What causes a large gap between breasts after having had a breast augmentation? (Photo)

Thank you for your question.Your question is a very common one, as many women are interested in obtaining a certain degree of cleavage with a breast augmentation procedure.  The primary reason as to why a patient would have a gap between their breasts post-operatively would be because they had a reasonable amount of space between their breasts pre-operatively.  When performing a breast augmentation, we create the breast pocket and place our implants using the patients nipple as the center point.  Using this anatomical guideline, patients who have wider set breasts will retain this wider set quality even after the implants are placed.  It is not wise or advised for surgeons to use any other anatomical landmark when creating the breast pocket and placing implants as doing so would create an artificial and anatomically poor result (too lateralized or too medial nipples).For patients with wide set breasts, it is possible that a lower profile implant (one that is wider with less projection) may be indicated.  If you have already chosen a board certified plastic surgeon, I would encourage you to discuss your concerns, your anatomy, and what you can realistically expect from a breast augmentation with your surgeon directly.  If you have not chosen a board certified plastic surgeon, please consider scheduling a consultation to discuss the options available to you and your candidacy for the procedure.  In my office, I offer complementary 3D imaging using the vectra system to help patients get a better idea as to how various implants would look on them.  This is something that I believe you might find helpful.  I hope that you find this helpful and I wish you all of the best!

Dr Johnson said it perfectly that the center of the implant goes behind the center of your nipple. This tells us that your nipple were wider and if your doc tried to close the gap then the implant would also be also way out on your side! Perfection is hard to obtain, although I try to achieve it every day!

Thank you for your question. It is generally not the augmentation, but the patient's genetic make-up that causes a large or small gap. Measurements should be taken by the plastic surgeon to determine the implant profile for the patient's desired volume. If you currently have a "2 finger" gap now, this will likely be unchanged. Best of luck!

Good news! You won't get this problem. Woman that have their breasts positioned on the front of their chests (thorax) normally, and not too wide apart, don't get this problem.
Woman who have wide spaced breasts to begin with, will still have wide spaced breasts after augmentation. The implants will however improve this wide space.
Your distance separating your breasts is normal, so you should be just fine.
Hope this helps!
Dr Chris Saunders 

There are several factors that contribute to breasts that have a substantial gap between them. By far the most common and most important is your chest and breast anatomy. Women with wide breast bones (sternum width) will have breasts that sit farther apart no matter whether the implant is subpectoral or subglandular. Second, some women have ribcages that slant at an angle from the breast bone towards the lateral chest. This will cause the breasts to sit more laterally on the chest. These women also tend to have nipples that point more to the sides. Normally, the surgeon will center the implant on the breast meaning that these women will have implants that sit farther apart. If the surgeon tries to put the implant more medially to improve the cleavage, this will cause the nipple to look like it is off to the outside of the breast mound. Lastly, capsular contracture can tighten the breast pockets and not allow the implants to move medially. This is more common with subglandular placement of breast implants.