In a breast augmentation, a plastic surgeon inserts breast implants to increase the volume of the breasts. You can also choose to have your breasts enlarged with your own fat. This is called lipofilling. Breast prostheses, however, are used more often. There are different treatment methods to enlarge your breasts. For example, the prosthesis can be placed in front, behind or partly in front of and behind the pectoral muscle. Which method in your situation is suitable, you can discuss in advance with a doctor.
Implant on or behind the pectoral muscle
Behind the breast tissue is the large chest muscle or pectoralis major. A breast prosthesis can be placed both in front of and behind this muscle. Which method best suits your breast augmentation depends on the pectoral muscle and your breast tissue.
About the pectoral muscle
In a breast augmentation where the breast prosthesis is placed on the chest muscle, it is directly under the breast tissue. This is only possible if your own breast tissue is thick enough. With thin tissue you could see the forms of the prosthesis through it.
Breast prosthesis behind the pectoral muscle
If the tissue is too thin, the surgeon places the implant behind the pectoral muscle. For women who exercise intensively and train their chest muscles, this method is less suitable. The pectoral muscle is in fact less well attached to the underlying tissue because there is a prosthesis between the tissue and the muscle.
Partially behind the pectoral muscle: dual plane method
It is also possible to partially place the pectoral muscle behind the pectoral muscle. This is called the dual plane method. The breast prosthesis is placed at the top below the large chest muscle. The underside of the prosthesis is over the breast muscle. This prevents the implant from being visible, because it is better ‘hidden’ at the top. The transition of the breast tissue is more natural in the implant.
The location of the incisions
The best known method for inserting a breast implant is through an incision in the breast fold. However, it is also possible to make an incision in the armpit or to insert the prosthesis through the areola.
Scars in the chest fold
A breast augmentation operation with an incision under the breast is called an inframammary breast augmentation. The surgeon can see the tissue well during this operation and can thus insert the prosthesis properly. The scar remains visible after the operation, but because the chest often hangs a bit, it is hardly visible. If you wear a bra or bikini, the scar will fall under the fabric.
Scars in the armpit
In an axillary breast augmentation, the surgeon inserts the breast implants through an incision in the armpits. A cut of about 5 cm is made. The advantage of this is that the scars fall away in the armpit fold and are therefore hardly visible. It is essential that the prosthesis is placed behind the pectoral muscle in this method.
Scars around the areola
A third way to introduce the breast implant is via the areola. This is also called a peri-areolar breast augmentation. An incision is made around the nipple and under the nipple you get a vertical incision to the underside of the breast. Because this shape is somewhat like a keyhole, it is also called the keyhole method.
Breast augmentation with lipofilling
An entirely different way to perform breast augmentation is lipofilling . You do not get breast implants, but your breasts are enlarged with your own fat. The surgeon removes fat from your stomach, buttocks or legs with liposuction. This he then injects into your breasts. So you only have natural and body tissue in your body and no prostheses with silicone or saline.