Why breast augmentation continues to evolve
Breast augmentation has never been a static procedure.
Over the past several decades, surgical techniques, implant technology, and our understanding of breast anatomy have continued to evolve. As new research has emerged and long-term patient outcomes have become better understood, many aspects of the procedure have been refined, leading surgeons to reconsider approaches that were once regarded as the standard.
Over more than 35 years dedicated to breast surgery, Dr. Dennis Hammond has continually studied how breast augmentation has evolved. Throughout his career, he has evaluated advances in implant technology, surgical techniques, and anatomical research, while also drawing on the experience of treating thousands of patients and performing complex revision procedures.
Rather than viewing breast augmentation as a procedure that was perfected years ago, Dr. Hammond has continued to question long-standing surgical concepts and refine his own approach whenever new evidence or clinical experience suggested there was a better way. The result of that ongoing work is SAFE Aug, a technique he developed by combining decades of surgical experience with a deeper understanding of breast anatomy.
At the center of this approach is a simple idea: the most predictable and natural-looking results come from respecting the body’s own anatomy. Every element of SAFE Aug, from implant selection to pocket creation and implant positioning, has been developed with that principle in mind, reflecting years of research, surgical refinement, and careful observation of long-term patient outcomes.
Why implant placement matters
One of the most important decisions in breast augmentation is determining where the implant should be placed.
For many years, positioning implants beneath the pectoralis major muscle became the standard approach. It was the technique taught during surgical training and, for many surgeons, it remains the preferred method today.
The challenge is that the pectoralis muscle is constantly moving. Every time you exercise, lift something, or simply contract your chest muscles, the muscle changes shape. When an implant sits beneath that muscle, the muscle can compress the implant as it contracts.
This movement may cause the breast to temporarily change shape, a phenomenon known as animation deformity.
Depending on the individual, this may appear as distortion of the breast, increased separation between the breasts during muscle contraction, or visible movement of the implant beneath the skin. While the degree of animation varies, it is a natural consequence of placing an implant beneath a muscle that was designed to move.
Over the years, Dr. Hammond cared for an increasing number of revision patients whose primary concern was not the implant itself, but the movement and distortion they experienced during everyday activities. Those experiences prompted an important question: could breast augmentation be approached differently?
A new understanding of breast anatomy
The answer came from a better understanding of the breast itself.
More recent anatomical research has identified an important support structure surrounding the breast known as the circummammary ligament. This ligament helps define the natural boundaries of the breast and creates a distinct anatomical space that had not been fully appreciated until relatively recently.
Rather than working against these natural structures, Dr. Hammond’s approach takes advantage of them.
With SAFE Aug, the implant is placed within this naturally defined space, allowing the surrounding tissues to provide support while preserving the anatomical boundaries of the breast.
This represents a meaningful shift in surgical thinking.
Instead of creating a larger pocket that allows the implant to move more freely, the goal is to develop a pocket that respects the breast’s natural anatomy and allows the implant to sit securely within it.
Why implant size matters
This anatomical approach also changes the way implant size is selected.
It can be tempting to think that larger implants simply create a larger result. In reality, every breast has anatomical boundaries that should be respected.
Selecting an implant that is too large may require expanding beyond the natural limits of the breast pocket. As those supporting structures are stretched or disrupted, the implant becomes more likely to shift downward or move toward the sides of the chest over time.
For this reason, implant selection begins with the available anatomical space rather than with a specific cup size.
When an implant fits comfortably within the natural boundaries of the breast, the surrounding tissues are better able to support it, contributing to greater stability and a more balanced appearance over time.
Respecting these anatomical boundaries is an important part of implant selection. The goal is to choose an implant that fits comfortably within the breast’s natural support structures. When an implant exceeds the space those tissues can reliably support, the likelihood of future revision surgery may increase.
How SAFE Aug creates a more natural result
The advantages of this approach extend beyond implant position alone.
Because the implant is supported by the breast’s own anatomical structures rather than sitting beneath the pectoralis muscle, the soft tissues naturally embrace the implant and help maintain its position.
This creates several important benefits.
The breast maintains a more natural appearance during movement because the implant is no longer being compressed every time the chest muscles contract. The risk of unwanted animation is significantly reduced, and the implant remains more stable within its intended position.
The anatomical pocket also helps minimize the tendency for the implant to rotate, shift downward, or move laterally over time because it remains supported within the natural confines of the breast.
Just as importantly, the final contour often feels more harmonious with your anatomy because the implant is working with the existing support structures rather than relying on muscle coverage.
The objective is not simply to increase volume. It is to create a breast shape that looks natural both at rest and during everyday movement.
Why recovery may feel different
The position of the implant also influences recovery.
When implants are placed beneath the muscle, creating the implant pocket requires lifting and dissecting the pectoralis muscle. Because muscle tissue has been disturbed, recovery may involve additional discomfort, increased soreness, and more bleeding compared with approaches that avoid the muscle altogether.
With SAFE Aug, the pectoralis muscle remains undisturbed.
As a result, there is typically less tissue disruption during surgery, allowing many patients to return to everyday activities sooner than they might expect. Because the muscle has not been elevated to create the implant pocket, there is often less postoperative discomfort and a more straightforward early recovery.
The recovery benefit is not a separate feature of the technique. It is a direct consequence of respecting the body’s anatomy and avoiding unnecessary disruption of the pectoralis muscle.
Rethinking breast augmentation
One of the most meaningful aspects of SAFE Aug is that it reflects a willingness to continue learning.
Rather than accepting long-established surgical concepts without question, Dr. Hammond has continued to refine his technique as new anatomical research and decades of clinical experience have provided new insights. SAFE Aug is the result of that ongoing process of observation, evaluation, and refinement.
It also reflects an important shift in the way breast augmentation can be approached.
Instead of focusing primarily on implant size or implant type, the procedure begins with anatomy. Understanding the natural support structures of the breast, selecting an implant that fits those boundaries, and creating a pocket that works with those structures all contribute to a more predictable outcome.
For the appropriate candidate, this approach can reduce unwanted animation, provide greater implant stability, support a more natural breast contour, and allow recovery to be more comfortable by avoiding unnecessary muscle dissection.
Looking ahead
Breast augmentation continues to evolve as new anatomical knowledge becomes available, and SAFE Aug reflects that evolution.
It combines more than three decades of surgical experience with ongoing research and careful evaluation of long-term patient outcomes, resulting in an approach designed around the body’s own anatomy rather than older surgical conventions.
For you, that means the conversation extends well beyond implant size. It becomes a discussion about anatomy, implant position, long-term stability, recovery, and how every surgical decision contributes to a result that looks natural, moves naturally, and continues to perform well over time.
Ultimately, SAFE Aug represents more than a surgical technique. It reflects Dr. Hammond’s commitment to continually improving breast augmentation by combining experience, research, and a deeper understanding of anatomy to provide the most refined approach possible.
