What Does Inframammary Incision Mean?

An incision made in the breast fold is known as inframammary. This is the most common because it allows for better accuracy of placement.

Inframammary is the bottom of the breast. The crease or fold is where the incision is placed. t can be the exisiting fold, or if a large implant is placed, the incison will be placed in the "new" planned fold location. If placed appropriately, the scar will be well concealed.

Incisions for breast augmentations are simply access incisions to the breast for implant placement. There are essentially 4 incision approaches:

1. Inframammary - under breat in fold

2. Periareolar - around nipple-areolar area

3. Transaxillary - through armpit

4. Transumbilical - through belly button

Each has advantages and disadvantages or trade-offs...

I prefer the inframammary because it's advantages to me far outweigh the other approaches:

They allow for well hidden incisions in the crease below the breast
They can be placed directly in the new inframammary fold created or maintained at surgery
It provides great visulaization to the breast pocket and to develop the space for the implant in a bloodless atraumatic way
It gives the best approach for creating a pocket the same on both sides - symmetric pockets under direct vision versus bluntly with an instrument or sizer
It allows for a quick recovery secondary to less trauma
It can be used to accomodate both gel implants and new style implants like the highly cohesive 410 Gummy Bear implants that require a larger incision
I also personally believe way too much is made of which incision approach to the breast is used. The keys are Softness, Symmetry, Size proportionate, Sensitivity, Style options... scar is a little "s."

All my Best!

Dr. Bengtson

Hi there-

Inframammary means "under the breast", and when referring to an incision location for breast augmentation, it means the incision is in the fold under the breasts.

The advantages and disadvantages of the options available for incision placement would best be reviewed with your surgeon of choice, as his or her skills and experience will affect these significantly, but here is some general information...

The inframammary incision has the advantage of being in a location where it will never be seen (even nude) unless you lift the breast. It usually heals very well and provides simple and wide access to the pocket, and has a very low risk of complications. It is the most widely used location and the one with which we as a surgical community have the most experience.

The peri-areolar incision (around the nipple) is also a good option, but if healing is less than ideal it may be more visible than you would prefer, and as it is located on the focal point of the breast, this may be a significant problem. Some also think that the risk of losing feeling in the nipple is higher when this incision is used, but I think this is experience dependent. The dissection is a bit more tricky, and may expose the implant to bacteria in the breast ducts, which some believe increases your risk of capsular contracture. Also, if a problem were to develop, a second incision (usually under the breast) is usually necessary to treat it.

The axillary approach has gained favor, and has the advantage of moving the scar far away from the breast itself, but in my opinion this option, as well as the umbilical option, make it more difficult to achieve the lovely breast shape that is the goal of every patient. It is also my opinion that the shape of the breast is far more important than the location of the scar (in other words, if you have a funny breast shape, but a scar in your armpit or around your belly button and not on your breast, you'll likely still be unhappy).

Again, I recommend you review these options with a surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (and you should definitely ask what board they were certified by) and make the choice that you think will be best for you.

Inframmary crease refers to the incision point which is at the bottom of the breast. To ensure that this is the best incision type for you, consult with 3 - 4 experienced and expert board certified plastic surgeons.