Background: After fifty years breast implants have gone through many evoutions and filler material and shell designs. In silicone breast implants the latest design innovation is that of the shaped or anatomic implant. It is also called a tear drop breast implant as well. Like that of a natural aging breast a greater percentage of the implant’s volume is in the lower pole and less in the upper pole. This makes for an implant that is not round and has a very specific orientation when placed in the breast pocket.
There are several features of the anatomic breast implant that makes it different from the traditional round silicone breast implant. Besides its shape the most obvious difference is its textured shell or containment bag. This rough surface to the implant is of critical importance to prevent implant rotation after surgery. The textured surface allows scar tissue (known as the capsule) to grab onto the implant and hold it into place. By preventing implant rotation no external breast shape deformity will occur. A smooth round implant when it moves will always look the same (mainly round) but it is easy to see that would not be the case for a shaped implant.
Besides being a type of breast implant that does not move, the texturing of the implant shell makes it twice as thick as the smooth round silicone implant. This will give it a more firm feel and an implant that does move to the side of the chest wall when one lays down. The anatomic shape of the implant and is thicker shell virtually eliminates the chance of any rippling that can be felt or seen on the outside of the breasts.
Case Study: This 52 year old female wanted to have some greater breast volume but wanted still wanted to look natural. She was a very small and petite middle-aged female and definitely wanted to avoid looking like she had obvious breast implants.
Under general anesthesia, she had 350cc Sientra textured shaped silicone breast implants placed through inframammary incisions. Her postoperative results show nicely shaped symmetric breast mounds that had increased but not too much upper pole fullness.
The shaped silicone breast implant is most commonly requested by ‘older’ women who want to avoid looking like they have had breast augmentation. While the size of the implant does play a role in that perception, a breast that is too round with equal upper to lower pole fullness is perceived as the telltale sign of an indwelling implant. The shaped breast implant solves this aesthetic concern beautifully and does so even very early after surgery when there is still swelling present.
Highlights:
1) The type of silicone breast implants can play a major role in the final shape of the augmented breast.
2) Textured anatomic breast implants create a more natural breast shape that has less upper pole fullness.
3) Sientra is a leading manufacturer of textured anatomic or teardrop breast implants.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana