Understanding Breast Implant Placement – Over the Muscle & Under the Muscle

Most women exploring breast augmentation have read or heard about implants being placed “under the muscle” or “over the muscle.”  But what exactly does this mean? Becoming familiar with the anatomy of the breasts will help you better understand the options for implant placement during breast surgery.

Pectoralis Major Muscle

The primary muscle plastic surgeons refer to is the Pectoralis Major muscle. This muscle runs diagonally from the chest up to the shoulder.  You can see this in the illustration below.

Implant Placement

There are two common techniques for implant placement during breast augmentation in Newport Beach, CA. Both relate to the Pectoralis Major muscle.

1. Implant placed under the breast tissue, but above the Pectoralis Major muscle.
2. Implant placed under the breast tissue and under the Pectoralis Major muscle.

Both techniques can provide favorable results for women considering breast augmentation, however Joseph T Cruise, MD believes under the muscle achieves the best results. Some of the reasons include the following:

• Decreases the chance of the scar tissue hardening around the implant. Think about how often you use your chest muscles….This constant movement provides a massaging affect on the implant, which helps to keep the area around the implant soft.
• The muscle offers additional coverage of the implant, which is especially important when women have very little breast tissue. Think of it as helping to “hide” the implant.
• This placement also decreases the potential of rippling.

Now take another look at the illustration above. Notice when the implant is placed below the Pectoralis Major muscle, there is a still quite a bit of the implant that is not covered by the muscle. This brings up another important discussion about implant placement. With a portion of the breast implant being exposed, it’s almost as if you could say this is partial-placement under the muscle. The lateral portion of the implant, which is not covered by muscle, can potentially cause issues. There could be visible rippling, movement of the implant towards the armpit, and more serious, movement of the implant from below the muscle to above. While this is a rare occurrence, it is something to be aware of when considering breast augmentation.

Dr. Cruise’s Approach

Joseph T Cruise, MD has performed thousands of breast augmentation procedures in Orange County, California over the years. Through his vast amount of experience and his desire  for excellence, Joseph T Cruise, MD has developed a unique way of addressing the lack of coverage when placing the breast implants under the Pectoralis Major muscle.

In perfecting his breast augmentation technique, Joseph T Cruise, MD began placing the implants under not only the Pectoralis Major muscle, but also the Serratus Anterior muscle. This muscle wraps the lateral/outer portion of the implant. Think of this as added support and protection. You can see the improved coverage and support in the picture below.

Joseph T Cruise, MD also found there to be numerous benefits to this improved way of performing his breast augmentation cases.

• Almost complete coverage of the implants.
• Further decreases the chances for rippling, especially with saline implants.
• Prevents the implants from shifting into the arm pit. The muscles wrapping around the implant act like “book ends” on a shelf of books keeping them from falling outward.
• Allows for the implant to be pushed closer towards the center of the chest providing improved attractive cleavage.

Understanding the options for implant placement with breast augmentation and other breast procedures is important in order to achieve your desired results.

Schedule a Consultation

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cruise, located in the greater Los Angeles area in Newport Beach, CA, call their office at (949) 446-1421. If you prefer, a virtual fast-track consultation is also available. Simply complete our online form and send in photos to be reviewed by Dr. Cruise.