Decreased Visibility of Breast Augmentation Incisions with New Techniques

Published March 21, 2012 by Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown

According to a recent report in the popular cosmetic medicine magazine New You, there have been a number of innovations in the breast augmentation field that may lessen incision lines or place incisions in less critical areas such as the belly button. These procedures may produce minimal scarring, fewer complications and the shortest recovery period possible.

As the first national magazine devoted completely to anti-aging medicine and aesthetic procedures, New You is a quarterly publication dedicated to providing the best possible information on the safety, effectiveness and various costs of aesthetic medicine.

New Procedures Give More Discreet Breast Augmentation Incisions

With more than 300,000 American women electing to have breast augmentations last year, the surgery remains one of the country’s most popular cosmetic procedures. Yet the wide range of possibilities such as choosing between saline implants or silicone implants can make it a difficult decision to navigate.

Though traditional incisions at the nipple and the breast crease are becoming smaller and smaller as technology progresses, many new procedures allow for the same outcome as but place the incision far from the breast area. This alternative has been quite appealing for some patients.

The arm pit incision, or transaxillary method, utilizes a three to five centimeter incision concealed within the natural lines of the armpit. One benefit of this procedure is the ability to use a camera to visualize the chest muscle.

Another popular new incision location is within the belly button. Also known as the trans-umbilical or TUBA breast augmentation, this procedure requires the creation of a tunnel between the belly button and the breasts for the delivery of a rolled-up saline implant.

Other developments include incisions placed in the areola of the nipple and the addition of a breast augmentation to a mommy makeover procedure. In the mommy makeover procedure, the implants are inserted through the pubic bone incision used for the tummy tuck.

Some doctors are supporting these new techniques as a way to minimize complications as well as recovery time and scarring. According to breast augmentation expert Dr. Cuzalina, “some doctors believe there’s a lower rate of infection when the incision is away from the breast.”