Breast Implants: Q&A

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3 Years Post Op, I Can Feel my Breast Implant?

I have saline implants. Recently, after loosing 6% body fat, when I touch the underneath of my right breast I can feel the edge and bag , and the ripples, especially when I am bending down. I can push in, on the bag, its softer. In my chest I can actually feel it shift when I move. Its like there is nothing separating the implant and my skin. I started of with very little breast tissue, after losing weight there is even less. Is something wrong and can it increase the chances of it deflating?

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by Mmwinets

Doctor Answers (7)
Community Comments (1)

It's normal to feel a breast implant after surgery

All breast implants are palpable. That is simply a fact. Even though breast implants can be soft, they do not feel exactly the same as a real breast. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. A breast implant improves the firmness of a breast and that is often desirable. A youthful breast is firm. But implants can still be felt. Saline implants however are a little more palpable than silicone. The shell of a saline implant is a little thicker and... more

Palpable Implant After Weight Loss

Implants are frequently palpable, especially along the lower edge. THis is where there is less tissue covering the implant. This is not abnormal. After losing weight you are more likely to feel your implants as you have reduced the amount of tissue available to cover the implant. In addition since there is less tissue in your breast the skin is looser and the implant may feel slightly softer and move more easily. None of these things will increase the likelihood of rupture or deflation. more

Eugene J. Sidoti, Jr., MD

3 reviews

Scarsdale Plastic Surgeon

Implant palpability

The ability to feel your implant will depend upon your soft tissue coverage. Many patients will feel their implants in the lower pole.

Steven Wallach, MD

13 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

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Breast implants

You are feeling your implants because you have lost weight, and have less coverage of the implant. It should not cause problems, but if it bothers you, switching to silicone may help.

3 Years Post Op, I Can Feel my Breast Implant?

The less tissue of your own that is covering the implant, the more likely you are to be able to feel the implant and it's ripples. What you describe is not a sign of anything wrong, nor do you have added risk of implant deflation. If the ripples and soft feeling of the implant bother you, switching to silicone gel is likely to give you an implant that feels more natural, with fewer ripples. Thank you for your question, all the best.

Implant Palpability in Saline Implants

Your complaint is a very common complaint of thin patients with saline implants. All implants have some rippling, but it is significantly more with saline implants. This is the number one reason I strongly encourage thin women to choose silicone gel implants. The newest "gummy bear" implants tend to have very little if any rippling. If all you need is an implant exchange, it is usually a straightforward, short operation. You can go to work the next day and will... more

Weight Loss and Implant Palpability

After weight loss, the size of the breast envelope usually deflates as you have realized. The implant will be more palpable with less tissue present. This will not increase the risk of rupture.

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Comments (1)

Mmwinets
31 Jan 2013

Thank you so much for everyone's answers! The feel doesn't bother me really. It just made me worry that something could be wrong, since I was never able to feel the implant before, and it's only in one breast. But I feel better about it now. Thank you!

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