How Safe Are Breast Implants Inserted Through the Belly Button?

Question

Compared to the traditional surgical approach, what are the benefits and the possible adverse effects of implants through the belly button?

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

The TUBA technique of placing a saline implant through the belly button incision is both safe and my most popular procedure for placing saline implants. The advantages are no scars on the breast, only one small incision, and in my experience a faster recovery and less bruising. In the more than a decade that I have been performing this procedure I have not seen more complications than other techniques.

John J. Corey, MD · Answer

I would pass on this technique and I am a surgeon who feels very comfortable going thru the underarm and using the endoscope! Too many negatives and not enough positives. I'm not sure that it invalidates the warranty any longer., although I know it used to. And it's even a worse idea when done blindly without the endoscope. I have seen too many "one above and one below" results! Too many advantages with other methods..

Robert Frank, MD · Answer

Even in the age where surgeons invent procedures to try to differentiate themselves from one another, almost no one is doing TUBA procedures. That should tell you that the approach has significant flaws.

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Placement of implants:
	1. Tuba
	2. Transaxillary
	3. Periareola
	4. inframammary
	all techniques are equally safe.  Healing should be the same. Discomfort , outcome of shape, contours. Potential complications.. only saline implants can be placed  through the belly button.
	Excellent choice for a young patient who doesn t want any scars on the breasts and can&rsquo;t afford a  silicone implant

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

TUBA or transumbilical breast augmentation were very popular with saline implants because the implants can be filled in the pocket. You can;t do that with silicone implants. I was never a big fan, because pocket dissection is done blindly and bluntly and if you got bleeding you had to convert to a more traditional approach.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Bad idea and a bad operation. Just read all the expert's postings to see the majority are against this operation. In fact the implant companies would not offer the warranty initially.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS · Answer

The main advantage of TUBA is no scars on the breast.

	The disadvantages are:

	Can only use saline implants

	Less control over implant position

	Inability to identify and control any bleeding

Kamran Khoobehi, MD · Answer

The TUBA is not accepted by the body of the plastic surgeons because of it's short comings as noted by other surgeons. TUBA is a good marketing tool but the surgeon has minimal control on the implant position,breast shape or infra mammary fold position.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.

	I do not think that this is a good operation for the reasons my colleagues have discussed below. I see, in my practice, more patients for revisionary surgery after the TUBA procedure (taking into account the relative numbers of procedures done through different approaches) then after breast augmentation procedures done through the other approaches available. This is not surprising given that the implants are inserted from a distance  often by non-plastic surgeons.

	Make sure you seek consultation with well experienced what certified plastic surgeons.

	Best wishes.

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

I am in agreement with the other plastic surgeons who do not perform the TUBA.  I will not do it because of increased risk of uncontrolled bleeding, inability to revise the result via the same incision, risk of umbilical (rather than breast) scarring which the patient may find objectionable, and also scarring in the "virgin" abdomen, which has not undergone prior surgery.  I see absolutely no reason to use this method.  No surgery is scarless. If a patient is that obsessed with scarring that she cannot accept a small scar which is hidden in the breast crease, then I would not want to operate on her  This is a gimmick through and through and one which can have regrettable consequences.

How Safe Are Breast Implants Inserted Through the Belly Button?

Answers (17)

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