Yes, mild implant movement when lying down is normal.
After breast augmentation surgery, when lying on your back, you may notice that your breast implants are moving outward towards your arms. This observation usually creates anxiety: “Is my pocket too big?” or “Are my implants falling into my armpits?” At Lin Europe Clinic we reassure patients about breast physiology quite often. A short and general answer to the question “Is it normal for the implants to fall to the side when laying down?” is yes, however, there are some conditions.
Breast implants are influenced by gravity in the same way as natural tissue. Actually, an implant that stays perfectly upright and stiff when you lie flat will usually be seen as artificial (the dreaded “bolted-on” look). Nevertheless, there is a difference between natural movement and a problem called lateral displacement. This article will guide you to recognize if your movement is a sign of a natural result or a surgical issue that requires correction.
Natural Movement vs. “Fake” Look
Take a natural, un-augmented breast as an example, it doesn’t stand like a soldier when the woman lies down. The soft tissue yields to gravity and moves towards the side of the rib cage. Therefore for a breast augmentation to look and feel as natural, the implants need to be allowed some freedom of movement within the pocket.
In case the surgeon made a pocket that is extremely small, the implants would be noticeably sitting high and centered on your chest even when you are lying down. While this might sound good, it gives the patient a stiff, spherical look which most patients do not want. So, the sight of your cleavage widening slightly and your breasts moving outward when you lie down is generally an indication of a correctly done, natural-looking surgery.
When It Becomes a Problem: Lateral Displacement
Movement can be good but too much movement is bad. Lateral displacement is when the implant moves to the side so much that it almost goes into the armpit area.
You could have lateral displacement if:
- The Gap is Too Wide: When lying down, the distance between your breasts becomes so wide that your sternum is bare, flat, or bony.
- Armpit Fullness: You feel the implant pressing against the side of your arm or it is difficult to get comfortable with the implant being so high in the axilla.
- Nipple Misalignment: Your nipple points inward toward the center of your chest as the implant has moved so far outward.
Why Does Lateral Displacement Happen?
Excessive sliding is usually attributed to an internal pocket that is too large.
- Over-Dissection: A surgeon cuts the tissue during the operation to make room for the implant. However, if the surgeon severs too far into the area of the outer ribcage (lateral boundary), there will be no “wall” to prevent the implant from sliding.
- Gravity and Neglect: If you went to sleep on your back without a bra before the scar capsule had formed, this allowed gravity to continually pull the implants to the sides. Lack of proper use of your recovery bra can lead to the pocket healing in a stretched-out position.
- Physical Constitution: Broad and flat chested patients are more predisposed to this natural because their ribcage does not provide a curved “cradle” for the implant.
Is It Possible To Fix It?
If the degree of movement is mild, it is probably just a natural result. On the other hand, if the displacement is something that is bothering you or causing you pain then it can be surgically corrected.
The repair is accomplished through a surgical operation called capsulorrhaphy. The surgeon goes in through the original incision and puts permanent internal sutures on the outer edge of the pocket. Essentially, this is “sewing up the wall,” whereby the space is narrowed and the implant is compelled to stay nearer to the center of the chest. It is a great repeat operation that doesn’t take long to recover from.
Prevention: Why the Recovery Bra Counts
To stop your implants from falling into your armpits, the most important is first 6 to 12 weeks. A surgical bra is made with extra-high sides to work as a barrier against lateral drift.
Even when you turn on your back for a nap, the bra will hold the implants centrally. This helps your body recognize that scar tissue should form on the side as tight as the bra is, creating limits for the implants. When the capsule becomes solid (approximately after the third month), the implants will be “locked” in the safe limits, hence there will be natural motion without excessive sliding.
Breast Surgery in Turkey
Figuring out the proper balance between “too stiff” and “too loose” cannot be done by just anyone. The surgeons at Lin Europe Clinic Istanbul are not only experts in the field but they can also perform pocket dissection perfectly. By surgical instruments, they set the lateral borders of the breast so that your implants will have a natural freedom of movement but at the same time, not slide out of place.
Should you be a victim of lateral displacement coming from a previous surgery elsewhere, then we are pocket repair specialists. Our “all under one roof” solution guarantees a caring touch for your whole revision healing journey, through the utilization of avant-garde techniques and a post-op luxury environment. We would be happy to see you getting your symmetry back and your confidence in Istanbul where we put you and your results at the center.
Frequently Asked Questions About Implant Movement
If the internal surgical pocket is opened up too much or if the side walls are weak, this can happen. When you lie flat, your implants are pulled by gravity sideways towards your armpits.
Currently silicone implants are very tough and hardly ever get ruptured due to a normal fall. However, a violent blow can cause internal bleeding or displacement, thus you should see your surgeon if you have pain.
You will see a visible asymmetry or the nipple position will suddenly change if compared to the other breast. One side of the breast might look lower, higher, or further to the side.
Ultimately, a capsulorrhaphy-type operation which involves stitching the internal pocket closes is the only permanent solution. No matter what, medical revision is going to be necessary to bring the implant back in the right place since exercises are incapable of tightening the pocket
Chest exercises are intended for muscle and not for the scar tissue pocket. Hence, you can’t use the exercise to tighten the loose pocket; a surgical operation is necessary.
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Bengtson, B. P. (2011). Complications, adverse events, and reoperations in breast augmentation. Clinics in Plastic Surgery.
Maxwell, G. P., & Gabriel, A. (2016). Bio-dimensional planning in revision breast augmentation. Clinics in Plastic Surgery.
Spear, S. L., & Rottman, S. J. (2016). The correction of breast implant complications. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
