Will Breast Implants Affect my Golf Swing?

Have you heard the one about the woman who goes to the plastic surgeon and asks him, "Doc, will I be able to play golf after my breast augmentation." He answers her, "of course; you will have a very powerful swing." "Awesome," she says, "Because I could never play well before."

I've done breast augmentation on professional golfers. Out of concerned for affecting the stroke, I placed the implants in front of the muscle. There were therefore no effects on their stroke whatsoever. But being lean athletes, the implant edges were more visible than might have been ideal.

in more recent years, I have again operated on college level as well as profressional tennis players and golfers, typically placing the implants behind the muscle. And in no case was there any effect on the stroke. Of course, they all wanted reasonable implant sizes that would fit with their athletic bodies, and surgical technique was meticulous.

So the bottom line is that though no surgeon can promise you there will not be an effect on your stroke, the likeihood is overwhelmingly that there will not be.

Under the muscle implants are more likely to be felt moving because the pectoralis muscle is attached to the arm.  This will become less evident over time.Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Los Angeles, CA

Patients with breast implants are fully functional and can engage in all strenuous exercise once the surgery is complete and the postoperative recovery period is passed.
In my practice, I suggest that women who are highly active consider implants that are slightly smaller than their non-active counterparts.

if you choose nicely proportional implants you should not have a problem. If you choose devices that are large for your body, you can have an effect on your swing. err on a smaller size and you should be fine. If you are vying to become a pro, you might want to wait.

The effect of implants on your golf swing may be related by your incision, size and over/under location.
Some patients are concerned about showing their transaxillary scar and so they may be reluctant to wear an open sleeve.
The size of the implant may also play a role because you may be aware of a larger implant as you bring your arms across your chest.
Furthermore, under the muscle locations may cause a longer recovery and general tenderness for a longer period.
Although, I recall paitents commenting about being aware of the implants, I don't recall anyone complaining about hurting their overall performance.