Is It Normal to Feel the Edge of the Implant?

Feeling the edge of an implant after surgery is not that uncommon. One can always palpate the edge or feel the implant in the lower outer quadrant whether it’s silicone or saline. Sometimes saline implants may be more palpable as there is very little breast tissue in this area, especially in patients that are thin or have larger implants. However, if a patient has only a little or no breast tissue I would recommend placing the implant, preferentially silicone gel implants, below the muscle in these patients. It is important to forewarn patients that implants are palpable, especially in the lower outer quadrant. However, if they are palpable in the inner aspect, if placed above the muscle, then an excess amount of muscle release may have occurred.

As stated by others, in thin patients and patients with little breast tissue prior to implant placement, there is an increased chance of feeling the implant.  However, it does take time for the implants to settle and one may settle faster than the other.  At the 6 month mark, you should discuss any asymmetry with your surgeon.  

 

Good Luck.

This is normal.  It seems your left breast is different than the right making the sensations different.  This may go away with time.  you will also get used to having the implant in and notice it less with time.

It is normal to be able to feel the edge of the implants after a breast augmentation. This is usually the case in the lower part of the breasts, but the implants can sometimes be felt on the inner and outer parts of the breasts. Your photo shows a lovely result. Do not be discouraged that you can feel the implants. While possible, it is unlikely that the healing process will increase the tissue around the implants and mask the feeling of the edge of the implants. Even so, you seem to have a nice result.

I hope this info helps!

Being able to feel the edge of the implant is common.  This is always part of the preoperative discussion I have with my patients.  The area of the implant not covered by the muscle can thin out the overlying fat and skin, making it easier to feel.

From looking at your photographs, it is obvious that you have some degree of breast droop, or ptosis. While breast implants will make you larger and fuller, they will not correct this droop. This can only be done with a breast lift. The breast lift can be done at the same time as the implant placement if your surgeon is experienced in this. It can also be done as a second operation.  The palpable implant edge is normal, but I suspect that is it made more noticeable because your breast is drooping over the implant. 

Yes it is normal even if the implant is placed under the muscle there is no muscle coverage of the lower edge of the implant. Luckily this is usually not visible because of the way breasts normal hang downward off the body. What I see in your case is early capsular contracture especially on the right as the breast does not have its usual smooth curving contour.

When a breast implant is placed the body attempts to wall it off forming a capsule around the implant. This capsule can be present within a week after surgery & is eventually present in all breasts containing implants.

The capsule can be of variable thickness & have different properties from patient to patient & even right breast vs. left breast. Thicker capsules can contract distorting the breast & in some cases also cause pain. It is not known exactly why some capsules become more problematic cosmetically speaking than others. It is thought that blood around the implant at the time of surgery or low grade infection early or late after surgery is the culprit. Some capsules cause problems early after surgery & some take years to transform into a problematic capsule. It's not known whether all capsules eventually become problematic but this is a distinct possibility.

The vast majority of breast augmentation patients have some degree of capsular contracture. It is only the more severe degrees with symptoms whose treatment would be covered by health insurance in which they only pay for capsule removal and they do not pay much. The less severe degrees of contracture are not associated with symptoms and only detract from the appearance. Their correction is cosmetic and not covered. I do not know how soon after your surgery this change in surface contour appeared in your case. If it was recent deep massage like endermologie could soften and stretch the capsule preventing the need for surgery for capsular contracture.

Thank you for posting your photo.  The capsule, which is scar tissue, forms around any foreign body (the implant is a foreign body). This begins to form immediately after surgery.  However, the thinner the scar, the softer the implants and the better the capsule; ie: no contracture.  So, in short, you dont want your body to continue to form scar!  If you are feeling the implant in the cleavage area, it is unlikely that your implant is behind the muscle.  (you did not say if it was in front or behind the muscle)  When an implant is in front of the muscle, and you start out with an A cup(very small breasts) it is much more common to be able to feel the borders of the implant.  The shape of your breasts are different, and this could be from asymmetry before your surgery, or it could be from the surgery itself.  Check with your doctor to see if the implants were placed in front or behind the muscle, and if they are both in the same plane (both in front or both behind).  It appears that the pockets may be different because of the difference in the shape of your breasts.

It is common to feel the edge of the implant- especially when you're thin.  In your case it looks to me like you have a lot of breast tissue at the lower part of your breast.  If your implant is sitting near the higher part of your breast then, although you might like your appearance, you may feel this more.  It's possible that it will become less obvious when things heal fully, although now at the 8 month point I think you're close to that point.  IF this continues to be really bothersome then a breast lift may give you some improvement, but also comes with further 'upside' and 'downside'.

It is not uncommon to be able to feel the edge of an implant, especially along the bottom edge of the breast where the tissue is thinner. This is more common in thinner patients. This is why I prefer to place implants under the muscle whenever possible. The more of you there is on top of the implant, the more it will look and feel like you, and the less it will look and feel like an implant.