In this guide12 sections
- Key Points
- What Is a Breast Funnel (Keller Funnel)?
- How Does a Breast Funnel Work During Breast Augmentation?
- Does a Breast Funnel Make the Scar Smaller?
- Does a Breast Funnel Reduce the Risk of Capsular Contracture?
- Does a Breast Funnel Make Breast Augmentation Quicker or Safer?
- Are There Any Downsides to Using a Breast Funnel?
- Is a Breast Funnel Used at Centre for Surgery?
- What Should I Ask My Surgeon About Implant Insertion?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Talk to a Surgeon About Breast Augmentation
- References
Key Points
- What is a breast funnel? A sterile, cone-shaped sleeve with a slippery lining. The surgeon places the narrow end in the incision and gently squeezes the implant through it into the pocket, so the implant slides in without being pushed through the skin by hand.
- Keller funnel and breast funnel mean the same thing. Keller funnel is the brand name of the version surgeons use most often.
- The clearest benefit is a slightly smaller incision. One comparative study measured about 35 mm with a funnel against about 46 mm without.
- Capsular contracture is less certain. A systematic review found lower rates with the funnel, while a separate 2023 review argues the evidence is unreliable. No randomised trial exists, so it is a reasonable precaution rather than a proven protection.
- It does not shorten the operation in any way you would notice. The saving is a matter of seconds while the implant passes through the incision.
- Ask your surgeon how your implants will be inserted and why. A good answer explains the technique and does not promise that a device removes risk.
If you have been researching breast augmentation, you may have come across the terms “Keller funnel” or “breast funnel” and wondered what they mean. It is a simple, single-use device that surgeons use to place a breast implant through the incision, and it is often described as a “no-touch” technique. This guide explains what a breast funnel is, how it works, and what the research says about the claims made for it: smaller scars, a lower risk of capsular contracture and a quicker operation. The evidence is stronger for some of those claims than for others.
The funnel is used through whichever breast augmentation incision your surgeon has planned, most often a cut in the fold under the breast. It sits alongside the other decisions covered in our guides to breast augmentation scars and breast implant brands and types.
What Is a Breast Funnel (Keller Funnel)?
A breast funnel is a cone-shaped sleeve made from a smooth, flexible fabric with a slippery hydrophilic coating on the inside.[3] The implant is loaded into the wide end, the narrow tip is placed just inside the incision, and the surgeon squeezes the implant along the sleeve and into the pocket created for it. The sleeve is then withdrawn and thrown away.
The version most surgeons use is sold under the name Keller funnel, so you will see the two names used interchangeably. A survey of US plastic surgeons published in 2017 found that 42% used a no-touch technique with the Keller funnel for breast augmentation.[8] It is common, but not universal.
How Does a Breast Funnel Work During Breast Augmentation?
Before the funnel, a surgeon would typically guide a silicone gel implant through the incision by hand, working it past the edges of the skin. With a funnel, the steps are:
- The incision is made and the pocket for the implant is prepared.
- The funnel is lubricated and the implant is loaded into the wide end.
- The narrow end is placed in the incision and the implant is squeezed through the sleeve into the pocket.
- The funnel is removed and the implant is positioned and checked for symmetry.
The idea is to limit contact between the implant and the patient’s skin, where bacteria normally live. In a laboratory study on two cadavers, using a funnel cut skin contact with smooth gel implants 27-fold compared with inserting them by hand.[3] That is a measure of contact in a model, not of what happens in patients, and “no-touch” is something of a misnomer: the implant is still handled before it goes into the sleeve.[2]
Does a Breast Funnel Make the Scar Smaller?
Slightly, yes. This is the benefit with the clearest support. A 2019 comparative study in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ↗ measured a mean incision length of 35.5 mm with a funnel and 46.2 mm with manual insertion, about a centimetre shorter.[4] A more recent retrospective cohort of 200 patients found a smaller difference, 32 mm against 37 mm.[5]
A centimetre is real, but it is not the main thing that decides how a scar looks. Implant size, skin and tissue quality, where the incision sits and how the wound heals matter more, as we explain in our guide to breast augmentation scars and how to minimise them.
Does a Breast Funnel Reduce the Risk of Capsular Contracture?
Capsular contracture is the tightening and hardening of the scar tissue that forms around every implant, and it is one of the most common reasons for further surgery. Our guide to capsular contracture, its causes, symptoms and treatments covers it in full. One main theory is that low-level bacterial contamination of the pocket at the time of surgery plays a part, which is why reducing contact with skin is attractive in principle.
The research points both ways:
- A 2022 systematic review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open ↗ found six studies, five retrospective and one prospective, with no randomised trials. Pooled, they reported lower capsular contracture rates with the funnel (relative risk 0.42).[1] The authors called for a randomised trial.
- Individual studies point the same way. In one group of periareolar augmentations, capsular contracture occurred in 1.3% of patients whose implants went in through a funnel and 10% of those without, although the comparison group was only 15 patients.[6] A 2026 chart review of 270 patients also found funnel use was more common among those who did not develop capsular contracture.[7]
- A 2023 review in Annals of Plastic Surgery ↗ reached the opposite conclusion. It judged that the supporting studies had important confounders, such as differences in implant type and placement, and that many of their authors had undisclosed financial links to the manufacturer. It concluded that no reliable evidence supports the funnel for reducing capsular contracture.[2]
Taken together, the funnel is a sensible, low-risk step that may help, but it has not been proven to prevent capsular contracture and it is not a guarantee. Capsular contracture has several possible causes, and no single device accounts for them all.
