title: Surgical correction of breast deformities following long-lasting complications of polyurethane-covered implants.
abstract: Breast deformities following long-lasting complications associated with the use of polyurethane prostheses are encountered with increasing frequency in our practice. Patients with this problem often feel frustrated after a long period of unsuccessful treatment and multiple operations. The anatomopathological bases of the deformity in such patients can be summarized as follows: volumetric mammary defect, soft tissue deficiency, and distortion and fibrosis of residual breast tissues. The reconstructive procedure should provide adequate aesthetic results with permanent or long-lasting symmetry, possibly in a single operative stage. The procedures employed in 12 patients are reviewed, and 3 representative cases are described in detail. The best aesthetic results in difficult cases have been achieved with either a latissimus dorsi muscular flap raised through minimal posterior incisions and transposed anteriorly to cover a permanent, expandable implant, or a suitably tailored, partly deepithelialized transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, National Institute for Cancer Research, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berrino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franchelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods