Breast Augmentation Q&A
92%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
774 Reviews
Breast Augmentationbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Breast Augmentation Cost: $6,200

Learn about Breast Augmentation

3,419 people and 890 doctors are talking about Breast Augmentation

Get Free Email Updates

Rippling After Breast Enlargement

asked 1 year ago by cumbria in cumbria
Latest answer by Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Question viewed 379 times
Tags: normal, rippling

i had a breast enlargement 4 month ago,lately ive been feeling a lumpy rippling feeling on both breasts,is this normal?

20 answers to Rippling After Breast Enlargement

+2

Rippling following Breast Augmentation

Hello and thank you for the question. Rippling is a phenomena commonly seen with breast augmentation procedures and especially so in thinner patients with minimal to modest breast tissue. Saline implants are inherently more prone to rippling than silicone implants. The cause of rippling is secondary to the physical interface between the saline and/or silicone and the elastic silicone polymer shell. Rippling can be treated in patients who are so inclined to address this issue... more
Glenn Vallecillos, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.BeverlyHillsCosmeticSurgeon.com

+2

Rippling after breast augmentation

Rippling unfortunatley can occur with the use of saline implants.  Often times if you switch them to silicone implants this solves the problem.  There are times however that even silicone implants can be easily felt especially if there is not a lot of breast tissue.  Sometimes when this occurs fat transfers can be added to camofluge any irregularities.  Sometimes patients will require a breast lift where the skin is tightened and this will help improve any kind of... more
Kimberly A. Henry, MD

Greenbrae Plastic Surgeon
+2

Implant ripple after breast augmentation

A ripple or a palpable edge can be felt after breast augmentation with a saline or a silicone gel breast implant depending on the breast tissue available to cover and hide the implant. The easiest place to detect an implant is in the lower breast or out to the side where the implant is no longer covered by the chest muscle. The felt edge on the implant is normal and should not cause you any problems. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd
Peter E. Johnson, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

+1

Rippling associated with breast implants

The rippling that you are describing is virtually always associated with saline breast implants. Thinner individuals will experience this more frequently and substantially. When placed above the muscle, the rippling can be quite severe and obvious. In order to correct this if the implants are saline, I would recommend that they be exchanged for silicone ones. Placing them behind the muscle is associated with a better result in such situations.
Steven Turkeltaub, MD

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

+1

Rippling with implants

Rippling can happen with any implants but it is more common with saline breast implants.  You can decrease the chance of rippling if you exchange your implants for silicone.  Good luck!
Bivik Rajnikant Shah, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling

Rippling will occur in 11% of saline implants and in 4% of silicone implants, that is enough rippling to either feel or see. It can spoil an otherwise satisfactory  procedure and is difficult to correct . Changing implants can improve or eliminate the problem and is costly. 
Walter D. Gracia, MD

Arlington Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling after breast implants

Rippling is a consequence of saline breast augmentation and can occur on the lateral aspect of the breast, particularly in subglandular implant placement.  Usually, the rippling will plateau with time, but rarely resolves on its own. 
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling after Breast Augmentation

This is more commonly seen after saline augmentation in patients with little native breast volume.     I find saline implants to ripple more than silicone.   I also find patients with little volume in the lower pole (half) of the breast to show more signs of rippling.   This can be corrected by placing alloderm (cadaveric dermis) over the lower pole of the implant, but is usually cost prohibitive.
Paul S. Gill, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.drpaulgill.com

+1

Rippling breast implants

All implants ripple but some like smooth saline implants ripple more than others. Rippling refers to the wave like appearance of folds in the outside shell of the implant. You can see this when you hold an implant in your hand in various positions. If you have enough breast tissue between the implants (especially  the edges) and the outside world the rippling will not be visible. The treatment depends on the individual case. If the implants are above the muscle you can move them... more
Aaron Stone, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling After Breast Enlargement

Regarding: "Rippling After Breast Enlargement  i had a breast enlargement 4 month ago,lately ive been feeling a lumpy rippling feeling on both breasts,is this normal?" It sounds like your surgeon did not make you understand all the potential disadvantages of breast implants. Among the certainties of breast implants are the facts that ALL breast implants ripple (saline filled ripple worse than silicone filled) and eventually leak. For the ripples to be less palpable and... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling After Breast Augmentation

Rippling is a known sequelae of any breast implant procedure in the infero-outer quadrant of your breast and  particularly in women with very thin tissue.   It can be minimized with partial submuscular or dual plane implant placement and use of silicone gel implants.  My advice would be to see your plastic surgeon for an evaluation.
C. Bob Basu, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling

Sometimes rippling is palpable after implant placement especially in very thin patients.  Sometimes placing them under the muscle, exchanging to gel or addind alloderm can help.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling in breast augmentation

The ripplig feeling you describe is most likely associated with saline implants. This is normal for these type of implants in a thin indivifual. Silicone implants ar a reasonable atlernative if you wish replacement. I would also recommend the high profile silicone. implants
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling after breast augmentation

Unfortunately, implant rippling is a known possible adverse event following breast augmentation.  That being said, there are several factors which could potentially increase your risk for rippling and include: use of saline implants placement of implants above the muscle small amount of breast tissue with thin skin use of very large implants Although these factors do not necessarily guarantee that your implants will ripple, they can certainly increase the... more
Gregory A. Buford, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

www.beautybybuford.com

+1

Rippling after Breast Augmentation

Rippling is a know occurrence after breast augmentation.  As others have stated, the less tissue coverage you have over the implant, the more of a chance of rippling.  So, it is my advice to have the implants placed under the muscle if they are not already.  This will increase the thickness of the tissue over the implants.   Good Luck.  
David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

+1

Rippling After Breast Enlargement

Very normal. Re read the informed consent that outlines rippling as an unforseen event inherent to implants. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski
Darryl J. Blinski, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Is rippling with breast implants normal?

Under muscle is better for concealing the natural tendency of implants to ripple, but the muscle doesn't cover the outside or the bottom so that is where you feel it most often. If it can be felt but not seen it is probably nothing to be concerned about. If it is visible, then there are some options to help conceal them. Other factors that contribute to rippling are implants too large, and saline more than silicone.
Richard Baxter, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rippling with breast implants

This is not uncommon if you are very skinny, minimal breast tissue coverage of the implant. Even if it is placed under the muscle, you might see or feel rippling especially at the inferior and lateral poles of your breasts. This is more common with saline implants. There are ways to correct this problem. One would be to go back and place tissue matrix at the lower poles of thew breasts. I prefer fat transfer to thicken up the tissues, but if you are very skinny, this might be problematic. more
George Marosan, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

www.bellevueplasticsurgeons.com

+1

Rippling after breast augmentation

If you are slender, have minimal breast tissue you will feel and maybe see ripples and wrinkles after an augmentation especially if it was done with saline.  Gels have less of an issue with this. 
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Breast implant rippling

All breast implants will ripple. The reason you may see or feel the rippling is based on the amount of soft tissue that is covering the implants. That soft tissue is muscle, fat and breast tissue. So, the more soft tissue there is and less implant the les rippling your will see or feel. Saline implants and textured implants will have more potential rippling. Under the muscle has less as does silcone gel implants.
John P. Stratis, MD

Harrisburg Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question