BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101

Macmom81- Our measurements are similar... reconstructed breasts are different than augmented ones, they are wider and in some instances a bit flatter. I'm either a 34DD, 36D or 38C depending on the bra...remember when the band size increases the cup size decreases and vice versa. You may still have some swelling being so close to surgery...you def need support so go with a sports bra or coobie type bra while you wait for swelling to decrease. Good luck

Whippetmom - Congratulations - hard to believe this thread is on page 500. Quite an accomplishment. You have unselfishly helped so many of us over the years. I want to offer a BIG THANK YOU for all that you do. You are a gem!!!

TO ALL YOU LOVELY FIERCE LADIES- PLEASE WEIGH IN : )

getting bilateral end of this month , please comment on any experience with sizing; (currently 38-40 C/D) 5'8-180lbs

gummi bears being inserted directly after mastectomy/ no expander- meeting with plastic surgeon next week-

any guidance so appreciated! post surgery expectations, helpful hints- brobes? etc

hoping to avoid "had i known then" & "things no one tells you before /after " etc

peace love & light to all....

Cat5, whippetmom will reply with more details when she can, but seeing your post is still waiting for some reply...I am your size 5'8" 180. I have SRX700 (Whippetmom's suggestion for me) and am very happy. I am solidly a 38D...and with an underwire bra wear a size larger than D but the look is a D, implants are wide so the underwire needs to not sit on the implant. But I am fully a D, so if you are looking for more of a C look...then perhaps something slightly smaller. Has your PS given you an estimate? TT

Thanks for the reply whippetmom.

My PS told me that he uses both Mentor & Allergan depending on the patients needs and preferences.

Hi! New here but so happy to have some information. I'm week 5 after a bmx with straight to implants. I too think mine are too big. One is larger and droopier than the other and I too feel like they're too close to armpits and when laying down are headed that way. I massage my scars and wear my compression all the time as advised so I think I'm doing the right things. I just hope my ps will see the lopsidedness and agree to go smaller and away from my armpits more. I would not be happy staying where I am. Is that common for a patient to have a redo? Or will they say wait until after fat grafting or radiation, etc. I'm not in a hurry, just want to know how this works.

Hi--I have a hypothetical question about expanders. I am looking at a possible mastectomy on my right breast, having had a diep recon on my left 10 years ago. Since then, the right has been at least one size larger than the left. Is it possible that I could have a smaller implant and skip the expanders, to even things out? Not sure if this is ever done.

Another question, since I'm here--how weird does it feel to have one side implant and the other tissue recon? Do I have any other option?

Thanks. Amy

My exchange surgery was a month ago. I am 5'5" and 125 pounds/ small-framed with a narrow chest/ measure 31" at the top of my ribcage and repeatedly told my plastic surgeon I wanted to be a C cup. I know doctors don't like to talk "cups" and it is difficult to gauge exact size outcomes. I don't understand "cc's" very well. And therein lies the problem.

Every time I was "filled", I would remind my doctor that I wanted to be a C cup (which is what I was before the mastectomy) and he kept saying I should go bigger with the fills. So, I ended up with 700 cc's of saline in my expander. My expander did not look that big to me...I guess because there wasn't much in the way of cleavage. But, boy oh boy, my implants seem VERY large.

When I went for my post-op visit, the doctor estimated that I was a DDD. I was floored! I went to the nearest department store and he was right. I could wear 32DDD and 34DD bras. Although I measure 31" at the top of my ribcage, most 32 band bras are too tight. I was wearing a 34 before the mastectomy.

After talking to the doctor and explaining that I just couldn't walk around with that large of a breast, he agreed to do a revision. I am meeting with the him next week to discuss implant size for this time. He thinks he can go down 200cc but maybe more. He is going to look at me and decide at this appointment.

I presently have ultra high profile Mentor implants. One is 750cc and the other is 700cc. Do you think going down 200 cc will give me the size I desire? (Of course, I will take what I can get at this point.) I just don't know what to expect. (I am pretty sure he always uses Mentor if that helps.) I would appreciate any and all advice.

whippetmom, I have an appointment in a few weeks to discuss exchange surgery with my PS. I am somewhat overwhelmed by all the options available and hope you can provide some guidance. I am 5'4", 130 lbs, 31" ribcage. TEs are Allergan 133MV-13-T 400 cc. They are overfilled, but I'm not sure by how much. I wore a 36C bra prior to double mastectomy. I had LD flap reconstruction on both sides. I understand that the implants will look slightly smaller than the TE. I don't want to be a lot bigger than before, but I would not mind being a little bit bigger - the last fill on my TE gave me a nice upper definition that my saggy breasts did not have (but I will admit it looks less natural and more "shelf-like" than before that last fill). Also, I have a professional work wardrobe that I don't really want to replace, although everything I've tried on thus far has fit just fine. Any guidance you can provide would be much appreciated.

whippetmom:

Thank you so much for your response. You are so kind to share your knowledge and information with so many on this board. I so much appreciate your advice - now I can go to the PS appointment with information to compare with what he suggests. I trust him, but I hate being without information of my own, so this means more to me than I have the words to express!