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Allergan 410 implant provides safe, satisfactory results in breast reconstruction

The Allergan 410 cohesive gel anatomical implants offered a safe option for breast reconstruction with a high rate of patient and surgeon satisfaction, according to study results published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The implant is constructed with a barrier shell and filled with a highly cohesive gel that allows the implant to maintain a stable form. The anatomical shape provides less volume in the upper pole and more in the lower breast.

The study included 212 patients undergoing two-stage breast reconstruction with the implant between 2001 and 2013. Patient mean age was 48.5 years (range, 19-66 years) with a median BMI of 24.1 kg/m².

Follow-up participation was 100% with data collected at 6 month follow up, 1 year postoperatively, and once yearly thereafter until termination of enrollment in 2013. Follow-up was a mean of 3.3 years (range, 0.5-10.2 years).

Most complications were minor, including rippling in 9.4% of patients and asymmetry in 4.2%. The major complications included infection (2.4%), malposition (1.4%), capsular contracture (0.9%), seroma (0.5%), extrusion (0.5%), and implant rupture (0.5%). Excluding cancer recurrence, 9% of patients required implant-related reoperation, including implant replacement (5.7%), implant removal (1.9%), and implant repositioning (1.4%).

The researchers surveyed the patients to determine their level of satisfaction on a five-point scale, 1 being “completely unsatisfied” and 5 being “completely satisfied.” The patients reported an average satisfaction rating of 4.83 (range, 2-5). The examining physician completed a similar survey to assess clinician satisfaction, with a reported average rating of 4.9 (range, 2-5).

“In addition to the safety profile of this highly cohesive anatomical implant, it also offers a more natural appearing result that has been noted to improve patient satisfaction,” the researchers wrote. – by Talitha Bennett

Disclosure: Unger reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for the other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.