Why can I feel my left implant on the bottom and inner side of my breast? I don't have this feeling on my right breast (Photo)

Sometimes people think their implant is completely covered by the pectorals muscle, but that is actually not how we do it.  Breast implants are typically placed in a "dual plane" in which the upper part of the implant is under the muscle, but the lower is not.  In some breasts, there is not enough soft tissue coverage so that it remains more obvious when you touch them that the implant is there.You have a very nice breast augmentation and I wish you would not stress about this too much.

Thank you for your question and submitting your photo.  No two breasts are perfectly matched and there are usually some subtle differences between the amount and thickness of breast tissue on each side.  It is not uncommon to be able to feel the implant a little more on one side than the other.  It is important to do regular breast self examinations and let your surgeon know if there are any changes.  The self examination process is important not only for detecting early breast cancer changes but also picking up early capsular contracture and implant rupture.  It looks like you have fantastic results and have healed nicely.  Best wishes!

It is quite common for patients to feel the implant in the lower pole because often there is not enough soft tissue covering it.

First off, I think you have a very nice result. Where you feel the implant there is less tissue covering the implant. That is why most surgeons place the implant beneath the muscle so that 75% is covered by muscle and looks and feels more natural. You may have more tissue on one side vs the other. It usually does not worsen. If it really bothers you, then placement of ADM tissue may help to some degree. 

If there is very little tissue at the bottom edges of the breasts to cover the implants, it would not be unusual to feel or even see some ripples in the implants.  While it happens more with saline implants, it can certainly happen with silicone gel implants as well.  The reason why it is happening on one side and not the other is probably due to there being slightly more tissue on the right breast to camouflage the implant, or the implants are a slightly different levels.  Both of these situations can occur commonly and neither means that anything is wrong; it's just how things are sometimes.  In some instances if the rippling is bothersome enough we might do some fat grafting over the implant to add some tissue thickness for camouflage.  Keep in good communication with your surgeon about your concerns as he or she will be best suited to advise you of your options.  Good luck.

HappyC9,Often differences in soft tissue coverage and sometimes difference in surgical maneuvers from one side to the other will allow the implant on one side to be felt more than the other.  All implants will ripple to a certain extent, both silicone and saline, but it is generally more difficult to see and/or feel that rippling with silicone implants.  Nonetheless, they are separate entities from your soft tissues and breasts, and thus their presence can be felt, rippling or not.  In your mirror bounced photo, your left breast is on the left side of the photo, and the left nipple is slightly higher and the fold slightly lower. This may also relate to slightly less soft tissue covering the left implant, making it more palpable.  I hope that this helps.       Best wishes,     Tom DeWire, MD, FACS     Richmond, VA