Pulled the Muscle Under my Implant - What Can I Do?

Question

I am 17 days post-op with 375cc silicone implants under the muscle. My boyfriend hugged me too hard in the first two weeks and I felt a sharp pain toward my sternum on my right side. There is a sharp pain when I breathe deeply or laugh. The pain is very specifically UNDER the implant. What to do?

Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD · Answer

If you are feeling the pain on your chest wall, deep to the implant itself, then most likely you pulled an intercostal muscle ( the muscles between your ribs).  The good thing is that you did not harm anything in the long run.  The bad thing is that it can take a few weeks for that pain to go away.  Just be patient and it should take care of itself.  If it persist more than 3-4 weeks, you should check in with your plastic surgeon. I hope this helps.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

There may be a variety of reasons for your symptoms but as Dr. Aldea mentioned if you are experiencing pain with breathing, you should seek emergent evaluation. Most likely this is due to a muscle pull or strain of either the elevated pectoralis major or underlying pectoralis minor or intercostal or serratus muscles.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

The likelihood that this has caused a problem for you is unlikely, but if you are worried or truly have trouble breathing you shoudl contact your doctor.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

It would take a lot more than a hug to break an implant BUT you really need to be examined by your surgeon. If you have shortness of breath I would go to the ER to make sure you did not suffer an injury to the long (VERY unlikely but a potentially serious condition) - a simple upright chest xray would rule this out.

	If the implant is intact, you may hay irritated a rib, its muscle or the cartilage and your pain should improve with Advil (on a full stomach) and time.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

First call the surgeon or see him. Second be patient the pain is from intercostal injury and takes a long time to resolve. Third, get the BF to stop hugging you TOO hard.

	From MIAMI Dr. B

Pulled the Muscle Under my Implant - What Can I Do?

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Pulled the Muscle Under my Implant - What Can I Do?

Answers (5)

Answer: Sharp Chest Pain After a Breast Augmentation

Answer: Sharp Chest Pain After a Breast Augmentation

Answer: Pulled the muscle under implant

Answer: Pulled the muscle under implant

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.