Over the Muscle Breast Implant Placement Best for Sagging from Nursing?

There are many options when considering breast augmentation...silicone, saline; smooth, textured; round, anatomical; moderate profile, high profile; on top of the muscle, completely under the muscle, or partially under the muscle; lift, no lift etc.
Generally speaking, if a patient has a somewhat droopy or ptotic breast and would like to avoid additional scars for a breast lift, they will be better served by having their implants placed partially under the muscle (dual plane) or on top of the muscle. Having said this, patients who have lost weight or have had their breast tissue atrophy following nursing will have a much more naturally feeling breast with silicone implants versus saline implants. As you can see, there are many options.
Meet with a few plastic surgeons to get a better understanding of what is best for you. A nice place to find board certified plastic surgeons is at www.surgery.org, the website for The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Many physicians, including myself, are choosing to only place implants under the muscle.
The reason is that there are much fewer risks of complications and there is no clear advantage for over the muscle.
These are three possible complications that can happen when the implant is over the muscle:
The implant exerts pressure on the breast tissue. This causes it to thin out. As the breast tissue thins out, you may see the edge of the implant through breast tissue. No one wants the edges of their implants to show! (If a woman has enough breast tissue, this complication will likely NOT happen.)Placement over the muscle may decrease ability to breastfeed. This placement “violates” breast tissue, whereas, under the muscle there is no violation of breast tissue. It is uncertain why, but over the muscle has higher rates of capsular contracture.Another reason to go under the muscle is that it makes the detection of breast cancer easier for radiologists.
WHY SOME SURGEONS GO OVER THE MUSCLE
Plastic surgery is a relatively young field. There have been about 30 years of data now on the over/under the muscle question. A surgeon who graduated in 1990 would not have been exposed to this data.
As said before, if a patient has enough breast tissue, one of the potential complications can be avoided. However, to many physicians, there is still no clear significant advantage that makes it more worthwhile.
Keep doing the research that you are doing. Getting your doubts addressed and your questions answered will help you come to a decision. The best patients are informed patients.
Now that you have learned about breast implant placement, you may want to read up about implant shapes, sizes, and the question of how pregnancy affects the decision of when to have your breast augmentation procedure. .
And be sure to go to many consultations. Doing so will actually save you time overall. A consultation is where you will get the best quality information directly from a plastic surgeon.
I hope that answers your question on [insert topic of question]. It’s great that you’re doing this research. I always say that the best patients are informed patients.
You might also want to research your options for breast implants. Choosing the right implant is the number one concern among women considering breast augmentation. Did you know, there’s actually a way to select a implant shape, size, and profile that is perfect for you?
A term that I use with my patients for the perfect implant is the “Pony Implant”.
So what do I mean by “perfect”? Well, a Pony Implant has three qualities to it. First, the implant meets your beauty goals. For example, you want to your breasts to look fuller while still appearing natural.
Second, when you chose your Pony Implant, you walk out of your consultation 100% confident that you’ve chosen the right shape and size for you. In other words, you won’t be second guessing your decision, and you won’t be afraid of having gone too big or too small.
And third, after your procedure, you are thrilled with your results, and say, "I’m so happy. This is exactly what I wanted!"
That’s the Pony Implant. And the great news is that there is a simple process to go about finding yours.
This issue of selecting the right implant is so important when it comes to patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction that, again, I really encourage you to learn more about it.
Thank you for reading and best of luck on your journey!

Thank you for your question.  One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to breast augmentation procedures is that an implant will help to lift a patients breasts.  The truth is that implants add volume.  They do not elevate the nipple aerolar complex or tighten and reshape the breasts as a breast lift procedure would allow.  I believe that implants in the sub-glandular position is a mistake because it will ultimately leave patients with a 'rock in sock' breast appearance.  Sub-glandular implants also are associated with a higher risk of capsular contracture, palpable implants, and make breast imaging studies, such as mammograms, more difficult.  In my experience, patients are happier when the implants are placed in the sub-muscular position and these patients do much better long term.  I hope this helps and best of luck!