BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

Great! Thank you, Whippetmom. Will my 300cc expanders create a large enough space for the models you mentioned

Hi all,

I am 25 years old and I was diagnosed with Pagets disease of the nipple in the right breast three months ago. I had nipple/areola removal. Unfortunately, the pathology report showed DCIS under Pagets so I am going to have mastectomy in less than three weeks with immediate reconstruction using a silicon implant. I have an A cup. I always wanted to have a little bit larger breast but I never wanted to go through surgeries. Now that I will do it anyway, I think of telling the surgeon to put a B cup implant in the right side and to add a small implant in the left side. In other words, I want to take advantage from the mastectomy/reconstruction to go from an A cup to a B cup. If I will be obliged to change my implant every 10 years and go through surgeries different times, it is much better if at least I have the size I always dreamt of. I barely accepted my breasts because of their size and now with the scars and I don't know how the implant will look like but I don't think that I will like them anymore. Having more volume will add a good side to the whole procedure. There will be s.th that makes me glad. I'll look forward to see how my breasts changed and I'll consider the result as an improvement rather than a sacrifice and a loss. I also found that adding a little implant in the intact side will help make the breasts look more similar with aging. I will see my surgeon to discuss this before the surgery day and I'll try to convince him. I don't know yet if he will accept and what will be his recommendation but MY QUESTION IS : Do you know girls who have done this before, is it feasable I want to say? From a safety point of vue, do you think this could place me in some danger e.g. causes cancer in the healthy breast or distort my future MRI results in the healthy side? I thaught of double mastectomy but I don't really want it because of the sentinel node biopsy side effects and I assume that. Any advices/opinions/thaughts are welcome. And another request, what question should I ask before the surgery. I'm writing down any question that crosses my mind. During my appointment I haven't said a word, it's like I was unconscious. For example, I didn't ask if the mastectomy will be skin sparing or no, things like that you know. Thank you in advance.

PS : my info

1)height: 1m65 , weight: 59 kg , ribcage circumferece: 70cm

2) no expander

3)silicon implant, anatomic form

4)pre-mastectomy size: 85A , Europeen measure

Thank you Whippetmom,

It's very helpful to have all the info necessary prior to the consultation with your PS. Now, I can explain to him exactly what I want.

I will keep you posted on the results of my exchange surgery which will take place at the end of March.

Love to all!!!

Sissi.

Hello again,

I think I may have misunderstood the instructions..oops! My TEs are 500 cc.

Thank you again...

Thank you whippetmom! It is very comforting to know that breast augmentation in reconstruction is common. I am not in United States, I am rather in France. I hope I will be granted this solution.

Hello,

Just wanted to pop in to share some stats. 2 years ago I had a double mastectomy,tissue expanders, then with Mentor implants- the new ones at that time (don't recall the model) that were very very recently approved- latest generation. I do remember clearly that I had the largest size, anatomical ones put in with my goal being to be approximately a full c cup or small d. I am 6'2'', and currently measure 36 inches around the rib cage with a BMI of 24 (180 pounds), which is in the normal weight range for my height. Not skinny, but not chunky either.

This did result in a final bra size of 36C- a very full C. The implants are a little wider than my natural breasts. Projection is very good- no "stripper" look at all. The chest muscles did stretch, so they dropped down a bit compared to being newly inserted- but they seemed to adjust to the same location of my natural breasts instead of being a little higher up post surgery. My right side went perfectly- feels great, looks great when wearing a bra. Left side has required multiple revisions, and still not through that process (scarring/encapsulation). I do have some of that wavy look, and currently on the left side you can see the outline of the implant- I assume it is due to being squeezed/encapsulated at the moment. Right side is just a little wavy looking. Not interested in having fat grafts or anything in an attempt to eliminate the mild wavy thing.

Anyway, just thought I would share because there are not many 6'2'' women out there to help "guesstimate" what size implant to use compared to what the final result turns out to be as far as projection and such.If someone needs the specifc model number used let me know and I will hunt it down. Bless all of you ladies out there going through this and I wish you all a speedy and complication free recovery. HT

Whippetmom,

Continuing issues! As you know, my PS had a difficult time getting the TE up under the right pectoralis muscle and there was significant bruising and hematoma. The PS said he "tacked down" the right side to hold the TE. My PS continues to get very defensive if he thinks anything I say or ask about can be interpreted as finding fault when I am only asking for information. Thankfully, my breast surgeon invited me to see him anytime, as he knows the PS is not a good communicator. Last week, I went to see the BS for answers. He did an ultrasound which shows that the hematoma has decreased, but is still unresolved. He also confirmed my suspicion that the right expander does not extend upward on my chest as far as the left. Currently, I have 300cc (my TE is max fill of 300) on the left side (that TE has also shifted some toward the armpit up top, which I understand is somewhat common), and 240cc on the right side (I asked to skip one fill on that side 2 weeks ago due to discomfort). Now, my left side is noticeably fuller further up on my chest than the right, but due to him "tacking" down muscle on the right/hematoma side, that TE sits a bit higher and juts out more abruptly without the slight inflammatory fold appearance of the left TE. It projects about the same, but is more compact and not as full further up. Before he added the last fills, he said both sides looked great and about the same to him (they do not look the same), and that they will never look the same. What should I ask him about, and what should I ask him to do? I am worried that the right pocket will not expand sufficiently and in the right places to accommodate the same size implant as the left, with or without the additional 60ccs to catch up to the left.

Also, as I previously told you, myPS plans to replace my TEs with Natrelle/Allergan/Inspira implants, but wouldn't give me any model numbers. I want the best cosmetic result with symmetry as possible and I am very anxious about what can/should be done now and/or at the time of exchange. Will there be a problem if the "envelope" that develops on the left has different dimensions than the right? Help! Should I seek a second opinion, even going out of state?

Happyteacher, thank you. I have asked whippetmom's opinion and she has kindly replied. I don't mind a larger cup size, I would actually like it very much as I am rather wide at my hips and I would love the hourglass look. After the surgery, I am planning on loosing the weight I have gained during chemos and tamoxifen pills. I am thinking it will be the first day of the rest of my life!!!

Love, Sissi.

Hello everyone, I hope I am in the right place and hopeful that someone here might be able to provide some information that might help me make a decision

I was diagnosed in Feb 2013 at age 43. I had a bilateral mastectomy and had expanders followed by implants. I had 250cc saline implants put in. A week after surgery the right implant drifted sideways and over the last two years I have developed substantial rippling. The middle of my chest looks concave. I decided to visit a plastic surgeon to see if this was normal (a different surgeon than the one who did the surgery). She said they were a disaster...she says that to make them work I need to go bigger and have fat grafting. Then I would have a good result. The issue I have is that I like having a small bust and I cannot imagine how much bigger I will go - she says that I need to go to 350cc implants. I am 5'7" and I measure 31.5 inches around my rib cage. I weigh 130 Ibs. I know it sounds so silly but I have got really upset about this increase in size. I used to be a 34c and found that too big. I don't want to be busty. Is there anyway anyone can advise what sort of size I will be with this increase?

Thank you so much - no where else to turn. Would value your thoughts greatly.

Thank you Jackiegray. I really appreciate you getting back to me. This is the third ps I have seen and all say the same thing:( I guess I just want a sense of how big that (350cc) will look on my frame. Is there any where or any formula that can help work this out? Just to get a sense of what size I would be afterwards?

can someone explain what drop and fluff is? Also does it apply to the mentor memory shape implants. I am 2 days post exchange and they are very oddly shaped. Almost triangular

Hi Whippetmom, I had Mentor cpx 400 expanded to 630cc