BREAST IMPLANT SHAPE

Round vs. Tear Drop Breast Implants
One of the more recent choices in breast augmentation involves the option of having either round or teardrop-shaped implants, also known as anatomical. The importance of the implant shape relates to the quest to create a natural looking breast and in particular the slope of the upper part of the breast.

Round implants produce a natural looking breast shape in the majority of women undergoing breast enlargement. The reason for this is that most women have some breast tissue and fat on the chest. When the degree of breast enlargement is moderate the implant is well covered by the breast tissue and the shape produced is natural with a gentle slope in the upper half of the breast.

In a small number of patients who are very slim and have virtually no breast tissue there is very little covering the implant and in this selective group a tear-drop shaped implant may have advantages in bringing a more natural shape to the augmented breast. When a patient contemplates very large augmentation, disproportionate to her body size, the relevance of implant shape is lost and any type of implant will look un-natural.

The anatomical implants do restrict the options for access as their positioning has to be accurate. They also run a small risk of turning around in the pocket made for them which requires re-operation to correct the breast shape.

Mr Grover feels that in selected patients the anatomical implants may offer some benefits, but in the large majority of women seeking breast enlargement round implants are very successful and produce a natural looking result.