I am often asked by my patients contemplating breast augmentation whether should they get anatomically shaped implants rather than round implants, with the thinking being the shaped implants would improve the visual result.  I am not a particular fan of the anatomically shaped implants because I don’t think this type of implant actually improves the result,  and only costs patients more money for no increased benefit.   I believe that the results of mammoplasty, as in most cosmetic plastic surgery procedures,  are directly related to the skill of the surgeon.

Now there is a study that supports my thinking.  Recently, plastic surgeons and nurses were asked to look at both pre- and post-operative photos of patients who had either smooth round implants or anatomically shaped implants. They were asked to decide which type of implant they thought the patient had received.  The result of the study was that they were unable to differentiate between the two.  They had a 50% chance of guessing right or wrong, just like a coin toss. The authors concluded that there was no justification for the systematic use of anatomically shaped implants. You can read the results of the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28027228.

So, I am delighted that there is now evidence in the literature supporting my opinion that it is a waste of money to the patient to implant anatomically shaped implants for routine augmentation mammoplasty.