THE EFFECT OF SILTEX TEXTURING AND POVIDONE-IODINE IRRIGATION ON CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE AROUND SALINE INFLATABLE BREAST IMPLANTS

A prospective, controlled, and blinded clinical study was performed on 56 patient volunteers to determine the effects of two independent var iables-the Siltex textured inflatable implant and povidone-iodine irri gation-on the incidence of fibrous capsular contracture following retr omammary augmentation. Each patient was randomly assigned both texture d and smooth implants and povidone-iodine and saline irrigation, so th at each patient served as her own control. The Siltex devices experien ced an incidence of class III-IV contracture of only 2 percent, as com pared with an incidence of 40 percent around the smooth devices. Most patients, however, preferred the smooth devices despite the higher con tracture incidence because the Siltex device was more easily palpable. Povidone-iodine did not reduce the final incidence of contracture. It appeared to delay the onset of contracture, but not with statistical significance.