Symmastia or Tenting? (photos)

Thank you for your question and photographs.  Because your middle picture appears to demonstrate a well-demarcated separation between your breasts it does not appear that you have synmastia.  You have skin tenting that should resolve, depending on how long it has been since your surgery.  Ultimately talk to your surgeon as only an in-person examination can confirm the synmastia.  Hope this helps.

Some of the responses have indicated that they think you have symmastia. It is impossible to make that diagnosis without having more information--preop pics, size of implants, how long ago was your surgery, etc.Go see your surgeon and have him/her evaluate you further. Everything else is pure speculation.Best.

Hello,Thank you for your question and photos. If you notice that the space between your breasts has disappeared following your breast augmentation or the skin in the area is raised to a certain extent, then you have developed symmastia (a condition that can also exist congenitally).Unfortunately without a physical exam it won't be possible to determine what you are experiencing. It does appear that you have tenting which, depending on your stage in recovery, could be expected to resolve somewhat. However, your Plastic Surgeon must examine you physically to rule out the issue of Synmastia.All the best

Thank you for your question and photos.  One can not diagnose based on photos alone.  I would recommend seeing your surgeon for an in person examination and evaluation.  Good luck.

I agree with my friend Dr. Salzman below.  You have symmastia.  The question is how much it bothers as corrections of this imperfection can be costly and difficult.Best Wishes,Nana Mizuguchi, MD

It looks more like tenting rather than a true symmastia because it appears that there is a defined separation between the two breasts.  The tenting may improve as the swelling subsides.

I am sorry to hear about the problem you are experiencing.  Although the diagnosis would require in person evaluation, in my opinion, it is most likely that you do not have symmastia, in that the breast implants do not cross or communicate across the mid line. However, you do have breast implant displacement medially.  Certainly some skin tenting is present as well. This can be corrected using internal suture techniques (capsulorraphy) and probable reverse capsulotomy ( opening of the breast implant pockets to the sides).  Sometimes, the use of additional supportive material such as acellular dermal matrix is helpful (in supporting the capsule repair) as well.  The revisionary breast surgery will also serve to better center the nipple/areola complexes on the breast mounds. You may find attached link helpful to you as you learn more about options available.Best wishes.

Thanks for the pictures but its really not clear which one you have.  Sometime the 2 things can look similar. In your situation, I think a physical exam would help determine if the left and right breast pockets/capsules are connected in the middle.  Good luck on the appointment with your surgeon in a few weeks.

 From your photographs and description I would be suspicious that you have synmastia. Synmastia is when the two breast pockets made for the
implants connect to each other. This will produce a tunnel connecting the two
implants across the chest wall that is sometimes noticeable as skin pulling
away from the breastbone. It is best diagnosed in person by squeezing on one
side and seeing if the implant passes through this tunnel towards the opposite
side. It seems to be more common when implants are placed on top of the muscle
rather than below because, the muscle coming off the ribs, is further away from
where the breastbone starts. When some attempt at making a wide breast space
narrower is made, this may result in the pockets being very close to each
other, such that with time and the pressure of the underlying implant, a tunnel
is created between the pockets. In my experience, attempts to repair this with
simple suturing techniques have failed. I've seen many a patient after these
attempts with little depressions in the skin that are very hard to correct. The
best correction involves either making a new pocket under the muscle and on top
of the old capsule or creating a flap of breast capsule and suturing it to a
piece of non stretchable material such as pigskin that we call Strattice. I
would recommend that you go back to your operating surgeon to discuss these
possibilities based on his or her examination. Good luck.