Can breast implants turn is a reoccurring question in patients that are looking for a breast enhancement and have been reading a lot, especially a lot on the internet. They always tell me that they have read that implants in the shape of “tears” can turn. And this makes them take a step back when choosing them.

Let’s clear this up a bit. All implants can turn. All of them. But we are going to explain so as not to alarm.

There are basically and schematically two types of implants. The round ones which are like “ an orange cut down the middle” and those “ in the shape of a drop” or anatomical ones which have the shape of a natural breast, meaning that the volume enhances from the top to the bottom, making the top flatter and the bottom fuller.

So, they can all turn. But the round one, if it turns, does not change the shape. Try it. Cut an orange in half. Put half flat on the chopping board. Turn it. You will see that the shape does not change. Because north and south are the same, just like east and west. But in an anatomical implant, this is different. Because if it turns, and the bottom part ends up at the top, the breast, as described by patients, is as if it has “turned around”.

Although this sounds a bit bizarre, it’s very strange to see. I only remember one case of a patient operated on in a different centre, by a colleague and friend which was resolved satisfactorily.

This happens for two reasons, the first of them is because the space we have made for the implant may be larger than it should be and therefore allows the implant to turn. If the implant does not have space to turn, it won’t have the option. And also because there are types of implants that adhere more or less to the surrounding tissues. The more they adhere, the less they turn. It’s common sense. The more they ‘stick’ to the body, the less they will move.

And for those that like to investigate further, the implants that move the least are the polyurethane ones.

But above all. Above all talk to your surgeon and let him remove any doubts and guide you correctly.

If you are interested in knowing more about implants, contact us andwe can answer your questions.