The breast implant is placed between the pectoral muscle and the mammary gland of the breast. Sometimes it is also called “placement on the muscle”, since the implant is placed on the pectoral muscle and not below, as in the sub-muscular breast augmentation.

For sub-glandular implant placement in breast augmentation, the following can be used:

• Transaxillary incisions (in the armpit) for breast augmentation
• Inframammary incisions (in the fold) for breast augmentation
• Areolar incisions (in the nipple) for breast augmentation
• Incisions T.U.B.A. (in the navel) for breast augmentation

Pros of sub-glandular placement:

It has many advantages, especially in relation to the breast augmentation surgery itself and the levels of discomfort after the surgery.

Without the need to manipulate the pectoral muscle, it’s very easy for the surgeon to place the breast implant. In addition, the sub-glandular breast augmentation provides simpler access to the implant if the need for another operation arises in the future.

Since the muscles remain intact and only the skin and fat are cut, patients with sub-glandular breast implants usually feel less pain and postoperative discomfort; it requires less recovery time than patients whose implants have been placed below the pectoral muscle.

Cons of sub-glandular placement

The sub-glandular breast augmentation has aesthetic and physical disadvantages, which drive some women to choose placement below the pectoral muscle instead of the placement on top of the muscle, which heals faster.

It’s believed that breast implants placed below the muscle have a more natural slope and feel more natural to the touch. With sub-glandular breast augmentation, the waves that implants cause in the breasts are more visible and felt more easily, especially in women with poor or no breast tissue. In addition, sub-glandular implants tend to generate a more pronounced “roundness.”

The position of the breast implant after a sub-glandular augmentation makes it difficult to see the image during mammograms. This can be an obstacle for early detection of breast cancer.