TEARDROP BREAST IMPLANTS / ANATOMICAL BREAST IMPLANTS
Teardrop breast implants have become popular among some surgeons in
recent years. I will use them if requested, but don't recommend them in most cases.
A teardrop breast implant favors
fullness at the lower part of the breast. Most of my breast implant patients are equally
concerned with the filling the upper portion of the breast to create some fullness up top. A round breast implant tends to create fullness throughout the breast.
There may also prove to be a higher rate of fold failure in anatomical
breast implants or teardrop breast implants that may lead to deflation.
When you hold a round breast implant up on it's side, hanging it from
the top, which is the position it is in when you stand, it becomes a teardrop shape
anyway! The filler, whether saline or silicone, has weight and therefore stretches the
bottom somewhat. The top then collapses somewhat. If you start with a smaller top, and the
bottom stretches slightly over time, the top can end up empty when you stand. This would
allow the empty area to rub, front against back, and theoretically increase the
possibility of fold failure. (This deflation theory is theoretical at present
and has not been proven statistically to my knowledge!)
Does a round implant make a round breast?....No!
I do not think that there is a very big difference in the shape of the
breast when standing after the implant settles into it's optimal position! This is
because a breast implant is easily molded into
whatever shape it is pushed into. A soft breast implant cannot overcome the pressure of the overlying muscle and
skin very much, if at all.
Therefore, in my opinion, the ultimate shape of the breast will mostly
depend upon the size and position of the pocket we make, the shape, elasticity and
thickness of the muscles and skin, and the size of the implant we use. An
artificially round breast, in my experience, usually occurs due to placing the
implant outside the muscle in a situation where there isn't good skin and fat
coverage.
The possibility of less fullness across the upper portion of the
breast after settling is something that should be considered in making this choice.
As with the smooth/textured discussion, I do not think
teardrop breast implants are medically unwise and do not force the choice.
I will allow the patient to choose
whichever implants they prefer. Considering these issues, however, I recommend
staying with round breast implants for most patients. | 
