Clinical Durability and Deflation of Saline-Filled Breast Implant in Breast Reconstruction

PURPOSE: Despite wide clinical use of breast implants, there is continued concern about the lifespan of these devices. The causes of explantation were infection, deflation of implant and patient's want. The deflation of saline-filled breast implant was related to strength and durability of implant shell. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical durability of saline-filled breast implant through the analysis of duration until deflation occurred, causes, incidence and influencing factors. METHODS: Retrospective analyses were conducted on clinical records for 19 cases of deflation of saline-filled breast implant from 201 cases of breast reconstruction with saline-filled implant between May 1995 and June 2011. The authors had been analyzed the causes of deflation, survival duration, symptom, sign, nipple excision, volume of implant, saline filling, method of reoperation, breast cancer stage and combined capsular contracture. RESULTS: The causes of deflation were attributed to the cases that cannot be evaluated the causes in 15 cases, fall down in 1 case, mammography in 2 cases, accidental needle injury in 1 case. Mean survival duration was 4 years and 5 months. The duration of survival was less than 1 year for 5 cases, 1 year to 10 years for 10 cases, more than 10 years for 4 cases. The volume between 201 and 250cc of deflated breast implant was rated as high by 14.0 percent. The deflation rate of underfilled implants was 11.4 percent, adequate filled implants was 9.3 percent. None of overfilled implant was deflated. The deflation of smooth surface implant was 5 of 152 cases. Textured implant was 14 of 49 cases. The capsular contracture of non-deflated breast implant was 28 of 182 cases and that of deflated breast implant was 6 of 19 cases. CONCLUSION: The patients who underwent saline-filled breast implant implantation should be informed that their implant could deflate. The analysis of clinical durability and causes of deflation in breast implant was important for the prediction and prevention of reopeation. The authors could suppose the causes of deflation of saline-filled breast implant through history, duration of survival, inspection of the shell of implant.

Deflation of Saline Filled Breast Implant by Scar Tissue Contracture

Saline filled breast implants have been used for augmentation mammoplasty for cosmetic purposes as well as for breast reconstruction following mastectomy for cancer. Despite the immense benefit they provide, their usage is associated with some complications. Most of these complication are related to the surgery and be reduced by good surgical management. The major late complications associated with their use are adverse capsular contracture, buckling of implant/rippling of the skin, and deflation. We experienced gradual implant deflation after augmentation mammoplasty using saline filled implant. The cause was diaphragm valve opening by contracted scar captured between implant valve and seat.