Teardrop Breast Implants

Breast implants that are designed to mimic the gentle contours and fullness of a natural, mature breast are known as Teardrop, Shaped or Anatomic breast implants. A teardrop implant gently slopes to a full projection point in the lower portion of the implant giving a natural, yet substantively augmented result. Teardrop implants are available from both Allergan and Mentor, the two manufacturers of breast implants that are Health Canada approved, and come in a wide variety of profiles, sizes and surface textures to meet the individual body requirements and goals of each woman.

What Makes a Beautiful Breast?

When performing Breast Augmentation, Dr. Jugenburg understands the aesthetics of a beautiful, natural breast and aims to carefully incorporate these features into your results. However, the appearance of a natural looking Breast Augmentation does not necessarily require the use of Teardrop breast implants because implant placement is more important in determining the final look of a breast enlargement. At the Toronto Cosmetic Surgery Institute, Dr. Jugenburg therefore only uses Teardrop implants for Breast Reconstruction in cancer patients (after a Mastectomy) when the recreation of a natural breast shape is important. Teardrop implants are more expensive than Round implants, and in a patient with existing breast tissue, can create an exaggerated and unnatural breast shape.

Typical characteristics of beautiful, natural breasts are:

The areola is generally smaller than 40 mm in diameter.

The nipple sits above the line (the breast fold) where the base of the breast meets the chest (in fact, the most attractive breasts as studied by plastic surgeons, puts the nipple approximately 6.9 cm above this fold).

The two nipples should form an equilateral triangle with the notch above the sternum (that is, the distances between the nipples and from each nipple to the notch should all be the same).

Breast size is proportionate to chest width and height waist.

Breasts are pert rather than sagging.

Breasts appear symmetrical (but are never perfectly symmetrical in any women).

Proper projection: on profile, the nipple should sit directly behind the part of the breast that projects the fullest.

Round Implants and Implant Placement

Breast Augmentation surgery involves the creation of a pocket that allows for the placement of the chosen breast implant above or below the chest muscle (pectoralis major). The pocket can be made in one of two places: under the breast itself (also known as sub-glandular or sub-mammary), or under both the breast and chest muscle (also known as sub-muscular or sub-pectoral). However, when a Round breast implant is placed in a dual-plane position, where the muscle covers the upper two thirds of the implant, while the bottom third is covered by the natural breast tissue, the benefits of both a sub-muscular and sub-glandular pocket placement is achieved. The uneven compression from the muscle across the implant also creates a gentle, natural teardrop shape to the breast, without the need to use a more expensive Teardrop implant.

Breast Reconstruction

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and affects about 11% of Canadian women. For women who require a Mastectomy (breast cancer surgery), a breast reconstruction helps to restore their body image, self-esteem and has been shown to improve survival rates. However, 90% of Mastectomy patients never have breast reconstruction, as they either do not know that it is available to them or do not realize that the surgery is OHIP covered.

Breast Reconstruction using implants is an option for women who either do not have sufficient excess skin and fat that can be used for reconstructive purposes, or who wish to avoid the prolonged recovery and risks associated with more complicated flap reconstruction techniques. Benefits of breast implant reconstruction are a quicker, simpler surgery, shorter recovery, and minimal risks.

The type of breast implant that is used, whether Round or Teardrop, will depend on a number of factors, such as the extent of breast tissue that was removed and the desired appearance of the breast.

A Comparison of Saline and Silicone Teardrop Implants

Saline and silicone breast implants are available with a teardrop shape. Both types of implants have specific benefits and come with similar highly durable, elastic and resilient silicone shells that are designed to be highly resistant to rupturing or tearing.

Key Benefits of Saline Teardrop Breast Implants:

Saline implants have been FDA and Health Canada approved for many years.

Each implant is filled with a sterile salt-water solution similar to the fluid that makes up most of the human body (i.e., it is harmless and compatible with the human body).

Saline implants have a flexible fill volume that can be precisely adjusted by Dr. Jugenburg during surgery to meet the needs of each patient and give the best result.

If a saline implant leaks or ruptures it will be harmless, and since the breast size and shape will noticeably change, it will also be immediately apparent.

The insertion of any given saline implant during surgery requires a smaller incision than that required for a similar size of silicone implant.

Saline implants are cheaper than silicone implants, which means the total procedure cost for saline implant augmentation is cheaper for the patient.

Key Benefits of Saline Teardrop Breast Implants:

All silicone implants are FDA and Health Canada approved.

Each implant is filled with a thick, cohesive silicone gel formula that holds together uniformly and retains a natural pliability that closely resembles breast tissue.

Irrespective of the age of a silicone implant or a woman`s body position or lifestyle, overtime

Silicone implants suffer from less rippling/wrinkling than saline implants and older liquid sili cone implants.

If a silicone implant leaks or ruptures, the silicone gel will not be released.

Each implant has a set fill volume for predictable results.

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