Is Dual Plane Technique a Better Choice for 620 Cc Extra High Prof. Implants Than Total Submuscular Placement?

On a practical basis, It is probably not possible to get 600cc breast implants in a completely submuscular location. But even if it were, that would not create a very natural look as the implants would simply be too highly located on your chest wall.. Total submuscular positioning may have worked for your original 250cc implants but it will be necessary to have a dual place location when the implant size is increasing by this volume percent.

We feel the idea of total muscular coverage, or the muscular 'bra' has come and gone. Most implants will be placed under the muscle for the upper half and under the gland for the lower roughly. The submuscular placement gives better coverage, yet the dual plane allows the implant to fit within the breast so that they move and feel as one.

Thank you for the question.

I think that you will find that most plastic surgeons today will use the “dual plane” positioning of breast implants. This simply means that the breast implants are partially under the pectoralis muscle and partially outside the “grip” of the pectoralis muscle. I think that this position allows for a more natural look/feel of the breast implants over the long term. I think also that there is less chance of significant “distortion” of the breasts  with movement of the pectoralis muscle with implants in this  position (as opposed to complete sub muscular breast implant positioning).

In comparison to the sub glandular breast implant position, the dual plane positioning allows for more complete coverage of the breast implants leading to generally more natural feel/look  of the implants in the long-term. This position will also decrease the potential for rippling and/or palpability  of the implants (which may increase with time, weight loss, and/or post-pregnancy changes).

The submuscular positioning  also tends to interfere with mammography less so than in the sub glandular position. The incidence of breast implant encapsulation (capsular  contraction)  is also decreased with implants placed in the sub muscular position.

I hope this helps.

When the submuscular positioning of implants was described in the 1980's it was thought that total submuscular cover was needed.  At that time the implants were placed beneath both the pectoral muscle and the serratus anterior muscle.  One of the disadvantages of this approach is that it often left the implant too laterally placed.  It was discovered that if the implant was under the pectoral muscle on the upper portion and below the breast gland where the pectoral muscle ends, that the implants had a better position on the chest wall and still had the advantages of submuscular implants.  When surgeons use the term sub muscular, most are referring to a dual plane placwement.