Can I Get Silicone Implants Placed Under the Muscle Via Areola Incision?

Yes, the areolar incision can be used for breast augmentation and still have the implants placed beneath the muscle. The size of the areola determines if this can be done. The circumference of the lower half of the areola (distance around the lower border) should probably be at least 6 cms for a modest high profile implant.

You absolutely can have silicone implants placed through the areolar incision.  There are three acceptable incisions for placing silicone implants.  The transaxillary, the periareolar, and the inframammary.  In my opinion, the least favorable one is the transaxillary approach.  Firstly, all surgeons if they operate, have some patients that require revisions.  It is usually impossible to perform revisions through the transaxillary approach.  These patients now  require a second incision.  Also, some breast augmentation patients require a particular surgery in order to optimize the result called a dual plane dissection.  This, too, is not possible through the axillary approach. Lastly, in the transaxillary approach, the surgeon has no tactile input to develop an optimal breast pocket. The surgeon relies purely on long instruments and a camera.  The surgeon gets no feed back from his fingertips, a most sensitive tool.  For some surgeons to claim that the transaxillary approach is" the best" is misleading and a bit arrogant.

The periareolar incision is a commonly used approach to breast augmentation. Natural results are achieved routinely using this incisional approach. The color change from the dark areola skin to the lighter breast skin provides  contrast minimizing the appearance of the scar.

Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to describe the procedure and view results. The word Natural means different things to different people. Images are objective criteria to evaluate results and help insure you get the appearance you desire.

 

good luck.

Silicone implants can certainly be placed trough an areolar incision.  However, it becomes more difficult if your areolae are small, in which case your surgeon may advise the inframammary Incision instead.  And that's okay, because the inframammary incision heals quite nicely.  I use it frequently, with almost no complaints.

Hello,

To restate what the other surgeons have said, it is commonly done, and more than likely you would be able to have it performed that way.  Some individuals have a large enough areola that allow easy access via this route.  Those that don't may be better served with either an inframammary incision or an armpit incision.  On the other hand, certain individual with poorly defined inframammary folds might do better with the periareolar or armpit incisions.

From a complication standpoint, the lowest risk incision (specifically capsular contracture, the most common complication) is the inframammary incision.  This is because there is minimal breast tissue or milk ducts that are violated, minimizing bacterial contamination that typically causes capsular contracture.

Best of luck!

Thank you for your question. This is my preferred aproach to submuscular breast augmentation. I go through the areola down to the muscle and than I dissect laterally to pick up the muscle edge. I do not divide the muscle as some surgeons do, but incise the fascia to enter the sub muscular plane. You state that you want to look natural and have good amount of adipose tissue. If that is the case, I prefer to place the implants under the subfascial muscle plane (the tough tissue covering the muscle) instead of submuscular placement. With submuscular placement you will have some degree of breast distortion with muscle flexing. Good luck.

This is probably the most common incision to put silicone implants under the muscle.  I prefer an endoscopic trans-axillary(armpit) breast augmentation in the right patient as the scar is off the breasts and implant malposition is minimized with the use of the endoscope.  Most women have a crease in their armpit which hides the incision almost completely

There are four basic incision sites for inserting breast implants:

1. Under the fold of the breast:  This is the easiest approach from the doctor's perspective.  Saline and silicone gel implants can be inserted through this incision.  The downside is that the bra may rub on the incision site and irritate the scar.  Also, if you wear a two-piece bathing suit and lift your arms up then the scar may be visible below the top.

2. Under the areola:  If you have an adequate size areola then this approach can be used to place implants both above and below the chest muscle.  The scar is well hidden along the border of the areola.  Both saline and silicone gel implants can be used.

3. Armpit incision:  This is a more difficult approach for the surgeon.  Both saline and silicone gel implants can be inserted through this approach.  The downside is that, if the scar does not heal well then it can be visible and a tell-tale sign of breast implants even when wearing sleeveless tops.  Another downside is that future surgeries may require a different incision site.

4. Belly button:  Only saline implants can be placed using this approach.  Implants can be placed above or below the chest muscle.  There is only a single scar hidden inside the belly button.  The downside is that future surgeries may require a different incision site.

   Silicone implants can be placed through a periareolar incision and placed under the muscle.  This approach may not be possible for women with very small areolae requesting large implants, although a funnel may help.

The incision for breast augmentation can definitely be around the areola, which is the pigmented skin around the nipple.  Incisions are generally placed along the edge, particularly the bottom edge, running from the 3 o’clock position down through the 6 o’clock position and up to the 9 o’clock position.  Incisions can also be placed in the arm pit.  However, the most common incision is under the breast fold.  The incision under the breast fold gives the best and easiest access to the implant pocket and in the event of complications, is the best and easiest access to go back in for revision.  In addition, the peri areolae incision, the incisions around the areolae, has to go through the muscle and may pre-dispose to scar attachment between the muscle and the overlying breast, giving rise to a condition called animation, where when the muscles contract, the breast also moves.  This can be very difficult to cure and very disappointing for patients.  This is highly unlikely if you go in under the breast.  So, good luck and choose carefully.