5 months post op, is this double bubble and will it correct itself over time? (photo)

Question

Hello I recently had a breast augmentation in October 2022. 525 cc silicone implants under muscle. My right boobs looks to me that it has a fold/double bubble. I asked my doctor and he says no. But it bugs me, will this correct itself in time?

Richard G. Schwartz, MD · Answer

Based on your photos, it appears to me that you have a variant of the double bubble deformity with  the curved fold representing the border of your own breast tissue separated from the contour of the implant.  It's possible that your heavy implants have shifted downward slightly below the border of your own breast tissue, creating this distinct depressed groove.  Surgery would be corrected to reposition the implant and/or your breast tissue unless with settling over time it improves spontaneously.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Thank you for your photos and question.  From your photos it does appear that you are developing a double bubble.  In most cases, surgical intervention is needed to correct this.

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Unfortunately, This issue will not get better despite what many are told by their surgeon. Why it happened is because you needed a lift to begin with and the implant was placed too low, which then likely led to even more downward drift, allowing it to settle below your natural inframammary fold.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Elizabeth 1717,
though rare, some women who undergo breast augmentation will develop a minor deformity known as a “double bubble,” in which additional folds appear underneath the breasts due to the implant accidentally shifting or contracting post-surgery. In most cases, the implant simply slipped too far down the chest wall and traveled behind the breast inframammary crease (the area where the lower breast meets the chest), instead of moving forward to fill the breast cavity. If left untreated, the lopsided implant will form unnatural indentations, resulting in an odd “four-breast effect” rather than the full, rounded chest the patient initially desired.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

You do have some double bubble and this will not correct itself over time. Hopefully, it will not get worse.  Do wear a good supporting bra during the day.

5 months post op, is this double bubble and will it correct itself over time? (photo)

Answers (5)