What is This Line Beneath my Breast Augmentation Incision?

I am about 3 weeks post op and everything is healing nicely. however, when i stand with correct posture or raise my arms above my head a line appears below my incision. it is very prominent on my left and there are actually 2 on my right but they arent really bothering me. the one on the left causes a painful streching feeling when raising my arms. after looking at the photos... i feel like its something with the stitching, how do i make it go away?

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9 Doctor Answers | Asked by Srebmann in Lacey, WA

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This is Mondor's cord or phlebitis.

This tender cord or band (that feels like a sore tendon) is immediately below your incision, which cut through one of several superficial veins in this area. See Dr. Aldea's answer also. The vessel or vessels are divided by your incision, coagulated at the time of surgery, and remain clotted and tender to stretch or touch for several weeks until your body can dissolve the old blood, replace the non-flowing vessels with scar tissue, and adequately soften and mature the scar inside the... more

Mondor's cord

From the photos it looks like Mondor's cord which is a superficial thrombophlebitis which resolves on its own usually.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

It's a thrombosed vein

It appears to be a “Mondor’s cord” which is not uncommon to see after breast augmentation surgery. This typically resolves on its own and should not need treatment. Make sure to show this to your plastic surgeon on your next visit.

George John Alexander, MD

3 reviews

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Mondor's

No worries. You've got a case of Mondor's disease or if you want a better name, post-operative inflammatory plebitis. It will go away and you can make it go away faster with ibuprofen. It sounds kind of sinister by either name but it will resolve. Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.

What is This Line Beneath my Breast Augmentation Incision? - Mondor's Disease

The line you are seeing is actually a blocked superficial vein. This condition is known by several names invoking Mondor's name (who described it in 1939). Inflammation causes a blockage of one of three veins draining the breast (superior epigastric, lateral thoracic or thoracoepigastric vein). The condition improves by itself in the great majority of people with local heat and the use of over the counter antiinflammatory agents (such as Advil etc). Do show it to your Plastic... more

It is a vein

The first answer is the correct one. This does happen occasionally and can be treated with a warm compress. It is too early to develop any scar tissue and in the long run will not influence your final result.

Mondor's Disease

The vertical band from the inframammary fold downward onto the chest wall is a superficial thrombophlebitis or inflammation of the vein referred to as Mondor's Disease. Mondor's disease is self limiting and generally benign inflammation which resolves on its own. If symptomatic it can be treated with warm compresses and pain relievers, most commonly NSAIDS such as ibuprofen. This is fairly common after breast augmentation. Nothing to worry about it... more

Vertical Line Under Breast = Pull from a Stitch or a Clotted Vein

An anchoring stitch from the breast to the chest wall When I use an inframammary incision, I place firm anchoring sutures to "set" the bottom of the implant pocket. These sutures can cause a pull in the early post-op period that can cause a vertical line under the breast when raising the arm that looks similar to the picture you've shown. Massage will help loosen these tissues and the strong sutures I use weaken and dissolve over time as the body heals and forms a pocket... more

The line is the facia of the soft tissue which is attached to the skin.

This line is where the scar developing around the implant has attached to the fascia of the soft tissue in the fat of your body and connects to the muscles. In other words there is the skin with a small layer of fat and then a layer of fascia and then some more fat and then the fascia of the muscles. Fascia is the white tissue you see attach to meat. The skin and the fascias are all attached with connections of tissue which creates a network of the tissue so that it is stable on your body... more