Climbing with Breast Implants? (Under the muscle)

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if any of the ladies here could help me with this question. The context is that I am a transgender woman and a semi-active climber. My transition has always included getting top surgery/breast implants/reconstruction.

I went to the consult a short while back and when I told the surgeon that I climb about once a week for the whole day outside he had a lot to say. He said that if I rock climb once a week, that it is too frequent with breast implants that go under the muscle. He said it's highly likely that I will cause them to shift and move out leading to a "double bubble" effect similar to what female weight lifters can get. Furthermore, that I will feel the muscle laying on top of the implants move over them when I flex which will be distracting. The best thing I could do, would be to stop chest exercising and limit my climbing to... once a month. This includes the gym, push ups, and pull ups. If I don't, he will have to fix them eventually.

He said going over the muscle was a bad option for me. Since I am trans the tissue is too limited for him to work with and do a good job. It's highly unlikely, given that I am trans, that I will grow much more which is why I've been recommended this surgery.

The thing is, the doctor isn't totally sure when it comes to climbing. He simply doesn't have many climbers under his care. I've asked other doctors and it's the same thing. They just don't really know because they don't climb and it's such a different activity.

This has been pretty upsetting and distressing. Climbing is a huge part of my life, but so is my identity. The climbing community is the main community I am part of. I feel like I am being asked to choose between who I am and the community I love to be part of. A community that accepted me without any reservations.

Have you had breast implants under the muscle? How did it affect your climbing? Are you still as active in climbing as you were before? Did it hurt your ability to lead safely? Do you know someone who has? What has their experience been like?

I know this can be a very sensitive topic to post about publicly. If you want to share but not post here, please feel free to send me a private message. I am incredibly grateful for any input you might provide.

Thank you.

I don't know what to tell you, but there is a post under the women's forum about climbing with breast cancer/climbing after mastectomies. I know it's a totally different process and surgery, but maybe some of those folks who have had it could weigh in or get you in touch with a doc that might know. Best of luck. 

Try reaching out to Nikki Smith. She actively climbs after making a transition herself and would be able to provide some first hand experience to the questions you are posing.

https://www.instagram.com/pullphoto

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with implants to share with you, and I hope you can find that from others. I do have experience with doctors and the climbing-related advice they give - and in my experience, knowing absolutely nothing about climbing beyond their own vaguely-formed assumptions does not usually stop them from speaking with absolute confidence about what you can and can't do. I also have experience with doctors who are very familiar with climbing, and will accept your athlete mentality - as in, they will support your choice to prioritize climbing as an important and non-expendable part of your life, and give you a treatment plan that will help you get back to it, rather than say you just shouldn't do that activity anymore because that's the safest path.

I'm not sure which type of doctor you're working with, but until you know I would take their climbing-related advice with a huge grain of salt. Ask what their experience is with climbing, if they have treated other climbers, and what data they are using to determine their recommendations. It seems very odd to me to say that climbing once a month is fine but once a week is a bad idea - maybe it's true but that would raise some questions in my mind, especially if that wasn't accompanied by a lot  of questions about the style, duration, and intensity of the climbing you do. (For example, if the issue is chest muscles developing too much, I have a hard time imagining a 10-pitch slab-fest would be a problem even if you did it daily.)

I would try to find a doctor that has experience or knowledge of climbing, or at least supports an athlete mentality, and even if this one does, try to get a second opinion. I recognize both of those things may be easier said than done.

I hope it doesn't come down to you having to make a difficult choice between the activity you love and the body that will feel right to you. If it does, I hope you find the support you need from others and are able to find peace with your choice. While not every climber can relate to your exact circumstances, there are hardly any of us that haven't had to make choices about trade-offs between climbing and injury risk, health, career, life-style, relationships, kids, ...etc.... it's hard to find the right balance and I hope that you do.

Your MD may not have a lot of experience with climbers but do they have experience with athletes? Honestly, what is different about the physical requirements of climbing vs. other sports or even, speaking of a community with lots of implants, being a stripper? Pole work requires lots of muscle and strength. How do they balance the requirements?

Obviously the whole gender transition thing is a factor not every MD is informed about and probably does come with special caveats. I wish you the very best on your journey.

Thank you all for these replies. It's really helpful and I am incredibly appreciative that each of you took the time to do so. I did reach out to Nikki and we had a great conversation. However, without saying anything personal I couldn't directly apply what she shared to my situation.

I've definitely looked up Bobbi Bensman, but I couldn't find out (for sure) if hers were placed under the muscle. That's the tricky point. If they are placed over the muscle, then climbing is unaffected. If placed under the muscle... maybe? None of the doctors I've seen recommend me to go over the muscle. In fact, they were pretty against it and I doubt they will do it if I try to push them.

@Taylor, can you please tell which decision you took and what is your experience? I have a similar situation and don't know how to proceed. 

Another trans woman here. I have trans friends both with breast implants and those about to get breast implants that all climb. I'm on hormones and have natural growth to almost DD now and haven't noticed much other than they can get in the way a little. I just make sure to buy an wear good sports bra's. Feel free to PM me and I could probably put you in touch with some of my friends.

My wife is a competitive powerlifter. She lifts very heavy weights and holds several national records. She has implants for a reduction, of all things. She was very big, and it got in her way. She was advised, well she thinks, that over the muscle is the only way to go for athletics. The fundamental anatomy remains mostly unchanged.

I know this thread is pretty dated at this point, but I just came across it and felt the need to respond as I have fairly large sub-muscular implants (I'm a 34DD) and climb 1-3 times per week without issue.... Bouldering, top rope, lead...All fine. I suppose if someone is looking closely enough, they could see a slight shift in my breast location as I'm really engaging my pecks, but especially with a sports bra/top generally compressing things, it's nothing weird or obvious looking. I don't feel something strange happening, experience discomfort, get distracted, or anything like that... 

In terms of having to 'fix' implants eventually due to exercising... all implants should be replaced eventually. They have a lifespan, and are not meant to be permanent, so that just feels like a load of baloney to me. I think the most important thing would be taking care during recovery not to use the muscles too soon/too much because then you run the risk of displacing the implants while your bodily structure supporting them is still healing. So you're probably looking at taking a good 6-8 weeks off climbing while you heal and then listening to your body and taking it easy while you build back up.

I hope this is helpful to anyone else who happens upon this looking for answers. Feel free to reach out directly with questions. ❤️

Well now I'm curious...how did it go? How are you doing and how have you been effected in climbing, bad, no difference, or bennificial?

Does anyone else have any input on this? I’ve had a couple consults with surgeons, but I’d love some more first hand reports of real world impact of submuscular implants on climbing. I’m currently occasionally flashing .12- and V5 and would love to know what strength I can expect to lose.