Breast reconstruction with a breast implant placed above the chest muscle

A breast implant that's placed on top of the chest muscle is called a prepectoral breast implant. It's often done in two operations. First, a plastic surgeon places a balloonlike tissue expander under the skin. 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.