Question: I am a female competitive weight lifter and want breast implants. Is it ok to put the implants under the muscle?
Answer:
I generally recommend that women weight lifters have their breast implants over the muscle. The muscle is the pectoralis major muscle. This is the major muscle of the chest. It is highly developed and very strong in weight lifters and this can lead to trouble with implants that are under the muscle. For instance,
- When you use the muscle, it may flatten the implant visibly, an odd and distracting look at the gym and during competitions.
- The muscle is also strong enough to force the implant out of position. Normally, an under-the-muscle implant sits partly under and partly below the muscle. In a weight lifter, the pectoralis muscle can force the implant out of position, either up or down, but in either case not its natural position.
- Finally, the natural breast sits over the pectoral muscle. When the implant is behind the muscle, it changes the look of the muscle which no longer lies flat against the ribs. No one would notice this normally, but again, at the gym and in competitions, the muscle position and definition may look odd.Any athlete with highly developed pectoral muscles needs to be aware of these possible problems. Swimmers for instance have strong pectoral muscles. Although the implant movement doesn’t show under water, the muscle activity can shift the implant out of position.Ballet dancers are another group to be aware of the problem. For instance, for lifts a dancer tenses her arms and chest muscles so her partner can lift her. (A limp dancer can’t be lifted.) This means that during lifts, the muscles can visible flatten her breast implants.The point to remember is that there is no right or wrong. There are advantages and disadvantages to putting breast implants over or under the pectoral muscle. You can decide which you prefer after a thorough discussion with your plastic surgeon.