Our view is simpler than most forum discussions. Implant shape is not a style you pick from a menu; it is chosen after your chest is measured and your tissue is examined. A round implant and a teardrop (anatomical) implant behave differently, and the right one depends on your starting point and the look you describe at consultation.
Hi, this is SM Plastic Surgery in Gangnam, Seoul. Many people who write to us from overseas have already decided on a shape after reading forums, and we understand why: "round or teardrop?" sounds like the first decision.
Our view is simpler than most forum discussions. Implant shape is not a style you pick from a menu; it is chosen after your chest is measured and your tissue is examined. A round implant and a teardrop (anatomical) implant behave differently, and the right one depends on your starting point and the look you describe at consultation.
What is the actual difference between a round and a teardrop implant?
The difference starts with geometry. A round implant is symmetrical, so rotating it around its centre does not change its outline. A teardrop implant has a top and a bottom: it is fuller in the lower part and slopes more gently toward the upper chest. Because it has a direction, its orientation matters.
At SM Plastic Surgery, the teardrop type is described as offering a natural silhouette, and its position can become more stable once the surrounding tissue settles. This is not automatic: a teardrop implant can still rotate, which is why its position is checked at follow-up, and how much any of this applies differs from person to person.
| Point to compare | Round implant | Teardrop (anatomical) implant |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Symmetrical in every direction | Fuller at the bottom, sloping toward the top |
| Orientation | Rotation around its centre does not change its outline | Has a top and a bottom, so position matters |
| Typical consideration | Fullness across the whole breast | A gradual slope in the upper chest |
| How it is decided | Chest width, existing breast tissue, skin, and the result you describe — examined at consultation | |
How does the surgeon decide which shape fits me?
The decision is made in the consultation room, not by email. Dr. Lee Moo-young, the medical director, examines and measures you himself, because the same implant can look different on two people with different chest widths and tissue thickness.
Measurements also matter for size. Bra cup letters are not used the same way in every country, so a cup letter you know from home is a starting point for conversation rather than a specification. During planning, size is discussed based on your measurements and the look you want, and the shape is chosen to suit both.
Which implant brands are used, and where does the shape choice fit in?
For new surgeries, SM Plastic Surgery currently uses two brands, Motiva and Mentor. For Motiva, only the first-generation implants are currently imported into Korea. For Mentor, both MemoryGel and MemoryGel Xtra are used (known in Korea as the Classic and Xtra lines). According to the manufacturer, the Classic line is designed for a soft, natural feel, while Xtra has a higher gel fill, intended to give more fullness at the same width and to help reduce rippling.
Mentor's smooth-surface implants are designed to allow some movement within the implant pocket. Shape, product line, profile and size are considered together, and the implants themselves are silicone gel implants. When you compare clinics, it is reasonable to ask each one which brands and lines they actually use now, not which ones appear on an old web page.
Was the teardrop implant always accepted in Korea?
Not at first. Dr. Lee recalled the period when teardrop implants arrived in Korea in a 2014 magazine interview:
"When teardrop implants were first introduced in Korea, there was a lot of debate. The debate was whether we really had to use a new implant when existing implants already gave a shape that people were satisfied with."
— Dr. Lee Moo-young, Weekly People vol.895, 11 April 2014 (excerpt, translated from Korean)
That debate is a useful reminder for anyone researching from abroad. A newer or more talked-about option is not automatically the right one for your body. The question to bring to every consultation is "why this shape for me?", and a clear answer should refer to your own measurements.
Does the incision site change with the implant shape?
Not directly. The incision site is chosen from three options, taking into account the implant, its size and your anatomy: periareolar (around the areola), transaxillary (in the armpit) or inframammary (along the fold under the breast). Placement uses techniques such as the dual plane method. For deep-layer (subcutaneous) closure in breast surgery, STRATAFIX barbed suture is mainly used; it is knotless and spreads tension along the thread, which is intended to help limit wound separation and scar widening. A primary breast augmentation with implant placement alone takes about 1 to 1.5 hours; revision or combined procedures take longer.
Frequently asked questions
Q1) Can I tell you my preferred shape before I fly to Seoul?
A1) Yes, and it helps to share what you have in mind. The final choice is still made after examination and measurement at the clinic, so please keep your plan open until the consultation.
Q2) Is a teardrop implant always more natural-looking than a round one?
A2) Not always. A teardrop implant has a gradual slope, but how natural any implant looks depends on your chest, tissue and chosen size. Results differ between individuals.
Q3) Who decides the size and shape, me or the surgeon?
A3) It is decided together. You describe the look you want, and Dr. Lee, who handles your care from consultation to surgery, explains which options fit your measurements and which do not.
Q4) Do you use Sebbin implants?
A4) Not for new surgeries. Sebbin production stopped after the French manufacturer's court-ordered liquidation in March 2025. If you already have Sebbin implants, regular check-ups, including imaging when the surgeon advises it, are the way to monitor them, and replacement can be discussed at consultation if you are considering it.
Results and recovery differ between individuals. Please make decisions after a full consultation with a plastic surgery specialist.
Breast implant surgery can cause swelling, bruising, pain, bleeding, infection, hematoma, seroma, and scarring at the incision, and capsular contracture, in which a firm capsule forms around the implant and makes the breast hard or changes its shape, may occur. The implant may rupture, leak, or shift, asymmetry or rippling may occur, and sensation in the nipple or breast may change. Implants do not last a lifetime, so replacement or revision surgery may be needed, and regular check-ups are required after surgery. Results vary from person to person.