BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

HI (again) Whippetmom. It's been quite a long time. You & I spoke in 2014-2015. You can refer back to pics from our pm's from my previous surgeries.

I posted a message under another topic, but not sure if I will get any responses and then realized it would be GREATLY fitted HERE. So, I will copy & Paste, if that's ok? Note on my BIO real quick just for demographics for a quick touch-up so others can get to know my information and things, and so also you can get a brush-up.

5' 4.5" 140lbs BMI=24% (not much to work with- very healthy- PS said today we can possibly take a small amount for fat grafting from stomach & inner thighs IF surgery doesn't cover all our bases we are hoping for).

Previous bra size: 34B (Bra size now AFTER mastectomy & reconstruction: 34D) RibCage: 32") Currently: Sientra Textured Round High Profile Implants 440cc (Both) ((Had Moderate profile smooth round 360cc Sientra implants previously before receiving these ones from this amazing surgeon)) I had capsular contracture & also lymphedema which caused the drain to cause the nasty infection cellulitis and now I had dents in my left side, On 1/18/03, my daughter's 12th birthday, I awoke to a FLAT & deflated TE, which caused me to go into immediate surgery direct-to-implants. She placed very small implants, which you had seen in the photos in PM- I then sought out another PS, who is AMAZING!!)) I now am seeing him once again since my boobies have sank in and I have a terrible flexing issue that is incredibly embarassing and causes me much distress....you can read my copy-pasted version below. I hope you have some insight on this method my incredible PS is mentioning with the Mentor Siltex Textured Round HIgh Profile In 500-550cc ?? He thinks the dimensions and the texture will create a gorgeus shape and not cause any ripple or anymore capsilar contracture...due to the texture, which I have now, an have loved. But above the muscle? I know UNDER the muscle IS NOT WORKING!! It goes flat. I can send you pics. It's horrendous.

Hi everyone

It's been a long time. I hope you're all healing well. I've been doing great. NO complaints here, other than some sinking on my right side, and some dents and issues on Left side. I saw PS today and he saw the overdue damage and then he saw me make a tiny muscle movement and was like WHOAAAA!!! That happens all the time? And I cried....I Love him!! I told him that is my REAL issue. The dents, the little sagging here and there, I can tolerate all of that.....but the complete FLATNESS that happens when I make the slightest muscle as my flexing causes my implants to completely go flat?! I just can't seem to get past that......He agreed 100% that it's NOT normal, and I should NOT have to endure that. In my bra, you can see right down inside, because my right boob goes so flattened out from my muscle flexing so hard down! Ugh......Thank God for such a great surgeon. He's a miracle worker.

He immediately said "I have a solution!" He opened his handy dandy measuring stick, placed it on my chest, asked me how big I want these next ones....I said I would LOVE them to look "augmented" if possible.....as NOW I have OPEN possibilities.....whereas before my muscle didn't stretch any further than 440cc's....that's the largest he could fit and sew up. He said "550 will LOOK AMAZING!!" I will have the best cleavage, leaving about a centimeter of area apart between my girls of space, and I will have Mentor Siltex High Profile Textured implants (between 500-550cc's)

It felt amazing to be validated and to be put at ease to know there IS a solution to help me. He told me I will definitely be in much more pain afterwards, as the implants now are UNDER the muscle and the muscle will then relax, and then he will place a heavy implant on top of both muscles which will cause the muscles to go into spasms, causing much pain after, but we will get through that. I will deal with that when the time comes, I am just happy we have figured something out! When I make muscles or even open a jar, or hug someone, my chest completely flexes and people can see down my shirt! It is so embarassing- Like vanishing breasts! They just go FLAT. I am so embarassed by them. I'm so thankful to God for a solution.

