that it's wrong. I have an appt to see him again in a couple weeks. I'm almost to scared and angry to. I've made a couple of consultations with other PS's to get their opinion, one though cannot get me in until November.

As someone posted earlier, the disappointment from the reconstruction has been my breaking point. I've been strong for most of this, but I just can't take it anymore and when I think about it, I start to cry.

Has anyone had the anatomical implants? Should I have the current implant removed and have the next larger one put in? I really think that is all that is needed. I will say that I don't want him to take anymore fat from my mid-section because I'm still very sore and bloated.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

KitKat - it can take up to 6 months for the swelling to go down & everything to settle. Most docs I've heard about will not do revision surgery before then. That will give you plenty of time to meet someone in November. I agree with Lori - find someone you can talk to who's on your side. I ended up crying every time with my PS until my grown son went with me one day & glared. After that he couldn't have been nicer. I have anatomicals and I LOVE them. You might want to read posts on Exchange City where everyone discusses pros/cons/etc of their procedures.

I realize there is swelling, but if it looks too small swollen, what will it look like in six months? :-)

That's funny about the male PSs. I found the opposite when I found out I had endometriosis years ago. My female doctor was not sympathetic and as soon as I went to a male doctor, he told me what my options were, etc. and was very nice. I'll have to see if there are any female PSs on my insurance.

whippetmom - Thank you so very much for the information.

pixiemuse

Whippetmom & All who are facing a mastectomy,

Stella McCartney (the designer) is offering an exquisitely beautiful post mastectomy bra FREE to breast cancer patients right now. The bra is called Louise Whispering Bra

Stella McCartney's mother died of breast cancer & she created this bra as a result to assist women with breast cancer. Right now she is offering it FREE!

I've been in contact with Stella McCartney's Customer Care department and asked their permission to post this information on BC.org. They gave the go ahead.

I wish I'd had something this beautiful after my mastectomy rather than the hideous uncomfortable surgical bra the hospital charged my insurance for.

To all those facing your mastectomy, I hope you get this bra in time!

Bright Blessings,

OceanSky

Rebeeca- I have silicone implants and I love them. My PS does not like saline implants he says you can see the ripples from saline implants. Also, saline implants are not as comfortable as silicone. As far as the safety of silicone implants, they have a thicker shell than what they did in the 80's/90's. I would recommend you ask your PS what they prefer, and ask to see pictures of patients that have used silicone and saline implants. See which ones you like better based on pictures. Just my opinion.

Thanks Chris, I am sure that my PS prefers silicone as his PA showed me about 10 different silicone and one saline. I just never asked the question. It's such a basic question and when my friend asked I didn't have the answer. Seems like most use silicone these days...

Hello, this is my first post and I am not sure if I am posting on the right place but I need help determining the size implants to get and this seemed like the best place to ask. I had a DM 6/23/15 and have TEs now and will be having my exchange surgery on 10/20/15. I am 5'-4" and 110 lbs and am 28" at the ribcage. My TEs are Natrelle Style 133MV-11-T Allergan filled to 250 ccs at surgery. I have since been filled to 425cc and I met with my PS yesterday to select implants. He helped me choose a 445 cc but I do not know any other details regarding these implants.

My worry is that I will be disappointed that they are too small when I am finished. I would like a full C cup at least, but not too large. This seems so shallow of me at this point but I would hate to go through all this and not be happy with the results. Any thoughts and advise would be greatly appreciated as my surgery is just over two weeks away!

Hello again! I spoke to my PS office today and they told me the implant he selected is the Natrelle Inspira Round Gel 445 cc. Hopefully, this is the information you need. If so, do you think this is a good selection for my size? Thank you again for your time.

Thanks Rebecca54! I needed a laugh