A New Technique for Breast Pocket Adjustment: Argon Beam Thermal Capsulorrhaphy

Implant malposition remains one of the main complications of aesthetic breast augmentation and alloplastic breast reconstruction with expanders and implants. Many capsulorrhaphy techniques have been described to adjust the breast pocket and correct the malposition. In this study, we tested the efficacy of the argon beam coagulator (ABC) for lateral capsulorrhaphy on breast reconstruction patients at the time of expander replacement with a permanent implant. We also experimentally compared the effects of the ABC and the standard electrocautery on fragments of healthy breast capsule. We noted a 69.5% capsule shrinkage with the ABC versus 46.8% with the standard electrocautery. We concluded that breast capsulorrhaphy using the ABC is a safe and efficient technique for the correction of breast implant malposition in both reconstructive and aesthetic breast surgery.