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Why is There a Greater Risk of Leakage with Breast Implants Placed Under the Muscle?

asked 7 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Question viewed 602 times
Tags: breasts, female, under muscle, causes, leak, pectoral, problem, reasons, recommendation, risk

Some surgeons recommended implants placed under the pectoral muscles, but I'm worried about leakage.

18 answers to Why is There a Greater Risk of Leakage with Breast Implants Placed Under the Muscle?

Breast Implant Failure Unaffected By Anatomic Location

I am not sure where you have gotten the impression that the risk of breast implant failure is affected by its anatomic location. There has never been any evidence that this is true nor would there be a biologic or device explanation for it. There are several advantages and disadvantages for each implant location, either above or below the muscle, but implant failure is not one of them.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Does Implant Placement Affect Rate of Deice Failure?

I have never read any scientific studies that show that implants have a higher failure rate (leakage) when they are positioned above or below the pectoral muscle. You should discuss pocket placement issues with your surgeon . It is best to come to your consultation with an open mind so as to take advantage of your surgeon's experience and education when it comes to technical issues about the procedure. Good luck.

Mary Lee Peters, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.maryleepetersmd.com

Breast implant placement not associated with increased incidence of leakage

I'm afraid you might have been misinformed. There is no evidence (that I have ever come across) that states there is a greater risk of leakage with submuscular implant placement. Personally, I prefer placing breast implants under the muscle less risk of capsular contracture increased support (not just skin envelope keeping them in place) more natural appearance I hope this helps, Dr. H

Gary M. Horndeski, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Implant leakage

I have never heard of an increased risk for leakage by putting the implants under the muscle. The pros and cons of either placement are well documented by my colleagues, but this is not one that I am aware of. Good luck.

Tiffany McCormack, MD
Reno Plastic Surgeon

www.plasticsurgeryrenotahoe.com

Leakage after breast implantation/augmentation

There is no impact of implant position on leakage rate reported in the plastic surgery literature. There are pros and cons of placing the implant above and below the muscle. Most implants are placed below the muscle but I believe there are some instances when placing the implant above the muscle has advantages. However the leakage rate is the same no matter where you place the implant.

Jay Burns, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Leakage of implants

As far as I am aware, there is no increased risk of breast implant leakage if the implants is under or over the muscle.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant failure under the muscle

Smooth implants have a much lower rate of leakage than textured implants. You can't compare apples and oranges I don't put the smooth implants over the muscle because of the increased risk of capsular contracture. Mentor warrants the implant for life but does not pay more than a set amount which can be applied toward the surgical and facility fees but is not equivalent to the actual cost.

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant leakage

Breast implants can develop small holes or tears and leak or deflate. The incidence is very low and the United States manufacturers (Allergan and Mentor) offer a full warranty for any broken implant which includes financial reimbursement for the cost of the replacement surgery. There is no greater risk of leakage related to implant position, either above or below the muscle.

David Finkle, MD
Omaha Plastic Surgeon

www.bodybyfinkle.com

There is NO increased leak rate when Breast Implants are Placed UNDER the Chest Muscle

Breast Implants can be placed through 4 incisions (periareolar (lower portion of the areola), inframammary (breast fold), transaxillary (arm pit) and transumbilical (belly button). The implants may be placed under the breast tissue (over the muscle) or under the muscle (subpectoral which is under BOTH the breast and the pectoralis major muscle). There is NO evidence whatsoever that placing the implant under the muscle is associated with a higher leak rate. Placement under the... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

No Difference In Leaks From Under Or Over Muscle

I am unaware of any statistically significant difference in the rates of implants related to the location of their placement. Rupture or leakage rates are very similar for both types of implants (silicone or saline) whether they have been placed above or below the muscle. Defects which occur implants leading to leakage are rarely associated with trauma.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Leakage of breast implants

Breast implants do NOT have a higher risk of leakage under the muscles. Placing an implant under the pectoralis muscle has advantages AND disadvantages, but leakage or rupture of the implants is not an issue.

Anindya Lahiri, MBBS
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Why is There a Greater Risk of Leakage with Breast Implants Placed Under the Muscle?

No evidence of this in any of the Plastic Surgery literature or studies. There are advantages and disadvantages of both above the muscle and subpectoral positions, but this is not one of them. Most plastic surgeons use the subpectoral pocket for better coverage to reduce the possibility of visible edges and folds of the implant, apparently a somewhat lower risk of capsular contracture, and probably easier visualization of the breast tissue during mammograms.

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

No increase risk of rupture for under the muscle implants

You been misinformed. The risk of the rupture is same for above and the muscle implants. There are very few indications for above the muscle saline implants.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant leakage

Implant rupture is a possibility regardless of positioning superficial to or deep to pectoralis major. If you are fearful of rupture, choose saline implants, absolutely harmless when they rupture and deflate.

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

Breast implants under muscle usually best

While there are various options, under muscle is done more often than not by most plastic surgeons. There is no reason to believe that the implants are any more likely to leak if they are under the muscle. It is important also to define what the term "leak" means, since it really only applies to saline implants. The silicone gel used in silicone implants is a semisolid so it holds together even if there is a hole in the shell.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Who says implants leak more under the muscle?

I am not aware nor have I ever heard this claim. I think you have misunderstood the facts or were listening to a poor source. Implants should be equally durable in either location, but for a variety of reasons I would always prefer to place them under the muscle.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Implants under the muscle and leakage

Implants placed under the muscle do not have a higher risk of leakage. In fact, the risk of implant rupture is probably less when the implants are placed under the pectoral muscles because there is a lower risk of capsular contracture which can increase the risk of rupture. There are many advantages to putting the implants under the muscle with minimal downside. I highly recommend that your implants be put under the muscle.

James McMahan, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant Location and Leakage?

Thank you for the question. In my opinion, there are significant advantages of placing breast implants under the pectoralis muscle. This positioning allows for more complete coverage of the breast implants leading to generally more natural feel/look of the implants in the long-term. This position will also decrease the potential for rippling and/or palpability of the implants (which may increase with time, weight loss, and/or post-pregnancy changes). The submuscular... more