Can I have implants under the muscle if I am an extreme sports athlete?

Placing the implant under the muscle will stretch the muscle.  This results in decrease of strength by Starling’s Law.  Also, placing the implants under the muscle frequently results in cutting portions of the muscle and this again decreases the strength of the pectoralis major muscle.  The technique which would maintain the greatest strength of your muscle would be pre-pectoral placement.  However, pre-pectoral placement has a higher risk for capsular contracture.  Unfortunately, you have not provided photographs or told us your bra size.  Another option to consider is fat transfer instead of augmentation.  Implants are not lifetime devices.  8% fail within the first year and 30% fail within six years.  Fat transfers are permanent and incorporated into the body.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hi, thank you for your question. A dual plane (partially under the muscle) may be a good option for you. Many surgeons tend to place breast implants under the muscle in order to reduce the risk of capsular contracture, however, it involves releasing some of the muscle attachments. This will likely not impact your ability to kayak, but will require 8 full weeks of restraint from sports. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who can explain the procedure in detail after an in-person exam. I hope this helps. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question.  I typically recommend for all my patients to have their implants placed under the muscle.  I find that implants under the muscle uphold better, look natural and feel natural.  Even those patients that are body builders, athletes, or who have strenuous jobs do very well with this type of placement.  I would suggest seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person to evaluate you, discuss your options and answer your questions.  Best of luck to you. 

Thank you for your question! I suggest you seek a board certified plastic surgeon and have an examination and communicate your lifestyle clearly to get the desired results your looking for that fits your lifestyle.  Best of luck!Dr Dhaval Patel
Double Board Certified 
Plastic Surgeon
Chicago 
Hoffman Estates
Oakbrook
Orland Park

Hello, thank you for your question. Sub-muscular (dual plane) is a better choice for a number of reasons including reduced risk of capsular contracture, better longevity, and greater implant coverage. There will be some level of animation deformity with sub-muscular placement but the goal is to minimize it to the extent possible. Very few breast augmentation patients have enough breast tissue to permit a sub-glandular augmentation. As a bodybuilder, I perform breast augmentation in fitness and bodybuilding patients who opt for silicone breast implants and have very large or strong chest muscles. More cleavage can be created because the implants can be placed slightly closer together. Schedule an email, Skype or in-person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon  for proper evaluation

A breast lift can be done with breast augmentation so that the breasts can be more youthful looking. The breast lift/mastopexy addresses the sagginess of the breast by removing excess skin and the breast augmentation will had volume to the breast.  There are several different types of lifting including many lifts that do not have many scars. This does not necessarily mean that you need lifting though as it depends what size breast implant you want and your examination so it is not always needed.I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon who is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and has plenty of experience in breast augmentation & lifting surgery. Go over your concerns with them and make sure above all, you walk out of there with several options and an idea of the pros and cons to each of them as well as realistic expectations. I hope this helps and wish you all the best in your surgery and event. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.  

Hi,If the implant is placed under the muscle it will involve  releasing some of the attachments of the pectoralis muscle. This will lead to a change in the direction the muscle works in , and if muscle strength and direction are key to your sport which it is, then i would think that even the prospect of this is enough for you to consider placing the implant in front of the muscle.the draw back of the implant in front of the muscle is one of palpability and possible visibility, though a smaller more modest implant size  will have less of these issues.I hope that is of some helpJeremy Hunt

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. 
Unfortunately, without pictures, it is very difficult to give you a proper answer. l recommend you to make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to talk about your goals and anything you need to know.
Good luck :)


Dr. Luis Mejia.

InventiveI appreciate your concerns, and I have operated on many extreme athletes and bodybuilders over the years. Photos would help because it really comes down to your particular anatomy as to placement of the implants, above or below the muscle. In order to safely place implants over the muscle, there must be a modest amount of breast tissue present to cover the implant. Consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area for a full evaluation.

The current standard in the United States is placing the implant under the muscle due to the fact that there is lower risk for capsular contracture and rippling.  It should also be mentioned, that under the muscle implant placement is a more natural transition between the breast and the chest wall.  Most individuals who have implants under the muscle do not notice a significant decrease in their strength.  However, those who might notice are those who participate in extreme sports or body building.  I once had a patient who was a rockclimber and she did notice some decrease in the strength of her chest muscles post procedure.  There is also a phenomena known as animation in which submuscular implants displace with flexion of the muscle, then return to normal position when the muscle is relaxed.  One should know that there is a potential for loss of strength and animation when implants are placed under the muscle; however there is a potential for capsular contracture, rippling, and visibility when implants are placed on top of the muscle.  You must also consider mammograms; a benefit to placing the implants under the muscle is that it is slightly easier to detect early breast cancer versus the implants being placed on top of the muscle.  Thank you for your question and I hope you will find this as a helpful answer.