Breast augmentation with full-height anatomic saline implants: the pros and cons

Full-height anatomic implants, like round implants, have advantages and disadvantages. Based on 21 years' experience using round implants and 10 years' experience using anatomic implants, the author believes that anatomically shaped implants offer substantial, significant advantages compared with round implants in more than 90% of primary augmentations. Anatomic implants are a significant addition to the armamentarium of any surgeon who performs primary breast augmentation, provided that the surgeon is willing to meet requirements for optimal use of these more sophisticated products: more stringent implant selection based on individual patient tissue characteristics, accurate pocket dissection under direct visualization, accurate implant positioning based on measured and visual parameters, and above all, detailed patient informed consent about the trade-offs of all implant options. Absent the willingness and skills development to meet these requirements, surgeons should avoid using anatomic implants.