What is the impact of capsulectomy on systemic symptoms attributed to silicone breast implants? Systematic literature review

■ abstract

Introduction:

Several studies have analyzed the possible relationship between silicone breast implants and systemic symptoms. Removal of breast implants with capsulectomy has been indicated in an attempt to improve these symptoms. The surgeon must have data based on the literature to inform the patient whether there is a relationship between the removal of a breast prosthesis with capsulectomy and improvement in symptoms, what is the rate of improvement, and how long it lasts. Method: A search was carried out in the Cochrane Library and PubMed virtual databases from January 1990 to April 2023. The search was carried out using a combination of free terms (“breast implant illness”, “breast capsulectomy,” and “breast implant explantation”) and by using Boolean operators for Mesh descriptors such as [autoimmune diseases (MeSH Terms)] and [breast implant (MeSH Terms)]. Results: 1,203 articles were obtained, 14 of which were selected for the study, consisting of 7 retrospective cohort articles, 3 prospective cohort articles, and 4 case-control articles. The improvement rate varied between 50 and 100% of cases, and the follow-up time varied between 2 months and 2.7 years. Several types of capsulectomies were performed in the studies, with similar rates of improvement. Conclusion: There is evidence of improvement in systemic symptoms in patients with silicone breast implants who underwent breast implant removal with capsulectomy. The improvement in symptoms persisted during the period in which the patients were followed in the studies. More recent studies have demonstrated that the type of capsulectomy does not influence the improvement of systemic symptoms.

Keywords:
Autoimmune diseases; Breast diseases; Mammaplasty; Breast implantation; Quality of life