Long-term Outcomes of Poly-4-Hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) in Aesthetic Breast Surgery

Over the past decade, the use of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) in aesthetic breast surgery has grown in popularity. Published data on long-term outcomes, however, is scarce.

The purpose of this study was to assess long-term outcomes with utilization of P4HB in various aesthetic breast procedures.

A retrospective review of all patients undergoing breast procedures with P4HB was performed by the senior author between July 2012 and March 2022. All patients with greater than 1 year of follow-up were evaluated, including demographics, surgical indications, complications, secondary procedures, and patient satisfaction. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to assess the stability of satisfaction over time.

A total of 248 patients were evaluated. The mean follow-up length was 2.9 years (range, 1-9.3 years). The most common surgical indication was breast ptosis, which comprised 68% (n = 167) of patients. The overall complication rate was 8.0% (n = 20), with an unplanned reoperation rate of 2.8% (n = 7). Across the entire study population, the mean satisfaction score was 3.42 out of 4. When satisfaction scores were compared to follow-up length, Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated no statistical differences (H = 18.2, P = .89, degrees of freedom [df]= 2), suggesting stability of satisfaction over time.

This study presents the senior author's entire experience with P4HB across a wide range of aesthetic breast procedures. With an average follow-up length of almost 3 years, P4HB appears to be a both safe and effective tool to support soft tissue in aesthetic breast surgery. Further, high patient satisfaction appears stable.