Will my 300cc teardrop mentor textured implants ever feel soft at the base? 8 months post op.

Hello and Thank you for sharing your question. The one thing I feel merits a check up the most is the hardness. Make sure to see your plastic surgeon for an in-person evaluation. Hardness of the implants could mean a thickening of the capsule. This could be the beginning of a capsular contraction. Capsular contraction can produce exaggerated animation.in any case, when implants are placed under the muscle, some degree of animation or movement of the implants is common. This is not necessarily something to worry about, plus numbness usually goes away with time. Unless these symptoms are exaggerated you should be ok with time.Usually, the muscle covers only about the upper half of the implants, so there is less tissue covering implants at the base. Therefore, feeling the implants to some degree, in areas where there is no muscle over them is normal. This can be corrected with fat grafting depending if needed. Best of luck on your recovery!Dr. Miguel Mota

At 8 months you should be completely healed. Although silicone implants feel better than saline, that doesn't mean that they are going to feel as soft as natural breast tissue. I have seen improvements in sensation for up to one year, regarding your numbness. The inferior breast may be thin from the muscle release, making the implant more palpable or even visible with arms up. When implants are placed behind the muscle, there is a risk of animation deformity. This means that the implant can move and even make the breast look odd when the pectoralis muscle is flexed. Hope this helps.

Hi Lisaplus4,

I understand your concern. However, it is difficult to provide you with an accurate answer to your question with online consult. It is best that you visit a board certified plastic surgeon, so you can be properly assessed. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.

Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

thank you for your question. The textured, anatomic, silicone implants are firmer to the touch and therefore more easily felt especially at the bottom part of the breast where the coverage is the thinnest. I do not think that your breast shape and feel will change at this point. I am not sure why are you are seeing and feeling rippling of the implants. I think you should  contact your plastic surgeon for an exam to make sure that everything is OK and that the implants are not ruptured.  Best wishes. 

Hi.  As you know, textured implants are meant to adhere to tissue, and implants placed underneath the pectoralis muscle have little coverage out to the sides and underneath, making rippling more visible when it occurs.  The animation of the implants with flexion is not uncommon, and can occur when the new capsule (normal scar tissue that forms around all implants) adheres to the undersurface of the muscle.  Raising your arms pulls the other chest tissues upwards and will round out the shape of your breasts.  You should f/u with your surgeon to check that you aren't developing abnormal thickening or hardening of the capsule which can contribute to all of the things that you describe.  If my answer was helpful, please up vote it so others can benefit from the information.  Best wishes, Dr. Doolabh

the lower pole of the breast is the thinnest area for coverage and with texturing the implants are likely adherent and fixed with rippling showing through the lower pole tissue. The muscle activity is called animation and is likely normal for a subpectoral implant but may appear worse with texturing. Treatments may involve doing nothing, to transposition if planes to switching to a round smooth implant.

Hello Lisa,The implants may become a little softer over the next few months, but will remain firm because of the type of implant they are.The movement due to muscle contraction won’t go away, as the muscle is pulling on the implant when it contracts. For this reason, implants are often placed over the muscle, however, one of the advantages of going under the muscle is that it provides more soft tissue coverage.I advise you to seek further consultation, as after a physical exam to evaluate your concerns options to address them can be offered.All the best to you,Dr. Nancy de Kleer

textured implants are more firm to the touch. The gel is more cohesive and firmer. At the base where there is less coverage you will feel the implant itself more. Best to consult your surgeon.

Thanks so much for reaching out. Your breast should continue to soften up to a year. After that likely it won’t change much. If you are unhappy you could consider another opinion for a revision.Hope this helps :-)

The teardrop shaped implants are all cohesive III, which is a very stiff gel. It resists the deforming forces of the breast, but feels firm. Based on what you are describing if you’d used smooth implants that were softer you’d have a softer breast but much worse rippling. It sounds like the best possible compromise was made but surgeons often have different opinions so it’s probably best if you discuss this with your own surgeon.