I have been searching the internet for HOURS to find PICTURES of people who have mastectomies and have IMAGES of this? But can't find anything. I keep trying and trying, hoping to find something! I would love to SEE what my results MAY look like, but I only see actual augumentation pics, where they have breast tissue and I can't possibly compare to them. (*sigh*)

Should know soon when my surgery date for my NEW boobies are!! Oh my gosh, I am nervous too, because I can't even find pictures of other people with Mentor 500-500cc's in the High Profile! HELP! LOL.......If you know anyone on the pic forum and can send me to them, (I'm on there, please give me the shout out of how to get to their pics, lol.......) I will be updating my pics on the pic forum also.....Long overdue.

Best wishes. I hope to catch up with all of my ladies on here.

Any words of advice or if you know of where I can search for images for OVER the muscle pics after mastectomy? I will be your best friend forever! My head is spinning from 12 pages of google open at the same time!! LOL!!

Hi KYmarathonmommy,

Just wanted to say hi and welcome! Someone will be by shortly to help answer your questions.

We look forward to hearing more from you!

--The Mods

Whippet mom I believe you make be right about the chemo thing. I was not expected to need chemo but my BS asked my daughter while I was still in recovery where I wanted to go for chemo treatments. Then the same DR called me this week and asked me to choose my oncologist ASAP and get the name and number to her quickly so I could get in for an appt soon. She told me my nodes on the cancerous side was ok but something odd was going on in the nodes in the noncancerous side. She knew I wanted to be closer to my home if I needed chemo. So I was lucky to get accepted to an oncologist unit about 50 miles from my home to a well known oncologist. I'm guessing there is some reason why they are hurrying everything so much. But I am only 10 days out from my BMX and recon. I still have 1 set of drain tubes in. I am set for my post op check with the BS in 5/19. I have my 2nd post op visit with the PS Monday 5/2. The question you mentioned I will try to remember to ask her then.

Hi Whippetmom-

Would love some advise on implants. I'm currently almost 5 months out post bilateral mast w/immediate recon- skin and nipple sparing free tram flap. I have a great deal of tissue missing at my sides and thick scar tissue around upper/outer areas of new breasts. I'm 5'5" 124 lbs, smaller framed but lower body is quite curvy. Current measurements post op are 28.5" under breasts, 31" across recon breast, 36" hips. I've always been smaller chested, but not quite this small and would love to be back to my old size.

PS is recommending 150cc teardrop gummy bear implants, placed behind my muscle. He is additionally recommending fat grafting at same time to help fill the concave areas at my sides (I'm extremely sensitive in these areas and was told this would help. Still trying to research/verify this prior to procedure). I would love to be a bit more chesty at top (though nothing large- not my style). However, not sure about having implants under a free tram. I am hoping smaller implants= minimized discomfort? Have many or any other women come to you with this? PS gave me thumbs up a month ago for secondary surgery but I'm still battling neuropathy, scar tissue, skin sensitivity, etc. Still debating a revision surgery (which I will need anyway to address a nipple which is now and inny). I'm honestly just scared to put myself through more and sort of irritated I'm needing implants after going through a free tram procedure. That aside, any advise on implants is greatly appreciated while I decide my next step.

Many thanks!

Thanks whippetmom!

Makes me feel better to hear that as I've looked everywhere for someone that's done a free tram flap and implants later and haven't had any luck. I originally had thought my breasts would be slightly augmented with the fat grafting- but my PS is against that idea all together for whatever reason. However, he does recommend it being used to fix the areas at the side of my ribs and towards my back whereas I have no tissue under the skin. Given my current measurements of 28.5" under breasts and 31" across breasts, do you feel a 150cc gummy bear teardrop implant will give me more fullness in my upper breasts? PS says it should add about a 1/2 cup size.

Hi whippetmom,

Looking for some advice as I think I am nearing the end of the TE expander process. Had a 60cc fill yesterday bringing me to 370cc and while I would like to go for another fill, I'm not sure that's feasible. Here are my stats: 46 yr old, pre-DMX size 34A (padded). Height: 5'3 1/2 Weight: 123 Rib cage circumference (under TE) almost 28". TE: Allergan 133FV 300cc (same on both sides). Path report measured right breast specimen at 14x12x2.5cm and left breast specimen at 13x11x2cm. I want to achieve a full B/small C after the exchange and cleavage would be nice too as my breast mounds are very far apart (which may be limited by my anatomy). Recommendations? I meet with PS next week to discuss next steps and want to know my options before that discussion. Thank you

Hi, Whippetmom. Thank you so much for all of your advice on this thread. I have a bit of a conundrum.

