Choosing the Right Breast Augmentation Incision Placement

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon serving Northern Virginia and Washington DC

Cheatsheet

After you have decided to undergo breast augmentation, you will discuss which incision or “entry point” and placement options may be right for you. Because there is more than one option for each body type, it is important that you consider what your aesthetic goals realistically are with Dr. Desman.

Breast Augmentation Incision Options

Breast augmentation can be performed either endoscopically, or by open surgery. Endoscopic surgery means Dr. Desman creates a small incision in a location away from your breast, such as your arm pit, and uses a small camera projecting an image onto a computer monitor to conduct the procedure. Open surgery means the incision is made in the breast and the procedure is performed while looking directly at the breast implant placement site.

The periareolar and inframammary fold breast augmentation placement incisions can be performed using the open incision method. Only transaxillary may be performed endoscopically.

Periareolar Incision Placement

The periareolar incision is made along the lower half of the skin between the breast and the areola, the darker part of the nipple. It is sometimes called a nipple incision. This is performed as an open procedure.

Some of the benefits of periareolar incisions include:

• The incision is placed in an area in which the skin changes color and texture so it’s often difficult to see any scarring from the procedure

• The incision can be reopened and used for additional procedures or adjustments as required in the future
• Dr. Desman can insert the implants very precisely due to the close proximity to the implant placement area
• Any scarring that does occur from this incision is covered in clothing
• Periareolar incisions are suitable for both subglandular and submuscular implant placements

Inframammary Fold Incision Placement

Inframammary fold incisions are made below the breast, which hides subsequent scarring. Dr. Desman then inserts the implant and adjusts it after placement. This is an open procedure.

Benefits of inframammary fold incision placement include:

• Like the periareolar incisions, Dr. Desman can insert the implants very precisely due to the proximity of the incision to the breast
• The incisions can be reopened and reused for additional adjustments and procedures
• Inframammary fold incisions present less risk of infection than periareolar incisions, because the milk glands are bypassed during the procedure
• Inframammary fold incisions are suitable for both subglandular and submuscular implant placements
• The scar from this incision is covered in clothing

Transaxillary Incision Placement

This is an incision made in the armpit or underarm, which Dr. Desman can insert the breast implant through. This is used primarily for saline breast implants and can be done either openly or endoscopically.

Benefits of transaxillary incision placement include:

• No scarring on the breast
• Transaxillary incisions are suitable for both subglandular and submuscular implant placements

You may be a candidate for just one of the incision placement options, or you may be a candidate for all three of them. This will depend upon your anatomy and your implant choices.

If you are in the Alexandria, Virginia, Northern Virginia, or Washington, DC area, and would like to learn more about breast augmentation incision placement, please contact the experienced breast augmentation surgeons at the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery for an initial consultation.