Which incision for a breast implant?
I saw a young woman last week, and I have seen quite a few like her over the years. She had breast augmentation done elsewhere about 4 months ago. She was concerned that her breast implants were too high. Everyone starts out big, tight and high, but by 4 months most people are dropping nicely, and she wasn’t. It turns out that she had her breast implants placed through the armpit. While it sounds cool and sexy implants that are too high or don’t drop are a common consequence in this approach. During breast augmentation the lower insertion of the pectoral muscle is released so that the lower poll of the breast can expand over time. This is more difficult and less precise through the trans-axillary (armpit) approach and the problem cannot be corrected through the same incision. The woman I saw today will need a capsular release. As most of you know I perform periareolar (bottom of areolar) and inframammary (bottom of the breast) approaches for most of my patients. For saline breast implants I do either one, for silicone implants I usually (but not always) go inframammary. Silicone breast implants come already inflated so they sometimes need a larger incision. These standard approaches preserve the manufacturer’s warranty, but more important to me they allow the visualization to do a neat and precise job. So which incision should you choose? It depends on your starting situation, the type and size of implant you select and your goals. In a breast augmentation consultation, I go over the pros and cons of each option in relation to you and your body. If you’re reading this and curious, I would be happy to do the same for you. To learn more about breast augmentation, implant types and implant placements, contact my practice for a consultation at one of my three locations in the Washington D.C. area.
July 30, 2012 5:18 pm
Categories: Blog, Breast Augmentation, Breast Implant
Tags: Baltimore Maryland, Breast Augmentation Consultation, Breast Implant Incision, Breast Implant Placement, Breast Implant Type, capsular release, DC, Maryland
