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Advisable Breast Implants Placement for Weightlifters?

asked 2 years ago by Melinda75 in PA
Latest answer by Shahram Salemy, MD
Question viewed 1,674 times
Tags: under muscle, over muscle

I'm an athlete, one who tends to have shoulder injuries, and worry about under the muscle Breast implants placement. It seems more commom than over the muscle placement. Will under the muscle Breast implants affect my weightlifting abilities or the way in which the pec attaches a tthe shoulder? What are the pros and cons of over the muscle implants?

14 answers to Advisable Breast Implants Placement for Weightlifters?

Are you a competitive body builder or just an active athelete?

As you have read, there is a difference between the competitive body builder with minimal body fat, zero breast tissue etc and someone who is an active athletic type who happens to lift weights. In the former, the fake above the muscle look might be best but in the other type, I would suggest a submuscular augmentation and just lighten up a bit on the push ups, flys, and bench presses.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Depend on your goals

In competitive bodybuilders, it is likely that an implant placed beneath the muscle will be very obvious and move with flexing the pec. Above the muscle placement is the most common approach in these situations. But there are downsides to both pockets-- above the muscle will not move with contraction of the pec, but it will look more fake and even show a lot of rippling of the implant depending on how thin you are. Behind the muscle will hide the implant more, but it will likely move... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Breast implants and weightlifters

This is a very unique situation, and I would recommend getting the implants over the muscle. If you get them underneath the muscle, the muscle is first detached about 90 degrees from the chest, and everytime you flex your pectoralis muscles you may see the implants "jump." Silicone implants over the muscle are great in this situation because they will look natural and won't move when you work-out your chest. I hope this helps!

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.BaltimorePlasticSurgery.com

Breast implants over the muscle

Subglandular placement of implants (i.e. ABOVE the muscle, but under the breast gland) are very appropriate in certain patient populations. These include very physically active people such as yourself, or those who do weightlifting regularly. Some physicians prefer to place the implants in this pocket for almost everybody, although this is probably not the best idea for several reasons. One thing you need to realize if your implants will be placed over the muscle is that if you are thin,... more

Brian S. Glatt, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon

Under the muscle implant placement is my preference

I have successfully treated a number of professional body builders and the majority of them seem to prefer the under the muscle location. You should however, also be aware that in certain poses, while flexing the pectoralis muscle, the breast area can move up when the implant is behind the muscle and that does not happen when it is in front. Everything is a trade off in this World and you should discuss your concerns with your surgeon who can examine you and make recommendations based on... more

Darrick E. Antell, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Body Builders and implants

If you are a professional athlete it may be better to place the implants under the gland. If you are an active person who is a "weekend warrior," you may be better off putting them below the muscle to offer better coverage. It shouldn't impact your strength.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Consider subfascial implants for athletes and body builders

The previous replies summarize the problem: over the muscle looks fake, under has numerous problems in body builders and athletic women. This is the reason I became interested in subfascial placement several years ago. It is a reasonable compromise between the competing issues, given that there is no perfect solution. More info here: http://www.drbaxter.com/corrective_procedures.html. See also the "publications" list for an article I pulished on the technique.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Do you want to please the judges or please yourself?

There is no perfect answer. Submuscular has trade-offs and submammary has tradeoffs. A body builder usually has so little tissue that implants in front of the muscle look obviously, fake, round, and may even ripple, particuarly with saline. The muscles are so thick that the implants can move with contraction of the pectoralis, can shift to the sides over time, and can hurt a bit more. Face it: a steroid-taking weight lifting female wants to give herself a man's body in every way... more

Steven Teitelbaum, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

There is less implant coverage with above the muscle implants

Placing implants partially under the muscle leands more upper and inner coverage of the implant leading to less chances for rippling. The tradeoff is that you need to allow at least 6 weeks of healing without working your chest muscles to avoid displacement of the implants lower. You should also know that flexing your muscles with implants under can cause an odd motion of the breasts. An alternative is sub-fascial placement but this doesn't lend that much more coverage. Make sure to pick an... more

Michael C. Edwards, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

www.medwardsmd.com

Go with small silicone implants over the muscle.

Hi! The only way to stay out of trouble with breast augmentation in weight lifters is to use small, round, smooth walled, moderate PLUS profile or high profile, cohesive silicone gel implants. One of the problems with under the muscle placement is that your breasts jump when you lift weights.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Weightlifters should consider implant placement under the breasts

I have placed breast implants under the musclke in many weightlifters without problems. However, there are certain risks and potential problems you should consider. First, when you lift weights the contraction of the pectoralis muscle pushes the implant inferiorly and creates a visible displacement and compression of the implant. Furthermore, since an openning is left in the bottom of the pectoralis muscle, I have seen the implants pushed and displaced inferiorly and on occaaision through... more

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

Special precautions with breast implants in body builders

When is comes to implants, bodybuilders are in a whole separate category. Toning exercises are unlikely to change the position of the implant under the muscle but heavy bench presses will definitely shift the implant laterally. This will give an abnormal shape to the breast especially when laying down. When a patient has well developed chest muscles, pectoralis major, then I usually advise placement of the implant above the muscle. In many cases we use a textured gel implant. Aside... more

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Breast implants in body builders

What you will find in implants that are placed under the muscle is that with working out and movement of the pec muscle, the implants will move and shift during the contraction. Some women feel that this is not an option and desire to have the implants placed in from of the muscle. Most of these women are bodybuilders. But going behind the muscle does have its advantages, which include a more natural look and less likelyhood of capsular contracture (hardening of the capsule around the... more

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

It sort of depends how serious you are about weightlifting

I've operated on women who are competitive weight lifters and they generally fall into two groups. Group one are women who do weight lifting shows and are only concerned with definition. Obviously, many of these women have single digit body fat and have lost any breast tissue they may have had. Often these patients have requested implants placed over the muscle to avoid any distortion of their pectoral muscles. Unfortunately, in the setting of no body fat these implants look like Tupperware... more