Placement

Above or below the muscle?

The most common placement for implants is Submuscular, or Subpectoral, under the pectoralis muscle.

Implants can also be placed above the pectoralis muscle and below the breast tissue or gland. This is called Subglandular.

Submuscular augmentation usually requires a general anesthetic, whereas the subglandular approach can often be performed with some intravenous sedation and local anesthetic.

The Incision:

Breast, armpit, areola or belly button?

Your surgeon will help you determine which augmentation procedure is right for you, both to minimize the scarring and to achieve the desired result. The most common incision is made on the lower portion of the breast, just slightly away from the crease where the breast meets the chest, so that any scar will still be covered, even by a small bathing suit. This is called an Inframammary augmentation.

Another common incision is at the junction of the areola, which is where the colored skin around the nipple meets the surrounding skin. This is a called a Periareolar augmentation, and the incision is usually a semi-circle a little less than half the distance around the lower part of the areola.

A Transaxillary or Axillary incision can also be made in the axilla or armpit, and this type of augmentation can be done with or without the use of an endoscope. An endoscope is a surgical instrument, a long, narrow, lighted tube used to facilitate the insertion of breast implants.

A fourth method, less frequently used, which is through the umbilicus, or belly button. This is called a Transumbilical or Umbilical augmentation; it usually requires the use of an endoscope.