Surgical practices of cosmetic breast augmentation by implants among 411 French plastic surgeons

Breast augmentation is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgeries in the world. However, there is no standardized surgical procedure for performing breast augmentation. Many modalities exist for this surgery which may explain why practices vary greatly from one surgeon to another. The aim of this study was to evaluate current practices of breast augmentation by implant in France and changes in practices among French plastic surgeons.

This observational study was conducted between February 2020 and January 2021. An online questionnaire with 62 questions was sent to 729 French plastic surgeons. The questions concerned: the population of surgeons interviewed, pre-operative aspects, surgical technique and post-operative management.

411 plastic surgeons responded, 5.1% of surgeons impose a nicotine screening test on patients. 99.76% and 95.59% reported that they used silicone gel implants and round prostheses. All used smooth or micro-textured shells. The inframammary approach was the most used by 66.2% of plastic surgeons. The implants placed were between 250 and 300 cc on average and were mainly placed in "Dual plane" by 42% of surgeons. In order to reduce bacterial contamination, 26% of surgeons soaked the implants in a povidone-iodine solution and 23% used an insertion sleeve. The most frequent early complication was hematoma, while capsular contracture was a late complication.

This study provides new data on current surgical practices of breast augmentation in France, allowing more informed choices and opening up perspectives for more standardized practices in the future.