Does a Breast Funnel Make Breast Augmentation Quicker or Safer?
The time saved is small. In the same comparative study, the time taken to push the implant through the incision was about 6 seconds with a funnel and 16 seconds by hand. The total time to open the package and position the implant did not differ significantly between the two methods.[4] The claim that it shortens the operation or the time under anaesthetic is therefore not supported by the evidence.
On overall safety, the picture is mixed. A retrospective cohort of 200 patients reported complications in 1% of funnel cases and 8% of manual cases, but the funnel in that study was lubricated with hyaluronic acid and the patients were not randomly assigned.[5] The 2019 comparative study found no difference in complications by insertion method.[4] Complication rates depend far more on the whole surgical approach, including your surgeon’s training, theatre sterility, your own health and whether you smoke. Our guides to common breast implant problems and breast augmentation recovery explain what to look for and when to call.
Are There Any Downsides to Using a Breast Funnel?
There is little downside for the patient. The device is single-use and adds a small cost to the operation, and a funnel does not suit every situation, so your surgeon decides case by case. Its limits are worth knowing:
- It does not make a larger implant behave like a smaller one. The laboratory study found that skin contact increased with implant volume whether a funnel or the hand was used.[3]
- It works alongside, and does not replace, other infection-prevention steps such as skin preparation and antibiotic practice.
- Most of the published evidence is retrospective and comes from single centres, so the results may not apply to every patient.
Is a Breast Funnel Used at Centre for Surgery?
Yes. Our surgeons use a breast funnel to place implants in breast augmentation, usually through an incision in the fold under the breast. We see it as one sensible part of a careful technique, alongside sterile theatre practice and meticulous preparation of the pocket, and not as a promise that a complication cannot happen. You can ask your surgeon about it at your consultation, and our guide on how to choose a breast augmentation surgeon lists other questions worth asking.
What Should I Ask My Surgeon About Implant Insertion?
- Which incision will you use, and how long do you expect the scar to be?
- Will my implants be inserted with a funnel, and what is the reason for your approach?
- What steps do you take to lower the risk of infection and capsular contracture?
- What is your rate of capsular contracture and revision, and what happens if I need further surgery?
- Which implant type and placement do you recommend for me? Our comparison of breast implants under the muscle vs over the muscle explains the main options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Keller funnel technique?
The Keller funnel technique is a way of placing a breast implant using a sterile, lubricated, cone-shaped sleeve. The implant is squeezed through the sleeve into the pocket, which reduces contact with the skin and allows a slightly shorter incision. It is often called a “no-touch” technique, although the implant is still handled before it goes into the funnel.
Is a breast funnel the same as funnel chest?
No. A breast funnel is a surgical tool used to insert implants. Funnel chest, also called pectus excavatum, is a condition in which the breastbone sits inwards, giving the chest a sunken appearance. Our guide to pectus excavatum explains the condition and its treatment.
Does every breast augmentation use a breast funnel?
No. Surgeons choose their own technique. A 2017 survey of US plastic surgeons found that 42% used the Keller funnel for breast augmentation.[8] If it matters to you, ask your surgeon at consultation.
Does a breast funnel hurt?
No. The area is fully anaesthetised, whether you have a general or a local anaesthetic, so you do not feel the implant being placed. It is a tool for the surgeon and makes no difference to how the operation feels for you.
Which incisions can a breast funnel be used with?
It is most often used with an incision in the fold under the breast, but studies have also described its use through the nipple border (periareolar) incision.[6] Your surgeon will recommend the incision that suits your anatomy and implant size.
Does a breast funnel prevent capsular contracture?
It may lower the risk, but this has not been proven. A systematic review found lower capsular contracture rates with the funnel, while a separate review argues that the evidence is unreliable.[1][2] Treat it as a reasonable precaution and not a guarantee.
Talk to a Surgeon About Breast Augmentation
If you are considering breast augmentation, a good way to understand how your implants would be placed is to ask the surgeon who will operate. To arrange a consultation, call 020 7993 4849 or use the form below.
References
- Morkuzu S, et al. Keller funnel efficacy in “no touch” breast augmentation and reconstruction: a systematic review. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 2022;10(11):e4676. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000004676 ↗
- Swanson E. The Keller funnel, capsular contracture, and conflict of interest: a review. Annals of Plastic Surgery 2023;91(2):301–306. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000003549 ↗
- Moyer HR, et al. Contamination in smooth gel breast implant placement: testing a funnel versus digital insertion technique in a cadaver model. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2012;32(2):194–199. doi:10.1177/1090820X11434505 ↗
- Montemurro P, et al. Implant insertion time and incision length in breast augmentation surgery with the Keller funnel: results from a comparative study. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2019;43(4):881–889. doi:10.1007/s00266-019-01401-w ↗
- Hernández J, et al. Experience using the funnel insertion method lubricated with hyaluronic acid for breast implantation. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 2026;14(2):e7456. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000007456 ↗
- Newman AN, Davison SP. Effect of Keller funnel on the rate of capsular contracture in periareolar breast augmentation. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 2018;6(6):e1834. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001834 ↗
- Hall JA, et al. Impact of scarring disorders and surgical techniques on the development of capsular contracture in breast augmentation. Annals of Plastic Surgery 2026;96(6S):S436–S439. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000004706 ↗
- Chopra K, et al. Antimicrobial prophylaxis practice patterns in breast augmentation: a national survey of current practice. Annals of Plastic Surgery 2017;78(6):629–632. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000000942 ↗
