A Preliminary Retrospective Study to Assess the Short-Term Safety of Traditional Smooth or Microtextured Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants in Korea

Background and objectives: We conducted this preliminary retrospective study to assess the short-term safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants (SGBIs) that are commercially available in Korean women. Materials and methods :The current retrospective, observational study was conducted in a total of 2612 patients (n = 2612) who underwent augmentation mammaplasty using breast implants at our hospitals between 1 January 2017 and 31 August 2021. Results: Overall, there were a total of 248 cases (9.49%) of postoperative complications; these include 112 cases of early seroma, 52 cases of shape deformation, 32 cases of CC, 12 cases of early hematoma, 12 cases of rupture, 12 cases of infection, 12 cases of stretch deformities with skin excess and 4 cases of rippling. Overall complication-free survival of the breast implant was estimated at 1564.32 +/- 75.52 days (95% CI 1416.39-1712.32). Then, the Motiva Ergonomix (TM) SilkSurface showed the longest survival (1528.00 +/- 157.92 days [95% CI 1218.48-1837.56]), followed by the BellaGel(R) SmoothFine (1458.4 +/- 65.76 days [95% CI 1329.56-1587.28]), the Sebbin(R) Sublimity (1322.00 +/- 51.20 days [95% CI 1221.64-1422.32]), the BellaGel(R) Smooth (1138.72 +/- 161.28 days [95% CI 822.6-1454.84), the Mentor(R) MemoryGel (TM) Xtra (698.4 +/- 52.64 days [95% CI 595.28-801.52]) and the Natrelle(R) INSPIRA (TM) (380.00 +/- 170.88 days [95% CI 45.04-714.96]) in the decreasing order. On subgroup analysis, both the Motiva Ergonomix(TM) and Mentor(R) MemoryGel (TM) Xtra showed no postoperative complications. However, the BellaGel(R) SmoothFine, Sebbin(R) Sublimity and BellaGel(R) Smooth showed incidences of 8.87%, 4.84% and 1.61%, respectively. A subgroup analysis also showed differences in incidences of postoperative complications between microtextured and smooth breast implants (15.18% vs. 16.67%). Conclusions: In conclusion, our results indicate that diverse types of an SGBI are commercially available and their safety profile varies according to the manufacturer. Plastic surgeons should consider the safety profile of each device in selecting the optimal types of the device for Korean women who are in need of an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty. However, this warrants a single-surgeon, single-center study with long periods of follow-up.