An Update on Implant Position in Breast Augmentation
This is an update to a blog post that I made last year on whether patients undergoing breast augmentation should place the implants above or below the pectoralis major muscle. In conjunction with the study that I mentioned in that prior blog, we now have another, recently published study from one of my dear colleagues and associates in the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
In their study, they found that several things increased the risk of problems following breast augmentation. To quote the article, “In the primary augmentation cohort, subglandular placement of the device was the strongest univariate risk factor for development of capsular contracture”. This means that women who have their breast implants placed on top of the muscle are at greater risk for development of a tight scar around the implant. Positioning the implant in that location is the highest risk of all risks for this complication.
My nearly 30 years of surgical experience and my practical experience as a plastic surgeon confirm the findings of these colleagues. There are many unexplained factors that create risk of any surgical procedure, but we certainly need to do our best to minimize those odds when and where we can. I hope you’ll give us a chance to evaluate any concerns you have about a prior procedure or any anticipated future surgeries.
If you want to take a look at the previous blog that I mentioned, you can find it here: http://www.brzowski.com/blog/whats-better-on-top-of-the-muscle-or-underneath/
