In addition to increasing their cup size, many women opt to undergo a breast augmentation with the hope that it will create more cleavage. Cleavage is a term used to describe the gap or space between the breasts. Narrow cleavage, characterized by breasts that are close together, is typically considered most desirable. However, it is important to be aware that it is not the surgeon who determines if you will have cleavage after breast implants but rather your natural nipple placement, the position of your pectoralis muscles, and the vertical midline of your chest.
Although your surgeon can place the breast implants slightly closer together to help create cleavage, it is imperative that they are centered below the nipples to ensure that the outcome appears natural. As a result, patients should expect that while their breasts will be larger, their cleavage will be similar to its natural state as cleavage is determined by the distance between the inner edges of the breasts and the nipples.
Since in many cases, breast implants are placed below the pectoralis muscle, the muscle’s attachment point on your sternum (chest bone) will also dictate the amount of cleavage you have. The implants cannot be placed closer together below the muscle than their insertion point on the chest bone will allow. The surgeon cannot risk stripping this muscle off the chest bone during the procedure as it plays an important functional role and is required to move your arm.
While many patients assume that narrow cleavage can be created by placing the implants closer together, the surgeon must consider the vertical midline of the patient’s chest when positioning the breast implants. If patients naturally have wide cleavage, implants that are placed too close together or too close to the vertical midline of the chest will cause nipples to point outwards, creating an unnatural and undesirable outcome for the sake of an increase in cleavage.Close implants can also result in rippling or increase the likelihood that the implants will be visible through the skin. This is particularly true of slim patients who have little fatty tissue covering their midline chest tissue to hide the implant.While a breast augmentation procedure can yield dramatic results, it is important to have realistic expectations and to understand that there are inherent limitations for any surgical procedure. The goal of breast augmentation is to enhance the size and shape of the breasts using breast implants, but the surgeon must take into account the patient’s anatomy to ensure that the results are both beautiful and natural.During your initial consultation with Dr. Edelstein or Dr. Jindal, experienced breast augmentation surgeons in Toronto, they will take chest and breast measurements in order to provide you with a clear and accurate idea of the anticipated results including the amount of cleavage you can expect. To learn more, please contact our clinic today to schedule a consultation.
Toronto's Leading Cosmetic Clinic
If you’re ready to take the plunge into plastic surgery or our non-surgical treatments, the first step is a consultation. We look forward to helping you achieve your dream aesthetic.
