Breast implant malposition is when implants are not in their intended location, resulting in less than ideal results. There are several potential causes for breast implant malposition and most cases can be resolved easily with breast implant revision surgery or simply by allowing more time for healing.
Incomplete Healing Process
Breast implants are nearly always positioned higher than intended immediately following your augmentation surgery. Most of the time, breast implants drop to a natural looking position after 3 to 6 months. However, some women wait up to a year for their ideal results to develop.
If your implants seem too high and your augmentation was less than a year ago, don’t rush to schedule revision surgery just yet. Ask your surgeon about massage techniques to encourage dropping and simply give your results some more time.
Natural Anatomy
Breast implants can move too close to the center of the chest in a condition called synmastia, or they can slide to the outer edges of the chest, referred to as lateral disposition. This can be a result of an ill-formed implant pocket.
In some women, however, the shape of the rib cage can contribute to the likelihood that implants will slip in one direction or the other. In either case, a skilled implant revision surgeon can improve your results for a more natural look.
Implant Size
Some breast implants can bottom out, which means they fall too low on the torso. Larger implants are more likely to bottom out than smaller implants. If you’re concerned with implant malposition, you may wish to consider choosing a modest implant size that can be more easily contained within the breast pocket.
With over 25 years of active practice, Dr. Michael Halls is recognized as a leader in breast surgery procedures in Southern California. Dr. Halls graduated Alpha Omega Alpha and Cum Laude from Medical School in Canada and completed seven further years of training in Plastic Surgery Residencies and Fellowships including two years in Boston at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital.
He is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery in the United States (FACS) and Canada (FRCS(C)) and is an active member in international, national, and local societies for breast and plastic surgery. Dr. Halls has published multiple papers in journals and texts over the past four decades and has appeared on many local and national TV programs.
