Does Implant Insertion with a Funnel Decrease Capsular Contracture? A Preliminary Report.

BACKGROUND Capsular contracture remains a common and dreaded complication of breast augmentation. The etiology of capsular contracture is believed to be multi-factorial, and its causes may include biofilm formation due to implant/pocket contamination with skin flora. It has been shown that insertion funnel use reduces skin contact and potential contamination by 27-fold in a cadaver model. After incorporating the funnel into our surgical protocols, we anecdotally believed we were experiencing fewer capsular contractures in our augmentation practices. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that capsular contracture related reoperation rates decreased after insertion funnel adoption using data from multiple practices. METHODS At seven participating centers, we retrospectively reviewed the surgical records from March 2006 to December 2012 for female patients who had undergone primary breast augmentation with silicone gel implants. Group 1 consisted of consecutive augmentations done without the insertion funnel, and Group 2 consisted of consecutive augmentations done with the insertion funnel. The primary outcome variable was development of grade III or IV capsular contracture that led to reoperation within 12 months. RESULTS A total of 1177 breast augmentations met inclusion criteria for Group 1 and 1620 breast augmentations for Group 2. The rate of reoperation due to capsular contracture was higher without use of the insertion funnel (1.49%), compared to Group 2 with funnel use (0.68%), a 54% reduction (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS The insertion funnel group experienced a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of reoperations performed due to capsular contracture within 12 months of primary breast augmentation.