Implant reconstruction in front of the muscle?

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duvan
duvan Member Posts: 24
edited January 2015 in Breast Reconstruction

I've had a lot of trouble with my "permanent" implants and right now I am thinking about whether it really wouldn't be possible to have the implants in front of the muscle instead. I've been told again and again that they put the implants submuscular because otherwise the edges of the implants will be visible, and so on. But what if you cover with fat from fat grafting?

Anyone here who has had implants in front of the muscle even though you don't have any breast tissue anymore? And anyone who knows where to find pictures of such a procedure?

Best regards,

Duvan

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited December 2014

    I don't know the answer to your question, but I thought I would at least stop and bump your thread so that it remains on the actives list. Hopefully, someone with experience will be along to answer it shortly.

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  • MartyJ
    MartyJ Member Posts: 1,859
    edited December 2014

    I have a feeling that I agree with the docs that it is not something you would want to do. I had implants under the muscle for 27 years and yes, it was miserable for most of the last 10 years. When an implant is placed for cosmetic reasons in front of the muscle, there is tissue to protect it - I think the tissue that covers is more than just fat. Grafted fat is more of a filler than a protective kind of fat and not all of it takes (some say only 50%). I had free flap surgery (DIEP) 2 years ago and couldn't be happier.

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  • songbird68
    songbird68 Member Posts: 190
    edited January 2015

    Hi Duvan, I am a walking comparison! Had leftside mx and immediate placement of implant over the muscle back in 2013. There are no visible edges, upperpole looks pretty full, no rippling, or visible jumping of the muscle over the implant or anything.

    A year later I had a prophy rightside mx and immediate placement of implant under the muscle (different surgeon). This side looks pretty good too but I will be having fat grafting in a few months to fill the upperpole dent. Muscle jumping when flexing looks pretty wierd this side. There is rippling on innerpole too.

    I am actually happy with both(don't want another surgery in other words) but if it came to it I would have another over muscle.

    Everyone's different though. Best of luck with you :)

    x x


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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited January 2015

    Hi saw this and am planning  the exact thing you said.  Had unimx and had 5 fat grafting,  lost 2 of them to infections. Have a small A plus cup mound. Planning  to get implant after tissue expander over the muscle.  PS is going to use Alloderm or Stratice to wrap the implant he puts under my fat. Glad to see Songbird68 was happy withit that . way

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  • rumoret
    rumoret Member Posts: 685
    edited January 2015

    Had left mastectomy 2006...no reconstruction. Had second mastectomy 2012 for symmetry and had implants put on top of muscle. My second mastectomy was nipple sparring with a lift. I am pleased with results...but wished I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants on top of muscle. I am a 36B and that is exactly what I wanted. I went to Dr. Karen Horton in San Francisco. I personally wanted no muscles cut...I wished I had met her sooner in my journey.



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  • Tomboy
    Tomboy Member Posts: 3,945
    edited January 2015

    I have been wondering for months if this was possible. do you have any idea how small they could be? i am 36D, want smaller, like, just a bump. of course that means i would really really really need to work on my waist, since treatment and femara has really gotten huge. i am 55, 52 when diagnosed, and all of my adult life, weighed 118~123. 30 lbs over that now.

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  • AmyQ
    AmyQ Member Posts: 2,182
    edited January 2015

    My onc strongly advised against this in case of reoccurrence of bc, scanning will not detect problems because the implant blocks the imagining. She admitted the chance of reoccurrence is small, but the chance is still there and implants will hamper the ability to detect cancer which is one of the reasons for putting implants behind the pec muscle. I was considering removing my implants and having them placed over the muscle due to pain, but after discussing with my onc, I'm pretty sure I'm just having them removed permanently. I would check with your onc for a second opinion. Good luck

    Amy

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