How Long Do Muscles Reattach After Breast Explantation?

Question

After a woman has been explanted (unders), how long does it take for the muscle to reattach where it has been cut? Also, if the crease line incision scar tissue adheres to the muscle, what can be done to fix that?

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

Muscle reattachment following
breast implant removal is dependent upon multiple variables.The most important variable is the extent of
the original submuscular pocket dissection.When muscles are aggressively detached during surgery, they take longer
to heal.In most cases, the muscles are minimally detached along
the medial border of the sternum; the muscle separation along the inframammary
fold tends to be more significant.After
explantation, these muscles tend to heal with scar formation to the surrounding
chest wall structures.This happens over
the course of the seven to eight weeks in most cases.In most cases, patient’s have relatively
normal chest wall muscle function following explantation surgery.If you’re concerned with chest wall function following
breast implant removal, it’s important to discuss these issues with your
surgeon prior to your surgical procedure.Your surgeon should be able to answer all of your questions and
formulate a treatment plan that’s appropriate for you.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

The muscle that was divided to place the implants sub muscular will not re-attach after implant removal.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

The ability of the muscle to reattach dependis in part on the contraction of the implant pocket and return of the tissues to their original positions. Scar massage helps to mobilize tissue and re-establish normal tissue planes. This can take upwards of two years.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

Breast implant removal is almost always very easy. If the muscle is removed from under the pectoralis and if there has been no silicone gel spillage, the capsule can remain. The muscle will stick to the chest wall almost immediately in most cases. I place a couple of dissolvable stitches anchoring the muscle to the chest to hasten and ensure reattachment.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

The muscle really doesnt re-attach. What happens is that the capsule where the implant was adheres back down to the chest wall and this capsule has the muscle attached to it. So yes the muscle adheres back down to the chest wall, but not to where it used to be, it will be higher up. Really this does not affect you in any way cosmetically as there is tissue and skin over this area and the muscle is not very thick, specially after years of breast augmentation.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

After implants are removed the muscle never erally atttaches back where you cut it, but it wil lie flatter on the chest.

Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS · Answer

The status of your muscle after breast implant removal is dependent on the size of your previous breast implants, how long they remained in this site, and how much of the muscle was released during the initial breast augmentation. In our practice, we typically release the pectoralis muscle only on the inferior edge and a very minimally along the chest bone. This will keep the entire muscle intact and will prevent problems with contraction and an abnormal appearance of the breasts. If your muscle has been excessively released, there may not be sufficient muscle or tissue to repair. Your plastic surgeon may attempt to repair the muscle by trying to sew a portion of the muscle and capsule back to the chest bone. However, it is difficult to have this tissue is very thing and will not hold suture securely.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

To be able to have the implants come as close as possible on the chest, the origins of the Pectoralis major muscles are divided. The implant subsequently acts as a splint which stretches the muscles forward and prevents their reattaching to the same location on the chest wall. Instead, a thin bag of scar tissue - the capsule forms around the implant ,including under the muscle and over the former divided muscle origins. When we remove implants, there is no sense it attempting to re-attach these muscle to their original site which by now is covered with the capsule since it will not change muscle function.

Michael C. Edwards, MD, FACS · Answer

Every case is different but to try to reattach the muscle where it was caut may not yield the result you are afetr. Remember, depending on how long your implants were in place, the muscle has stretched and may not benefit from sewing it down. On occasion the scar can adhere down after explant and revision surgery is sometimes required and may be able to be achieved with local anesthesia.
Dr Edwards

How Long Do Muscles Reattach After Breast Explantation?

Answers (9)

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