Are my Implants Placed Too Far Apart? Can This Problem Be Fixed Easily? (photo)

Hello,

I am sorry you are unhappy with your results.  Thank you for providing photos. Looking at either photo, you have a nearly perfectly symmetrical and pleasing result.  The surgeon did a fine job at placing these implants.  What I think you are experiencing is more of an 'illusion' than reality.  This is due to two things: the size and projection of the implants, and the lack of natural breast and fat near your sternum.

You can either consider yourself lucky or cursed, but you are naturally lean, and therefore have no 'buffer' for your breast implants.  So, there is an unnatural transition from your breast that is over the implant to your chestwall/sternum, and this is disturbing to your eye.  Unfortunately, this issue is accentuated by the the size and projection of your implant, which make that transition more dramatic.

An option that you should not entertain is a surgery that will open up the pockets surrounding your implants toward the center of your chest.  This will violate all of the muscular attachments of your pectoralis muscle, allowing the muscle to slide up and completely expose your implants centrally, where there is precious little tissue between the implant and your skin.

Again, I do NOT think you look rediculous, but I do understand what is bothering you. If you really feel you need to do something, there are only two choices: remove the implants entirely (please don't), or replace your implants with smaller, lower profile implants (which have the same diameter of your current implants).  This will soften the transition and also the illusion that your breasts are too far apart.

Best of luck!

Thank you for the photos. Most of the time the goal is to have a 2 to 4 cm space between the breasts. This can vary from patient to patient.   A board certified plastic surgeon can make the distance smaller. If too small there is a risk of symmastia. Each patient's chest wall and soft tissue is different. There is an interaction between the chest wall, soft tissue and the implant itself. This can drive the implants apart at times.  Cleavage comes from bras that push together the upper pole. It looks like, given your tissues, that you have a very reasonable result. Make sure you tell al of your concerns to your board certified plastic surgeon. It is okay to ask questions.

Based on the photos I would suspect that your breasts before augmentation had this degree of spacing and that the niipple position was a little wide.  It looks like your PS did a fine job of respecting your anatomy with your breast augmentation.  

The current implants are centered beneath your nipple as they should be.  Had he/she mistakenly put the implants closer together, the nipples would be pointing laterally.  

I think you are a little bit wide but having said that there are many factors that can give this outcome and some just cant be helped. Your shape and implant position under your breasts is very good but it takes a good exam and your pre-op photos to really be able to tell if anything might help at this point...

Hi, i think you have a wonderful results from the photos you posted. The cleavage effect usually comes from the bra. My advice to you is to enjoy the results. Good luck

The width or space between your implants is determined by:

1. the width of your sternal bone (chest bone).  No surgeon can really change this
2. the amount of medial dissection in the technique utilized to perform your augmentation procedure

Please visit with your plastic surgeon to see if there is anything else he/she can do.  Best of luck

The position of the  implants are based on the position of the breast tissue and pectoralis muscle origin. Your implant position is fine. I use fat grafting to enhance the cleavage.

Thank you for the question and pictures.

Based on the limited information provided, it does not appear that your implants are “too far apart”. Your breast implant appear to be positioned nicely with the nipple/areola complexes  centered on the breast mounds. An attempt to decrease the space between the breasts may cause you significant problems such as rippling/palpability of the breast implants in the cleavage area.

Unless your breast implants move significantly to the sides ( towards the axilla)  when you lie down,  I would suggest that you avoid further surgery  at this time.

Best wishes.

Judging by you photos I would not say that your implants are too far apart.  In fact it seems as though you have had a very nice result.  The implant is centered behind the nipple, which is where it should be.  If the implants are moved closer together there will be more fullness toward the midline relative to the nipple and the nipple will appear to be more lateral. You already have a little of that on your left.

If the implants are placed under the muscle, the attachments of the muscle to the breastbone are left intact.  Every patient's anatomy is different.  If the muscle is attached to the breastbone close to the midline the implants can be placed closer together.  f the muscle is attached to the breastbone further from the midline there will be a larger space between the implants.

Trying to over narrow this space involves dividing more of the muscle and this could lead to rippling in this area because there is usually little body fat in this area and  it is an area that does show in clothing and a bathing suit.  Also the problem of symastia or no cleavage essentially can be difficult to correct. Most cleavage is created by a bra also.

Thank you for your question and for the photos and again, I think everything looks quite good not "ridiculous". Best of luck.