Today, when planning for breast augmentation surgery, women have choices to make. In my Fairfield County plastic surgery practice my patients and I discuss all the options. Do they want silicone or saline implants? Also, what shape implants would they prefer? There are two choices of implant shape, round, or anatomic or teardrop style.Below is a short discussion of the pros and cons of both.
Round Implants
Round implants are available in saline or silicone. They have the benefit of maintaining their breast shape even if the implants rotate within the body. When standing, the volume within the implant shifts to the bottom of the implant, creating a normal teardrop shape. When lying down, the volume spreads out evenly within the implant, allowing the breast to settle like a normal breast.
If the round implants are silicone, they can be placed through a small incision using the Keller funnel. The Keller funnel is a device shaped like a tube that holds the implant. The tip of the device is placed within the incision and allows the implant to slide into the breast pocket without having to be squeezed or touch the skin. This allows the incision to be very small and decreases the risk of implant rupture in the future as well as infection. These two qualities make round implants ideal for most women desiring silicone implants.
Teardrop Implants
Anatomic or teardrop implants are essentially used only with silicone. They add an extra degree of natural shape, particularly in the upper pole of the breast in very thin patients. There is a small 3% risk of rotation of these implants that requires a return to the operating room. Another possible downside to these implants is that they require a larger incision to allow proper placement of the implant. For larger implants, this means a 2-4 inch incision as compared to the 1.5-inch incision to place a round implant.
To determine the ideal implant shape for you, discuss the options with your doctor. The surgeon should also be able to provide you with before and after pictures of other patients to help you better understand your expectations and potential outcomes from breast augmentation surgery.
Advanced Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery offers the newest and most sophisticated cosmetic surgery procedures for men and women, including breast augmentation, neck and face lifts, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty (nose surgery), liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), reduction or reconstruction, as well as Botox, Juvederm and other injectable fillers. All procedures are done by ASC surgeons Dr. David Goldenberg, Dr. Sohel Islam, Dr. Prashant Soni, and Dr. Julia Toto. ASC offices are located in the Fairfield County, CT towns of Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, Ridgefield and Southbury.
– Dr. Prashant Soni