Recovery for subfascial breast augmentation? Is this my best option?

There are pro's and con's for each of these pockets or where we can potentially place your implants. Although we all want to minimize your downtime and pain, I would not base your final decision on this. At 110 pounds and an A Cup it does not sound like you have much tissue coverage for your implant. In that case submuscular could be better for you specifically. Subfascial can be a nice choice for women with adequate tissue coverage, who have wide set breasts that could not be made closer under the muscle or those women who aggressively work out their upper body where animation or malposition could be a problem. Exparel, is a long acting medication that can be injected during your surgery to help manage your pain as well. Good luck!

Subfascial surgery is less painful than sub muscular however this should not be the reason to choose placement of the implants. Even sub muscular breast augmentation causes pain for only a few days that is very manageable with pain medication. There are pros and cons of each pocket location and you can discuss these with your surgeon. If you are thin I would typically recommend sub muscular implant placement for a more natural look unless you go with anatomic or shaped implants. There is little data to support subfascial as being superior to sub muscular implant placement but this is still an acceptable and reasonable approach to breast augmentation. Good luck!Josh Olson MD

Yes. Recovery from subfascial placement is less painful than submuscular. There are, obviously, pros and cons to each, but it sounds as if you and your doctor have discussed these and come to the right recommendation for your specific body.

Thank you for asking. There are distinct pros and cons. In general the subfascial position is less tight and patients tend to feel more normal more quickly. There is also less muscle action upon the implant. The longevity historically has been better with submuscular positioning as there is more coverage over the implant however specific patients need specific counseling. The breast envelope, implant volume and pocket overall help determine the longevity. Hope this helps. Best wishes

Recovery from breast augmentation surgery is generally very quick regardless of which pocket is used.  This should not shorten or prolong your recovery.

To generalize, there is no right or wrong answer.  Surgeons have their own preferences and biases that the end result in the properly selected individual may be the same.  At your consult, we sometimes fail to tell you why we have selected the particular implant pocket/incision site/implant type/ etc..Patients who get the best results with implants above the muscle (subglandular or subfascial) generally do better if they have adequate soft tissue coverage over the implant.  This is not usually the case for most of my patients.Depending on implant size, implants placed above the muscle is less painful than submuscular in the short term.Best Wishes,nana Mizuguchi

Thank you for your question. It is wonderful that you have found the surgeon that you feel is the best for you. That trust will help you do well through the entire process. Each of us have different experiences and reason why we prefer one method or one implant type over another. Ultimately, most of these choices end up with very nice results. The subfascial approach does take a bit longer to do, and pain levels will vary quite a bit. I would stick w/ the surgeon that you are most comfortable with. Best wishes.

Most patients seem to do better in the long term with submuscular placement of the implant.  The muscle helps to give a more natural look.  Sub fascial placement is just another way of saying over the muscle.  The fascia is very thin and does little to affect the result.  It is always best to think long term rather than to focus on the short term recovery.

Great question.  There are some important aspects of both subfascial and subpectoral implant placement that may be helpful to consider to make a good decision as to whats best for you.  In general, the thinner you are the more beneficial the extra layer of tissue from subpectoral placement is to the overall look and feel of the implant.  The thinner you are the more important it will be to also consider the type of implant as the shaped (aka anatomic or teardrop) silicone implant will be in providing a natural result.Subfascial placement provides a quicker recovery.  It also eliminates the muscle as part of the equation so animation (movement of the breast with muscle contraction) is avoided and cleavage can be created to the extent desired as opposed to limited by the muscle insertion.Longevity is more a matter of the size and type of implant as well as how the pocket was created as opposed to where the implant is placed (under or over).In general, try imagine where you would like to be a year after your breast augmentation to help you decide on which method will be best for you.  The recovery period is important but that will soon pass and you should then be left with the type of augmentation result that you desire.In my practice I perform about 50/50 in terms of patients receiving subfascial versus subpectoral.  I make most of my recommendation based on patient desire as well as the thickness of the overlying breast tissue.All the best,Dr. Remus Repta

 It is a very short sighted to base choice on the recovery. In fact in a thin person like you it is far better to go under the muscle and I would always do that. Above the muscle implants don't look good over the long-term and sub fascial implants are basically above the muscle. Think about the long-term not about the short term