Capsular contracture (CC) is the most relevant complication of both aesthetic and reconstructive breast implant surgery. For many years, experimental and clinical trials have attempted to analyze CC risk factors, clinical features, and appropriate management strategies. It is commonly accepted that a multifactorial etiology promotes CC development. However, the heterogeneity in patients, implants and surgical techniques make it difficult to suitably compare or analyze specific factors. As a consequence, discordant data are present in literature, and a true systematic review is often limited in its conclusions. Hence, we decided to present a comprehensive review of current theories on prevention and management strategies, rather than a specific "solution" to this complication.
Methods: The PubMed database was searched for literature regarding CC prevention and management strategies. Pertinent articles in English, published before December 1, 2022, were compared with selection criteria and eventually included in this review.
Results: Through the initial search, 97 articles were identified, of which 38 were included in the final study. Several articles explored different medical and surgical preventive and therapeutic strategies, showing numerous controversies on appropriate CC management.
Conclusions: This review provides a clear overview of the complexity of CC. The wide variety of clinical situations in term of patients, implants, and surgical techniques prevent the standardization of CC management strategies. By contrast, a patient-customized approach should be preferred, and different strategies should be considered depending on the specific case. Further research is desirable to better ascertain evidence-based protocols with regard to CC prevention and treatment.
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.