Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedures at the Centre for Surgery, and for a good reason – the outcomes are phenomenal with extremely happy patients. Whilst there have been a few recent developments in new techniques for breast augmentation, one of the most exciting developments is a new technique known as subfascial breast augmentation. Subfascial breast augmentation is a term used to refer to the position of the breast implants with the chest wall muscle.
Traditionally, the most common methods for breast implant placement have been either on top of the muscle, also known as the sub-glandular approach or beneath the muscle, often referred to as the “dual plane approach”. Centre for Surgery is very fortunate to have our own fully trained plastic surgeons in the use of the subfascial breast implant insertion technique, which involves the implants sitting above the muscle but beneath the fascia that surrounds the chest wall muscle.
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What is subfascial breast augmentation?
Subfascial breast augmentation involves the placement of implants beneath the fascia of the pectoral muscle. The fascia itself has the consistency of a tough membranous material and covers the pectoralis muscle, and helps to give the chest muscle its characteristic appearance. The subfascial approach for breast augmentation actually involves placing the implant between the fascia and the underlying muscle. The fascia’s durable nature helps maintain the breast implants in the correct position and confers additional protection against the risk of implant malposition.
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Surgeons often find that inserting the implant beneath the fascia as opposed to the subglandular position confers an increasingly natural look to the breast and helps to reduce many of the risks that are associated when implants are placed either beneath the muscle or on top of it.
What are the benefits of subfascial breast augmentation?
There are a number of key benefits to performing subfascial breast augmentation, which has led to its increasing popularity amongst plastic surgeons over the last few years. The toughness and durability of the fascia help to maintain the position of the implant, and this minimises the risk of the implant moving out of position. Many patients and surgeons alike find that the appearance is more natural compared with implants placed on top of or beneath the chest wall muscle.
An additional benefit of subfascial implant placement is that patients do not have to wait a period of time for the implants to drop or migrate into position after surgery. Implants placed underneath or on top of the muscle require a period for the implants to drop to their intended position naturally.
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Subfascial breast augmentation also carries much less post-operative discomfort when compared with dual-plane breast augmentation, as in the former, there is no need to cut the chest wall muscle from the underlying ribs to place the implant beneath the muscle. Subfascial breast augmentation preserves the muscle attachments of the chest wall which results in markedly reduced pain and discomfort and therefore a much quicker post-operative recovery.
Are there any alternatives to subfascial breast augmentation?
At Centre for Surgery, many breast augmentation procedures utilise the subfascial implant placement due to all the benefits described above. Having said that, not all patients are suitable candidates for subfascial breast augmentation. In these cases, your surgeon would either place the breast implant on top of the muscle, known as the sub-glandular approach or beneath the muscle, also known as the dual plane approach.
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Placing implants on top of the muscle is known as a sub-glandular breast augmentation, and the implant is inserted above the pectoralis muscle. So glandular breast augmentation is a good option for patients who desire a more lifted appearance to their breasts in addition to increased volume. Sub-glandular implant placement results in no need to wait until your implants drop into their desired position, and many patients remark that the appearance of their breasts is very natural after this type of breast augmentation.
Breast implants placed under the muscle is the most common method of breast implant placement used today and is also known as the dual plane or submuscular approach. Dual-plane breast augmentation is often a very good choice for women who either have very little breast tissue or have a chest that is wider compared with other women and is most commonly used for women who are combining a breast augmentation with a breast lift procedure.
When you book your complimentary consultation with a specialist plastic surgeon, we will make sure to tell you about all the methods that we use in our breast augmentation procedures, and your surgeon will recommend the method that will give you the most natural-looking result after having assessed you thoroughly.
