LONG-TERM CHANGES AFTER MAMMARY SILICONE IMPLANTS

In a prospective study 60 patients with unilateral or bilateral mammar y implants underwent mammography and sonography. Location, form and st ructure of the implants were evaluated. Additionally capsular fibrosis and its influence on the imaging quality of parenchyma was scored. We found increasing implant deformities and increasing density of the im plants with increasing postoperative interval. There was poor statisti cally significant correlation between the thickness of the periprosthe tic capsular and the postoperative interval in prepectoral implants (r = 0.555, p < 0.01); in case of subpectoral implants, there was no suc h correlation. In 88 % of the cases imaging quality was scored as adeq uate by two independent observers, with additional views in all cases. We conclude that sufficient imaging quality for the assessment of par enchyma and of potential implants complications may be obtained by the combination of mammography and sonography.