Breast Capsulectomy Specimens and Their Clinical Implications:

Evaluating the Necessity of Capsulectomy in Cases of Textured Breast Implant Replacement

BACKGROUND

Capsulectomy has traditionally been recommended as a treatment for capsular contracture after breast augmentation. With the advent of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), and the Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban Biocell textured devices, this operation has taken on new importance. This review was undertaken to better inform clinical recommendations for women with textured devices.

METHODS

An electronic search was performed using PubMed to identify all the available literature on the subject of capsulectomy and open capsulotomy (the alternative treatment).

RESULTS

Fifty-seven articles on this topic were identified. Capsulectomy was widely recommended for treatment of capsular contracture, although many authors recommended leaving thin capsular tissue behind in the absence of symptoms. En bloc resection was recommended only for women with a diagnosis of BIA-ALCL. No information supported a prophylactic role for capsulectomy in asymptomatic women with textured breast implants who are concerned regarding their future risk of BIA-ALCL. Routine pathologic examination in asymptomatic patients was not supported.

DISCUSSION

Capsulectomy adds substantially to the surgical risk, discomfort, recovery time, and expense. Implant removal or replacement without a simultaneous capsulectomy is atraumatic and poses negligible risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Capsulectomy introduces additional morbidity and is not mandatory for asymptomatic patients. Implant removal or exchange for smooth implants without a capsulectomy may be an acceptable choice for many women who do not demonstrate capsular pathology. However, any symptoms or surgical findings suggesting pathology warrant a capsulectomy. En bloc resections are reserved for patients diagnosed with BIA-ALCL.

The Capsule Question: How Much Should Be Removed with Explantation of a Textured Device?

SUMMARY

Current controversies surrounding breast implants are focused not only on the implant but also on the capsule. There has been tremendous discussion regarding how much of the capsule, if any, should be removed during explantation for benign conditions. The appearance of benign capsules is highly variable ranging from a thin membrane to densely fibrotic with calcifications. The options for capsulectomy include none, partial, complete, complete-intact, and en bloc. Some patients are requesting en bloc capsulectomy even in the absence of anaplastic large cell lymphoma; however, the scientific evidence only supports this for patients with capsular malignancies. The purpose of this article is to review the old and new evidence to answer the question regarding how much capsule should be removed during explantation for benign conditions.

Elective Implant Removal and Replacement in Asymptomatic Aesthetic Patients with Textured Devices

SUMMARY

The management of patients with breast implants requires secondary procedures through the life of the implant, sometimes in the early postoperative period and more commonly many years after the initial surgery. In performing revisional procedures, removal and replacement of the implants is often required for a variety of reasons. With growing concerns of implant safety, implant exchange or removal with or without a capsulectomy has been increasingly requested by patients. In particular, textured breast implants have been under increased scrutiny secondary to their association with breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Unfortunately, to date, there are no data and very little guidance as to the appropriate management of patients currently with textured implants as well as patients with a history of having had textured implants placed in the past. The surgeon must not only consider the appropriate management of patients with uncomplicated, asymptomatic textured devices but also consider the appropriate management when faced with another indication for revisional surgery and the need determine the appropriate course of action. An algorithm for the management of the explantation patient in general will be introduced in this review with a focus on the rationale, planning, and management of patients with an uncomplicated, asymptomatic textured implants.

Management of Capsular Contracture in Cases of Silicone Gel Breast Implant Rupture with Use of Pulse Lavage and Open Capsulotomy

INTRODUCTION

Pulse lavage (PL) irrigation of prosthesis pockets has prior been described for breast implant salvages. However, PL for removal of leaked silicone from prosthesis pockets after implant ruptures has not been studied yet. Since open capsulotomies are regarded as equal treatment of capsular contracture (CC) than capsulectomies, this study analyzed the clinical outcome of PL for silicone removal and subsequent capsulotomy in cases of concurrent CC and breast implant rupture.

METHODS

Between 2012 and 2017, 55 patients (75 breasts) with suspected silicone implant rupture and CC (Baker grade III/IV), after primary breast augmentation or implant-based breast reconstruction, were included in a retrospective, observational study. Mean patient follow-up was 12.2 ± 3.6 months.

RESULTS

In all preoperatively suspected ruptured silicone breast implants, around a quarter were intact. In contrast to previously published data, implant exchanges in cases of implant ruptures did not lead to significantly higher CC recurrence rates (27.6% vs. 22.2% in cases of intact implants, p = 0.682), if the prosthesis pockets were treated with PL irrigation followed by open capsulotomy. PL reduced the amount of encapsulated silicone remnants histologically. The age of patients with CC after failed implant-based reconstruction was significant lower for salvage surgeries with flap reconstruction than for implant exchanges, p < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

PL irrigation of prosthesis pockets prior to open capsulotomy is a safe and effective treatment of CC with concurrent silicone leakage. Remaining silicone remnants in breast capsules may affect the development of a recurrent CC. To avoid CC recurrences, patients should consider conversion to autologous tissue.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising from a Breast Implant Capsule

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the breast comprises less than 0.1% of all breast cancers. Literature review reveals only 1 reported case of an SCC arising from the capsule of a breast implant. The authors describe, herein, a primary SCC arising from the capsule of a long-standing silicone breast implant.

Pathologic Findings in Primary Capsulectomy Specimens: Analysis of 2531 Patients

BACKGROUND

After breast augmentation, additional operations are often needed for revision or explantation. Although the surgeon may elect to leave the capsule in situ during these procedures, excised capsule tissue may be examined histopathologically for cancer cells.

OBJECTIVES

The authors assessed pathologic findings from breast implant capsules submitted for histopathologic examination and evaluated whether it is oncologically safe to leave capsule tissue in situ.

METHODS

The authors searched PALGA, the nationwide histopathology and cytopathology data network and registry in the Netherlands, for primary capsulectomy specimens excised between 2003 and 2012. The authors applied a sensitive search strategy with low specificity that included female and breast as the sex and anatomic location keywords, and wildcards were used to detect different spellings. Cases were excluded if previous examinations showed compatibility with a history of breast cancer, prophylactic mastectomy, or prophylactic oophorectomy. The pathologic reports were manually reviewed for relevance, and each case's diagnosis was registered. A total of 6803 reports were available, representing 4948 patients; 2574 reports from 2531 patients were included in this study. The median age of patients was 51.2 ± 12.0 years (range, 15-88 years).

RESULTS

Invasive carcinoma was detected in 4 patients (0.16%). Four patients (0.16%) had ductal carcinoma in situ, and 1 patient (0.04%) had lobular carcinoma in situ. Metaplasia was noted in 51 patients (2.0%), calcifications in 375 (14.6%), and silicone in 701 (27.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of occult invasive or in situ carcinoma in capsulectomy specimens of patients with no previous breast pathology is low. Therefore, it appears oncologically safe to leave capsule tissue in situ.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3.

Recurrent breast cancer in the subpectoral space after implant reconstruction

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy is most commonly performed with a prosthetic implant placed beneath the pectoralis major. Recurrence may rarely be identified in the subpectoral space where the implant was placed. We report a case of recurrent breast cancer after implant-based reconstruction with isolated subpectoral recurrence discovered 5 years later during secondary revision of her reconstructed breast.