Breast Implant Incision Choices

When you choose to have breast implant surgery, you need to choose which incision or “entry point” you want the surgeon to use to place your implants. There are three options to choose from for your Breast Implant Surgery. Breast enhancement procedures are performed using one of the following three incisions:
 

• Periareolar
• Inframammary fold
• Transaxillary
• Transumbilical

You should be able to get the same excellent results no matter which incision you choose. Please do not fret too much over this decision. You and your surgeon will be able to work together to determine what incision seems best for you.

 

Inframammary Fold: Commonly Referred to as "Under the Breast"

This is the most popular approach and the one used the most often .This incision is placed at or near the lower breast fold. It offers the accessibility for control like the peri-areolar and can be used for re-operation if required. This might be the incision of choice in the case in which the woman would like to preserve potential breast-feeding as much as possible. The approach avoids most of the breast ducts preserving breast anatomy the best.

Trans-Axillary: Commonly Referred to as "Through the Armpit"

Transaxillary, or underarm, breast implant incisions utilize one of the breast implants incision sites that involve no cutting of the breasts. Instead, the breast augmentation transaxillary incision allows breast implants to be inserted through the armpit This incision was designed in an attempt to move the incision off the breast into a fold in the armpit. In most cases, breast implant incisions in the armpit area tend to cause less future breast feeding complications than some other breast implants incision sites.

If the patient requires re-operation, it is rare for it to be possible via the "armpit" incision, so usually another incision is made. The implant can be placed pre-pectoral "over the muscle" or retro-pectoral "behind the muscle" via this approach.

Periareolar : Commonly Referred to as "Through the Nipple"

The incision is at the border of the areola (the pigmented area around the nipple) and the normal breast skin. It offers a cosmetically-appealing healing characteristic when used sparingly.

Another nice aspect of this approach is the accessibility to the whole wound should bleeding or other problems arise. It also allows the most control possible for developing the breast mound. It can be re-used of the patient requires re-operation for bleeding or capsular contracture. The incision is made on the edge, where the lighter breast tissue meets the darker tissue, so that the scar will blend in. Protective "sleeves" are utilized when inserting the breast implants through nipple incision sites in order to protect the breast ducts..

The implant can be placed pre-pectoral "over the muscle" or retro-pectoral "behind the muscle" via this approach. Patients who wish to undergo mastopexy, or breast lift, in conjunction with breast implants will likely receive the areola breast augmentation incision, since both of these procedures can be performed with this type of incision.

Transubmilical : Commonly Referred to as "Through the Belly Button"

An incision is made along the rim of the patient’s navel. An endoscope is then tunneled to the breast and a pocket for the implant is formed behind the breast. The breast implants are inserted through the incision and moved into the breast pockets. Once inside the pockets, the implants are filled with a pre-determined amount of sterile saline solution.

With the increased popularity of silicone gel and foam breast implants, the greatest disadvantages of the Navel incision is the fact that only saline breast implants  can be used with the procedure. When using the navel breast augmentation incision, breast implants are placed in the breast empty and saline is then added. Because silicone implants are pre-filled, they are not able to be used with breast implants incision sites in the navel.