Illustration shows a tissue expander placed below the chest muscle as part of breast reconstruction with an implant.

A breast implant that's placed below the chest muscle is called a subpectoral breast implant. It's often done in two operations. First, a plastic surgeon places a balloonlike tissue expander below the muscle. Over a period of a few weeks to months, a healthcare professional may slowly fill the expander with saline to the size you prefer. In a second operation, a plastic surgeon removes the expander and replaces it with a breast implant.

See also

  2. Breast cancer
  3. Breast cancer chemoprevention: Drugs that reduce risk
  4. Breast Cancer Education Tool
  5. Breast cancer staging
  6. Breast cancer types: What your type means
  7. Breast implants: Saline vs. silicone
  8. Common questions about breast cancer treatment
  9. Dragon Boats and Breast Cancer
  10. Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
  11. Genetic testing for breast cancer: Psychological and social impact
  12. HER2-negative breast cancer: Understanding your diagnosis
  13. HER2-positive breast cancer: What is it?
  14. Infographic: Breast Cancer Risk
  15. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)
  16. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)
  17. Pink Sisters
  18. The Long Race Beating Cancer
  19. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)
  20. Weight Loss After Breast Cancer
  21. What is breast cancer? An expert explains