Contribution to the study of the future of silicon-gel breast implants in mammary reconstruction after cancer: concerning 205 implants
Faucher, A.; Barreau, B.; Dilhuydy, M.H.
Annales de Chirurgie Plastique et Esthetique 45(2): 97-101
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0294-1260 PMID: 10863771 Document Number: 514681
Long term follow-up of 187 women with mammary reconstruction using 205 silicone-gel implants enables a retrospective analysis of the evolution of both patients and their prosthesis. Most patients have not presented local or general disease related to implant leakages. However, these leakages are not uncommon, being present in nearly one-third of 38 explantations motivated by aesthetic considerations (of which 50% are capsular retractions). All the ruptured or pre-ruptured implants are more than seven years old. Leakage frequency sharply increases after ten years. Authors tried to assess the place of radiologic evaluations (digitized costal profile, ultrasound, MRI...) in order to detect deterioration of the prosthesis. Although suspicions raised by these evaluations have made it possible to adequately target the explantations, pathogenicity of silicone-gel implants appears low enough to confirm the predominance of clinical follow-up.