Robert Whitfield MDAmerica's Breast Implant Illness Expert™

Implants: Under Muscle vs. Over Muscle? Doctor Explains Risks #shorts

16 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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1:03

Dr. Robert Whitfield explains how implant placement affects capsular contracture detection: submuscular implants hide problems under tissue, while subglandular implants make tenderness and firmness easier to feel. He'd counsel a teenager interested in implants by presenting balanced risks and benefits, letting her decide.

Questions this video answers

Implant position changes how easily capsular contracture can be detected. Submuscular placement adds more tissue between the examiner and the implant, making contracture harder to feel, whereas subglandular placement is more readily noticed as tenderness or firmness.

I would explain the risks and benefits fully, allowing her to make an informed decision rather than trying to talk her in or out of the procedure.

Chapters

Is there less risk of capsular contracture under the muscle versus over the muscle? Oh, that's a great question. I think because you change the position of the implant, it makes it harder to determine whether there is a capture contracture. So when it's behind the muscle, there's more tissue between the examiner, me, and the implant, and when it's behind the muscle, there's more tissue between you feeling that and the device, if that makes sense. When it's above the muscle and just behind the breast, I think it's much easier to both have the patient say, oh, wow, this feels tender. This is sore. This is changing. And the examiner then can affirm that more easily. Oh, Megan, you're asking me if my daughter, who's 17, wanted implants, would I talk them out of it? So my daughter's a LEO like me, and I can't talk my kids out of anything. So I would explain to them the risks and benefits. And that's all you want to do. You want people to make the most informed decision that's most important to me. It's not talking someone in or out of something.