Sientra Tear Drop vs Smooth Round Implants and Size(s) for petite women?

Dear Glorious747950,
I use both tear drop (shaped) implants and round implants in my practice. One has to understand the dimensions of the breast to determine which implant would work best. A shaped implant looks like a tear drop and like a natural breast shape. This may sound like it makes the most sense for breast augmentation but if a patient has breast tissue already, this tends to push out or project the bottom part of the breast more so than what is natural. Two things that look like a breast don't necessarily make for a more natural looking breast. A round implant often times has a more natural look than a shaped implant because it increases the breast size more evenly. I still use shaped implants in a few circumstances when patients have no breast tissue. Patients that are very flat or have had a mastectomy. Shaped implants also have the increased risk, up to 30%, of rotation so I'm very careful when using or recommending them. The bottom line is that one should consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who does a lot of breast surgery to determine the best implant for each patient. All of my breast augmentations are designer breast augmentations which means that one size does not fit all. I customize the surgery and implant based on the characteristics of the patient and their goals.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Shaped devices have been mostly relegated to the breast reconstruction community after mastectomy. Good data shows shaped implants do not offer a different appearance over round of similar dimensions, and they have the extra risk of rotation leading to asymmetry and the need for revision surgery. Further, all shaped implants are textured, which provide an extra (but extremely small) risk of breast implant associated lymphoma.