By Plastic Surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer.

The issue of round or shaped breast implants has dogged the cosmetic industry for years now, with some plastic surgeons favouring the round, and others the shaped ‘teardrop’ implants. However, according to a recent study in the January issue of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ (ASPS) official medical journal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, plastic surgeons and cosmetic nurses are unable to tell whether a patient has had conventional round breast implants inserted or the teardrop-shaped implants.

The study was conducted by a plastic surgeon in Valencia, Spain, and it apparently found that the results of contoured or round breast implants were indistinguishable, at least amongst the specific group of patients selected for the study. The study concluded that the increasing use of popular ‘teardrop-shaped’ breast implant isn’t justified.

Before & after galleries reveal no distinguishable differences between breast implants

To best determine the results, 30 plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgery nurses were asked to view and discuss photos of 30 women who have undergone breast implant surgery, with 15 women receiving the round implants, and 15 receiving the teardrop-shaped implants. All the cosmetic procedures were performed with silicone implants that were placed under the subpectoral muscle, and the implants were all around 300cc in size.

In order to obtain accurate results, the plastic surgeons and nurses were asked to judge whether a breast implant procedure was performed using round or teardrop-shaped implants, using before & after images as references. It was mentioned in the study that the plastic surgeons and nurses had a 50-50 chance of identifying each set of photos correctly, with many respondents failing to agree on which breast implant was chosen, both immediately after the surgeries and several weeks later. It was found that plastic surgeons could correctly identify the type of breast implant used more frequently because they were able to look at the “before” images and deduce which implant would likely be recommended.

Should you have round or contoured breast implants?

As a renowned plastic surgeon based in London, I am often asked whether round or teardrop breast implants are best, and more often than not, I advise them to select the round implant. This study backs up my opinion that the teardrop-shaped breast implants aren’t as revolutionary as they were predicted to be when they came to the market in 2012, and are more of a ‘gimmick’. They are often more expensive compared to round alternatives, but I don’t feel the extra cost is justified. Of course, every patient is unique and there will be times when a teardrop breast implant is more suitable, but for the majority of patients, a round breast implant will suffice and still deliver natural-looking results.

Here at Harley St Aesthetics, I offer my signature Split Muscle Breast Augmentation which offers a combination of the best techniques currently employed by plastic surgeons across the world. While many surgeons favour the teardrop-shaped implant, I favour the round implants as they are less expensive, and gravity will naturally cause the silicone to flow to the lower half of the implant, producing a teardrop shape anyway.

If you are interested in my Split Muscle Breast Augmentation procedure, or any of the other cosmetic procedures I offer, please get in touch today 0845 519 7232, email info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or fill out our online enquiry form.