I'm having a tough time deciding what size to go and whether to get saline or silicon. I'm 5'4" and 175 pounds with broad shoulders and a broad muscular back. Being short, hourglass/inverted triangle shaped and large breasted presented me with challenges before I got breast cancer. I love to look sexy for my husband and when we go out. That's very important to me I don't want to look manly but I don't want to look like a bimbo while I'm at work. I'm a home health nurse and have to spend time alone with men in their homes and don't want that kind of attention.

Before all this happened I was a DD and found myself choosing whether to wear unfitted blouses to camouflage my breasts or things that were more fitted and showed that I do actually have a waist. The unfitted blouses or t-shirts made me look fat and manly and about 30 lbs heavier but fitted things caused my breasts to be the center of attention. My chest circumference is 41 inches and I'm losing weight and confident I should at least be able to get down to 150 lbs and stay there. I've lost 15 lbs since my surgery on 2/25 even though I'm on Femara. I'm hoping to get down closer to 130, which would put me in about size 6 pants.

I like my over the muscle tissue expanders. They're a little more firm than I would like but I love that they don't fall to the sides when I lay down and they're smooth with no ripples. They have enough projection that they don't have to be huge in order to look feminine. Right now I don't have the problems I had before with looking fat and manly in unfitted tops. I love that I don't have to wear a bra and can wear a tight tank and they don't get smooshed down. The only thing I don't like is the stepoff.

I'm expanded to 540cc right now and love the amount of projection I have. I wouldn't mind having a little more projection but I don't want to look like a bimbo when I lose weight. Right now they look fine when I'm standing up straight but when I'm sitting or leaning forward they look a little small. I bought a 40D bra and I almost completely fill it out. Of course the area above the expanders is sunken in and hollow.....my guess is it would take about 100cc to fill in the hollowness.

I was looking online at photos of smaller women with 700cc implants and they didn't look totally ridiculous. I don't think 700cc would be too big if I lost weight. I'd rather be a little too big than not big enough.

Are saline implants a little less firm than tissue expanders? Would I be able to go without a bra in a tight tank at 700cc in saline? How about in silicon? I've been reading that most bigger girls go with about 800cc but I'm thinking the firmness of saline might make it possible for me to have less ccs and still look sexy when I want to.

Thanks in advance.

Thank you!

Hi Whippetmom and everyone,

I recently had my exchange surgery on 4/13/16 and do not like my implants. They are natrelle 410 fx 495 ccs. Prior to my dmx I wore a 34 b bra and I was hoping to go a little larger with my implants. Ideally, I was hoping to be a full c cup, but I think that I am probably now a small b. They are full at the bottom but are very flat on top, when I look down at them they look like an a cup. I had thought that I wanted the anatomical shaped implants, but now that they are in I wish I had went with round. My natural breasts were small, but I think that they stuck out more, and that I had more cleavage. I don't like that these implants are very firm, and that I can not push them up to create cleavage.

I had talked to my ps about doing fat grafts to add volume because I really did not want to go through another exchange surgery and also I had wanted to have lipo of my hip pouches anyway, but now think that I am leaning toward switching out the implants. My breast surgeon went really high with the mx, and when I had in the TEs my chest under my collarbone was very concave, and that is why we choose the full height implants.

I am 5' tall and weigh about 120lbs and my ribcage measures 29.25" under my implants. The TEs were filled to 505 ccs each, which made me a d cup and really liked the projection that I had with them and I felt that I was more proportionate (I am a little bottom heavy). Now I don't have much projection at all, my stomach sticks out farther than my breasts, which is really sad because I really have a pretty flat tummy. I had realized that the implants might be a little smaller than the TEs, but I just didn't expect them to be this much smaller.

I would greatly appreciate any advice, Thanks in advance.