Breast Implants Look Deformed when Lifting Weights

Question

I had breast implants and a lift over two years ago. If I put my hands together like I Dream of Jeannie and flex, my breasts look completely deformed underneath. It's hard to explain, but they look like weird little squished breasts. The same thing happens when i lift weights. One PS said it was scar tissue and another said that the muscle was attached to something and needed to be released. Can someone help me please?

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Patient to Dr: "Doc, it only hurts when I laugh"
Dr. to Patient: "So, don't laugh!"
When implants are placed under the muscle, signficant distortion of the breast implant can be the result of musclular contraction. This will push the implants down and out. Long term strengthening of the pectoralis muscle can produce an appearance of widened cleavage. I generally advise my paitients to avoid such exercises as bench press, butterfliies, push-ups, etc,

Armando Soto, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi there-
I agree with my colleague below- all implants placed under the muscle will do this to some extent... 
If the degree of deformity with exercise is bothersome to you, I would also recommend you return to your surgeon and discuss possible options for improvement with hi/her.
It is important to understand that this is not a problem that will generally worsen over time, limit the lifespan of your implants, or otherwise complicate your life- so doing anything about it would be strictly to improve the appearance of your breasts WHILE YOU ARE EXERCISING.
If they look great at all times except during exercise, and you think you can live with it, I would not recommend having surgery for this problem- but talk to your surgeon.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Implants in the dual plane or submuscular plane can have flexion problems.  The best way to evaluate this is during a physical exam.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

Breast implants are placed under the pectoralis muscle AND the breast above it to put as much soft tissue on top of them to hide the implant shell and its ripples. All breast implants ripple but saline implants ripple much more than gel implants.
To be able to place the implants under the muscle, the "C" shaped origins of the pectoralis major muscle are mobilized along the inferior aspect (bottom portion of the C) leaving only the vertical portion which attaches on the sternum bone (dividing this section to get "maximal cleavage" often results in a "Uni-Boob" with communication between the two breast pockets.
While some breast deformity IS to be expected when the muscle shortens and pushes on the implant the extent of your problem May be an incomplete release of the inferior origins of the muscles. The surgeon who operated on you should be able to tell you if this is the case.
Dr. P. Aldea

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

This is an informed consent issue. I always ask my pre-operative implant patients what activities they participate in. If they are into body building, strenuous exercise, or heavy lifting, I inform them that the action of the pectoralis muscle is to normally 'push' the implants outward. This causes them to look "squished" as you stated. 
In some patients, they have enough breast tissue to hide that effect. In your case, you must not, so you see the response to a sub-pectoral implant in action. Options are as follows: Do nothing and accept the result, release the medial insertion of the pectoralis muscle in another operation - this will cause some additional chest muscle weakness, or replace the implants to above the muscle. 
Go see your surgeon or additional boarded plastic surgeons to discuss in detail. 
Regards from Miami

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Implants under the muscle will move when you flex the pecs, some more than others. Go back to your original surgeon and ask if the degree you are experiencing is normal and if there is something that can be done to lessen the effect.

Breast Implants Look Deformed when Lifting Weights

Answers (6)

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