Complete Submuscular Breast Implant Placement (Under the Muscle)
Breast augmentation using complete submuscular breast implant placement gives the patient many of the same advantages and a few more as the partial submuscular placement, along with some drawbacks. Fully submuscular placement means placing the implant under not only the pectoralis major muscle (covering the upper portion of the implant) but also under related muscles (non-pectoral muscles) at the lower half of the implant. The result is that the implant is fully covered by muscle instead of the lower half of the implant being left uncovered as in the partial submuscular placement.
Pros to Complete Sub-muscular Breast Implant Placement
- Lower risk of capsular contracture
- Lower risk of visible or palpable rippling
- Better mammograms
Cons to Complete Sub-muscular Breast Implant Placement
- Less natural appearance in women with sag. Implant is positioned in a place above where sagging breast tissue is. May create an appearance of two bulges, rather than on breast (known as double bubble). Implants take longer to "drop" after surgery (often longer than partially submuscular placement).
- Flexing of muscles during exercise can contract implant into unnatural appearance.
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