IMPLANTS BIGGER THAN WHAT I ASKED FOR!

I'm really feeling frustrated. I told my surgeon I wanted to be a Full B Cup, and when I met with him last week, 2 weeks after surgery, it turned out that he made me a Full C.  He said something about the smaller size just not being "right." At the time he said it, I was still wonky from the surgery and couldn't think clearly. Now I'm more clear headed and UPSET. I don't understand a smaller size not being "right." I am feeling top heavy, and when I looked at pictures of myself at my HS Reunion, I was mortified. The dress I wore, which was very attractive when I bought it, made me look huge on top -- I look overweight, after all the work I've done to get to goal, which is normal weight. I haven't talked to him about it yet, but I'm planning to call him tomorrow due to some other problems, and need to address this. What am I supposed to say to him -- DO OVER?

Ironically, in 1984 I had breast reduction from over a DD -- more like an F -- to a Full B Cup and was VERY HAPPY. I hated being big busted my whole life and finally I felt comfortable. Now getting the implants, all I wanted was to get back what I lost after all my weight loss -- not become chesty! 

I'm still somewhat swollen, so I'm even closer to a D at the moment. But I can feel the implants, and the final size can't be THAT far from where they are now.

Has anyone else had this happen? Any words of advice other than "Get over it!"?

Marla

I don't think "get over it" however everything seems bigger and more swollen in the beginning and can take weeks and weeks for swelling to subside.
I did not want any implants at all-only the Breast Lift and I felt swollen on top of the breasts and on the sides. The top swelling is mostly subsided (my BL was 30/07) but the sides are still swollen.
I went in a 38-40 D/DD depending on bra company and now I'm still in my European (I live in Israel) sports front closing bra of 90C and sometimes the cup feels big which is fine by me.
Definitely address the issue with your PS especially as you have other issues to discuss. But remember that swelling also is a major part of healing.
And yes the PS does often know better what looks proportioned on our body.
I was marked up right before surgery with measuring tape from so many angles it might well as have been elaborate macrame! From the middle of neck down in every angle you can imagine and from bottom with squished Boobie upwards to measure what wil be removed and what just moved. And my shoulder soan was also measured for proportion of boobs to be balanced. I now know I am still fat (I am not at bmi or "goal") and I am short but also I have a rather Wide body frame. I did have only a Breast Lift.
The docs on Rounds kept saying WOW and that I now look seventeen! I never looked this good at seventeen!
I'm in the midst of a wound healing "complication" of surface slough on vertical Breast incision and now it is yellow tissue fibrin with concern for a needed debridement. I tend to have difficulty healing and I do not have diabetes.
Mikimi in Israel

I have heard this from a few other doctors. Some patients "leave it up to their doctors to use the implant size they feel will fit their frame best" I do not think that is a good idea. Because many times they end up leaving the OR with a much bigger size. Some doctors take it upon themselves to change your request thinking they are doing you a favor by "fitting the implants to your frame." They have no idea from where we came or the struggles we have within our own minds when we appear to be large or overweight. You have had a reduction, that is significant and something he should have taken into consideration. I am sorry you are not happy with your implants. That is very discouraging.

I believe you have every right to discuss your unhappiness with his taking your choice and ignoring it. YOU should ask him to revise your augmentation - AT HIS COST!

Personally I would give it a few months to let everything settle and swelling to go down. The "not fit right" might be considering your frame. I personally left it up to my Dr and he when w/ what fit my frame and I'm completely happy. However it did take some time for everything to settle into place. Mayabe address the size issue and let him know that you'll give it a few months so see if once they settle you'll be happier but maybe that a revision w/ smaller size may be in the future if you're still unhappy in 4-6 months.

I would tell him about it. You requested a certain size and he should not have changed that. I would wait a few months though to see what they are really like after the swelling goes down. They may be much closer to a b later. Sorry you are unhappy now though.

 What did your consent form agree to?

if you did not have the cup size in writing, you may have no recourse.

Wait until the swelling goes down, express your displeasure.  At a minimum it sounds like a breach of trust.  

 Thank you all for your comments!

I saw my surgeon today. He guarantees me that once all swelling is gone, if I am not happy he will do whatever it takes to make me so. Another problem with the implants is that they are more to the sides than in front, and they make me look very wide on top and my arms can't even be at my sides. He gave me a binder to try to train them more towards the front, and it that doesn't help, he will take care of that with some kind of procedure to tether them more towards the middle. (DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A PROCEDURE THEY DO FOR THIS?)

I told him that if once the swelling goes down and it is a substantial amount, and IF they are made to be in front and not on the sides where they make me look wide, perhaps I won't mind the larger size. So I have to be patient and see where it goes for a while. Ultimately he will do what will make me happy, so I have calmed down.

 I dont know the medical terminology, but I just had a BA/BL and because of my anatomy the implants naturally fell to the sides, (I know this b/c I had implants 10 yrs ago and had them removed for that reason) so the surgeon put internal stiches in the fascia to prevent the implants from falling off the side of the chest wall. I am so happy, no more side boobs, you can't see them from the back and I do feel that my chest looks MUCH narrower and not so "chesty".

Good Luck,

Heather

 Thank you so much for sharing that, Heather. That is the kind of thing I imagined he would do -- I described that kind of idea, and he agreed that they do something like that. SO I feel relieved that I will end up happy like you are. Did they do that during the initial procedure, with the surgeon knowing ahead of time that that is an issue with you and planning ahead, or did the surgeon have to go in and stitch them because it was happening? Also, why did you have them removed 10 years ago instead of doing the procedure you mention here?

Marla

 Marla,

I saved up for a long time for the first pair, and they fell to the sides and they bottomed out, and at the time, I couldn't afford a total redo. I had a friend who was a surgeon and he removed them for 2k in his office and I didn't really want implants again, but after my twin pregnancy and breastfeeding them, I really didn't have any tissue left.


Fast forward 10 yrs and 130lbs and when I saw the surgeon, I told him that I understand I will need a lift and implants, but that I wanted small ones 350cc max. He told me that I should go bigger blah blah, but I insisted that I didn't want to go bigger, I also showed him photos of my other boob job so I could explain what I didn't like and then I showed him pictures of boobs that I did like. I was really clear about not wanting "side boobs", so he said during surgery he realised that the way my chest wall was, they were going to fall again to the sides, so he put in permanent sutures on the sides to keep the implants from moving over. Now I have normal size boobs in the right spot :) I am only 2 weeks out now.

I have had friends do it after they had their implants placed, about 6 months after original surgery and it was no big deal, no big scar and healed quick.