Aesthetic Breast Augmentation: The Double Implant

The objectives of the augmentation prostheses are to increase the volume, enhance the shape, and improve the projection of the breast. Since 1962, plastic surgeons have used the silicone gel-filled breast implant created by Cronin and Gerow [6]. The contents of the standard implant have been modified: silicone gel-filled, PVP, dextran, oil, saline hydrogel, etc. The shell of the prostheses had been made with a smooth surface, textured silicone, and polyurethane-covered silicone. The shape has been modified: In 1993, A. Miller patented the stacked breast implant used in breast reconstruction [7]. This contribution tends to improve the projection of the breast. In 1994, the authors [1,3,4] described a new surgical procedure for locating the standard implants named the double pocket technique. Simultaneously, the authors [2–5] modified the shape of the prosthesis creating the double implant prostheses.     

International Breast Implant Registry: A User Report

The International Breast Implant Registry (IBIR) was founded in 2002 under the auspices of the International Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Foundation (IPRAF), the International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS), and the European and International Committee for Quality Assurance, Medical Technologies, and Devices in Plastic (EQUAM) on the basis of continuous discussion about the safety and compatibility of different breast implants. The IBIR aims to integrate and replace the already existing national breast implant registries. It also is assumed that the European Parliament, the Food and Drug Administration, and international organizations of plastic and aesthetic surgeons will postulate obligatory international breast implant registration. Currently, IBIR is in a pilot phase with the goal of understanding data collection issues and concerns in various countries whereby the data entered to date will be completely available in the final version. A well-established global registry represents an important tool of quality assurance. By publishing their experiences in applying the registry, the authors aim to encourage more plastic and aesthetic surgeons to submit their cases to the registry and thus enhance its value as a successful and powerful device.     

Histological Features of Periprosthetic Mammary Capsules: Silicone vs. Polyurethane

Background  

Periprosthetic capsules are a common reaction of the body to silicone or polyurethane breast implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate similarities and differences in the histological features of periprosthetic capsules surrounding silicone implants and polyurethane foam-coated implants and to correlate those features with the age of the implants.     

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Clinical and Histological Correlations

SUMMARY: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the lack of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the lack of HER2 expression or amplification. Much interest has recently been focused on these triple-negative (TN) subtypes because they may be aggressive and are more likely to recur and metastasize than other subtypes of breast cancer. TNBC accounts for approximately 10-24% of all breast cancer cases, and typically it occurs in younger patients and in patients with BRCA1 mutation. There is a substantial heterogeneity of TNBCs both at the morphological and the molecular level, but there are also common features, such as low tumor grade and accelerated tumor proliferation. Morphologically, TNBC may present as invasive ductal, metaplastic, medullary, apocrine, or other types. Molecularly, they are most frequently associated with a basal phenotype, but there is a distinct subgroup of cancers that are not of basal type and belong to the claudin-low or molecular-apocrine type. The basal phenotype is frequently associated with the loss of BRCA1.     

Analysis of 30 Breast Implant Rupture Cases

Breast implants used for augmentation mammoplasty or breast reconstruction could rupture from various causes such as trauma or spontaneous failure. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships between the causes of implant rupture and the degree of capsular contracture, and then to evaluate the relative efficacies of specific signs on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) known to be beneficial for diagnosing the rupture. A retrospective review identified patients with prosthetic implant rupture or impending rupture treated by the senior author. The 30 cases of implant rupture available for review were classified into two groups: intracapsular and extracapsular ruptures. The 30 cases of breast implant ruptures were analyzed with respect to the clinical symptoms and signs, the causes of rupture, the degree of capsular contracture, and therapeutic plans. Among the 30 cases, 14 patients who had undergone MRI during the diagnostic period were analyzed with respect to the relationships between MRI readings and operative findings. Spontaneous rupture of membranes was most common (80%), followed by failure because of trauma (7%) and valve or implant base (4%). The symptoms during implant rupture were contour deformity, palpated masslike lesions, pain, and focal inflammation. According to the analysis of specific MRI signs, the sensitivity and specificity of the linguine sign were 87% and 100%, respectively, for intracapsular rupture. For extracapsular rupture, the sensitivity and specificity of the linguine sign were, respectively, 67% and 75%. The sensitivity and specificity of the rat-tail sign and tear drop sign were 14% and 50%, respectively. Breast implant rupture was correlated with the degree of capsular contracture in our study. Among the various specific MRI signs used in diagnosing the rupture, the linguine sign was reliable and had a high sensitivity and specificity, especially in cases of intracapsular rupture. On the other hand, the rat-tail and tear drop signs were nonspecific signs for diagnosing the rupture of breast implant.     

Factors Associated with Breast Implant Rupture: Pilot of a Retrospective Analysis

This pilot study's goal was to test the feasibility of a data collection form which will be used in a scale-up study analyzing multiple surgeons' records. The goal of this expanded study will be to develop identifying factors for women who are at greater risk for having ruptured implants and, if necessary, target them for screening, surveillance, or intervention. In the pilot study, we compared factors associated with implant rupture in women with and without rupture. Similar studies have considered one or a few factors at a time and, generally, have given little attention to implant generation. We developed a data collection form after reviewing records of three surgeons. A total of 92 records was collected and analyzed. An important feature in the pilot was to compare the results of patients whose implants the surgeons had both implanted and explanted (n= 34) with those of patients whose implants the surgeons had only explanted (n= 55) (unknown = 3). This comparison could show if including all explantation patients in a surgeon's practice would bias the sample; however, based on this pilot data, concerns regarding this type of bias seem to be minimal. Similar amounts of data (e.g., implant information, history of capsular contracture, etc.) were collectible on patients whose surgeons both implanted and explanted them (87%) and who had different surgeons for implantation and explantation (84%). Though the data from this limited sample cannot offer firm conclusions on rupture associations, a few factors stood out: size of implants (38.3% of ruptured versus 15.9% of intact implants were 100–200 cm³), history of mammography (46.8% of ruptured versus 24.4% of intact had mammograms, which is likely due to older women with older implants having more mammograms), and history of closed capsulotomy (85.1% of ruptured versus 68.9% of intact). Interestingly, additional procedures performed on the breast (e.g., scar revision, wound repair, etc.) did not affect rupture: both the ruptured and the intact groups had an average of 1.7 procedures performed. The data collection form tested very well in this pilot study. Also, including all patients in the study sample, instead of excluding those who received their implants elsewhere, did not change the results. Though there are not enough data to draw any firm conclusions regarding rupture factors, the collection instrument was rigorously tested and should perform well in an expanded study.     

A Simple Way to Choose the Right Implant Volume in Breast Augmentation

In planning a breast augmentation, the choice of an appropriate breast implant volume is sometimes a problem, particularly for unskilled surgeons. The authors have used a little trick to make the choice easier for both the surgeon and the patient.     

A Nomogram for Predicting the Degree of Breast Augmentation According to Implant Size

Choosing the right implant size for a specific patient is a challenging aspect of breast augmentation. Bust circumference is obtained by measuring the chest circumference at the level of the nipple-areola complex. Pre- and postoperative bust circumference measurements obtained from 147 patients who underwent primary bilateral breast augmentation using round, textured, gel-filled implants were evaluated, and a practical reference list for future operations was developed. According to the results, each additional 100 ml in implant size yielded an approximate 2-cm increase in bust circumference. The authors believe these results gathered from systematic measurements may serve as a useful guide for choosing the right size implant for a satisfactory augmentation procedure.