Silicone prosthetics and anti-thyroid autoimmunity

In esthetic surgery, the use of silicone implants is a topic of hot discussion.

An analysis of 119 esthetic surgical interventions on the mammary gland was performed. A study of the immune and endocrine parameters after mammoplasty was carried out.

The phenomenon of an increase in the levels of autoantibodies to the TSH receptor was revealed. The phenomenon of pre-operative growth of prolactin and TSH levels has been confirmed. An increase in thyroid autoimmunity after silicone mammoplasty is interpreted as a result of a silicone adjuvant action. An increase in the incidence of ASIA syndrome in patients who underwent breast surgery was registered. However, it was observed in both patients with silicone and non-silicone breast surgeries and therefore could not be solely explained by the use of silicone. Within 12 months following silicone mammoplasty, the patients with an increase of anti-TSH receptor autoimmunity nevertheless did not show any clinical and laboratory signs of overt thyroid disease, thus staying in a pre-nosological state. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Based on these results, we recommend the following for esthetic surgery: (a) all patients planned for silicone implant surgery should be examined for autoantibodies to the TSH receptor and (b) patients who have undergone breast endoprosthesis, starting 6 months after the operation, need long-term follow-up for thyroid status with mandatory testing for the level of these autoantibodies.