The advantage of axillary breast augmentation is that the incision is placed in a location away from the breast. The incision is placed in the armpit. The incision will not be detectable when your arms are by your sides, but will be visible if you bring your arms above your head. Remember this if you enjoy sports such as swimming, volleyball, or racquet sports around the Chicago area.
Some surgeons market axillary breast augmentation as if it is a new technique; it is not. Originally the surgery was a “blind” operation. This means that the surgeon carried out the operation by making an incision under the arm and using long somewhat gruesome instruments to create a space for the implant by pushing the instrument back and forth. The surgeon could not see the pocket he was creating. There are still some surgeons who do the operation this way. In my opinion this is a quick but imprecise way to do the surgery.
The key to a beautiful result with breast augmentation surgery is precise control of the lower pole of the breast. I always felt I was sacrificing some of this precision when I carried out breast augmentation by a “blind” axillary approach.
The surgical endoscope has made axillary breast augmentation a much better procedure. With the endoscope and proper retractors I am able to see what I am doing on a monitor as I create the pocket for the breast implant. This makes the operation more precise.
There is an advantage to using saline breast implants with the axillary approach. This is because saline breast implants are filled with saltwater after they have been passed through the incision and into the space I have created. These implants can be passed through a small incision with relative ease. This is not the case with silicone gel breast implants since they are filled with silicone gel at the manufacturing facility.
Please click here to see a short video that demonstrates the different types of breast implants.