Teardrop Implants

Teardrop Implants Versus Round Implants

Teardrop implants may be more desired by most women but they are more costly and generally not recommended due to complications. Since breasts of women are made of many different shapes and sizes, breast enhancement goals and techniques vary greatly from patient to patient.

For some women, round implants will provide the best results while teardrop implants may be a more suitable choice for others. The resulting appearance of the breast is a direct result of the shape of the implant so it is important to have your consultation with a plastic surgeon that has had extensive experience in both types before making a final decision regarding your breast implant surgery.

Ultimately, shape is just as important of a choice for you to make as size is. Since every woman has a different shape of breast to start with, certain considerations need to be addressed including:

Your body type.
The amount of natural breast tissue that you have to work with.
Whether the placement of your breast implants will be subglandular or submuscular.
Whether the incision for your surgery will be around the areola, in the armpit, beneath the breast or near the navel.

Saline Teardrop Implants

Saline teardrop implants are also referred to as anatomical, contoured, shaped and dimensional. They are available in many designs, varying in width, height and the outward projection. The shape is natural and generally not the most popular choice for breast augmentation. Teardrop implants are the preferred choice for women that are having breast reconstruction done after mastectomies.

Saline teardrop implants are not the recommended choice by surgeons for a few reasons. These implants require a textured shell so that the implant will stay in an upright position. Secondly, textured shells can often be felt and can be prone to more visible ripples in the skin's surface. Thirdly, for teardrop implants to hold their shape, they have to be filled a bit more so they are usually a bit more firm. Lastly, it is easy for these implants to rotate or move in the breast pocket and if this happens, the breast will be misshaped. Round implants do move as well but they are symmetrical so they do not affect the shape of the breast.

Silicone?

Teardrop implants are not available in silicone because the gel that is used is a gooey, thick material so the gel's pliability cannot hold a definite shape. Therefore, silicone gel is not able to be molded into and maintain a stable teardrop shape.

Cohesive Gel Teardrop Implants

Although these implants have been available in other countries, they were not available in the United States until 2009. Often called “gummy-bear” implants, the gel is substantially thicker than traditional silicone implants so they can be molded into teardrop implants that are much softer and cause far less rippling than that of saline implants. However, these are still able to rotate or move while in the breast pocket resulting in a misshaped breast. Even though they seem promising, long-term effects are unknown.

Round Implants

These are the traditional choice for breast augmentation. They create round, nicely proportioned, soft breasts and they are available in a large enough range of degrees and diameters to provide a great fitting implant for any woman of any size.

The advantage is the softer shell that causes less rippling and they also tend to be much more fluid compared to teardrop implants. When you are standing, the upper portion of the implant collapses, assuming a natural shape and when you lay on your back, they tend to flatten out a bit, appearing much more natural. Be sure to explore all of your choices before deciding on which implant choice is right for you.