Should your implants be placed over the muscle or under the muscle? This question is common among women considering breast augmentation, and it’s important to understand that the answer is not one-size-fits-all. This decision is guided by your anatomy and the desired look and feel of your breasts postoperatively.
Before diving into the specifics, let’s understand what we mean by breast implant placement. This refers to the location of the implant in relation to your pectoral muscle.
- Over the Muscle (Subfascial Placement): In this approach, the implant is placed beneath the fascia (muscle covering) between your breast tissue and the pectoral muscle. This placement is often chosen for its natural look and feel, as the implant moves with the natural breast tissue.
- Under the Muscle (Submuscular Placement): Here, the implant is placed beneath the pectoral muscle. This placement can offer a natural slope to the upper breast, especially beneficial for women with little natural breast tissue.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Subfascial Placement
Opting for a subfascial placement offers several benefits. Firstly, the surgery is often less invasive, as it doesn’t involve manipulating the muscle, which can lead to a quicker recovery time. Secondly, this placement tends to offer a more natural movement of the breast, as the implant moves with the breast tissue, not the muscle. This can be a significant advantage for athletic women, as flexing the chest muscles doesn’t distort the shape of the breast. This is called “animation deformity,” which can be bothersome to many patients.
However, there are also some potential downsides to consider. Over the muscle placement may lead to more visible implant rippling, especially in women with less natural breast tissue. This placement may also interfere with mammography more than under the muscle placement, making it slightly more difficult to screen for breast cancer.
Choosing the right implant placement can greatly impact satisfaction with your breast augmentation results. Whether over or under the muscle placement is best for you depends on several factors, including your body type, lifestyle, and aesthetic preferences. Both methods have their unique benefits and potential downsides, and understanding these can help guide your decision.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Under the Muscle Placement
On the other hand, submuscular placement also has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. A primary advantage is that it often results in a more natural-looking upper breast contour, as the muscle provides additional coverage over the implant, smoothing out the transition between the chest wall and the implant. This placement also tends to interfere less with mammography.
The potential disadvantages include a longer and potentially more uncomfortable recovery period, as the surgery involves the manipulation of the pectoral muscle. Furthermore, women with highly active lifestyles might notice some distortion of the breast shape during chest muscle flexion. Additionally, a major goal of breast surgery is to create a result that is long-lasting. The chest slopes from front to back, which is the direction that the implants tend to migrate over time. When they are placed beneath the muscle, implant migration or “displacement” is influenced by the activity of the muscle, which pushes the implants away from the center of the chest.
Making the Right Decision for You
Ultimately, the decision between over and under the muscle implant placement is highly personal and should be made by taking your unique body shape, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals into consideration.
Remember that while online resources can provide useful information, they cannot replace personalized medical advice. Therefore, the most important step in your breast augmentation journey is finding a plastic surgeon with whom you feel comfortable and who understands your specific needs and desires.
Choosing the right implant placement can greatly impact satisfaction with your breast augmentation results. Whether over or under the muscle placement is best for you depends on several factors, including your body type, lifestyle, and aesthetic preferences. Both methods have their unique benefits and potential downsides, and understanding these can help guide your decision.
However, it’s essential to remember that each individual is unique, and what works best for one person might not be the optimal choice for another. Therefore, an open and detailed conversation is crucial to making an informed decision.
By taking into account your unique characteristics and goals, we can work together to determine the best implant placement for you. The ultimate goal is to enhance your body in a way that makes you feel confident and comfortable, and the right breast implant placement is a significant step towards that goal.
Remember, a successful breast augmentation is not only about improving your physical appearance but also about boosting your self-esteem and improving your quality of life. So, make sure to consider all your options and choose wisely. Your journey towards a more confident you starts with an informed decision.
