Can Breast Implants Be Done In Someone With A Pectus Excavatum Chest Deformity?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like a consultation for a breast augmentation. I have pectus excavatum and didn’t realize this until early adulthood. At this point in my life I would prefer cosmetic surgery as opposed to a more invasive surgery to correct my deformity.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!

A: Breast augmentation can do a good job of masking/hiding minor to moderate degrees of a pectus excavatum deformity. When the chest plane is fairly flat with minimal breast mounds, a inward curvature or depression of the sternum (pectus excavatum) can be very noticeable. One would think that increasing the size of the breast mounds would make the sternal depression more obvious…but it doesn’t. Conversely it has the opposite effect and makes it ‘disappear’. This is because enlargement of the breast mound with an implant pushes up the inner aspect of the breast mound and part of the skin that makes up the edges of the pectus deformity. With two mounds emerging right next to the sternum, the deepest part of the pectus deformity now creates a natural cleavage effect and the sternal depression has now ‘disappeared’.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana