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Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl)-Wrapped Implants to Improve Implant Stability: A Preclinical Study
Tim Y Li1, Hector F Salazar1, Sophia Salingaros1
1From the Laboratory of Bioregenerative Medicine and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York.
Annals of Plastic Surgery
|April 1, 2025
Summary
Wrapping smooth breast implants with Vicryl mesh significantly improved positional stability. This method offers a cost-effective alternative to current stabilization techniques, potentially reducing implant malposition.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Plastic Surgery
- Medical Device Engineering
Background:
- Textured breast implants and tissue expanders are associated with BIA-ALCL, leading to decreased use.
- Current stabilization alternatives like ADM are expensive, and suture tabs can cause pain and failure.
- This study investigates Polyglactin 910 mesh (Vicryl woven mesh) as a novel approach for stabilizing smooth implants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of Vicryl woven mesh in stabilizing smooth breast implants.
- To compare the stability and histological outcomes of Vicryl-wrapped implants versus non-wrapped smooth and textured implants.
- To explore Vicryl mesh as a potential affordable scaffold for implant stabilization.
Main Methods:
- Manufactured miniature polydimethylsiloxane smooth implants.
- Wrapped smooth implants with Vicryl woven mesh; compared with non-wrapped smooth and textured implants.
- Implanted wrapped and non-wrapped implants in Sprague-Dawley rats, evaluating positional stability, histology, and SEM after 4 and 12 weeks.
Main Results:
- Vicryl-wrapped implants showed significantly reduced rotation (49% at 4 weeks, 76% at 12 weeks) compared to smooth implants.
- Vicryl mesh demonstrated partial dissolution by 4 weeks and complete degradation by 12 weeks, with no significant difference in capsule thickness or collagen density.
- SEM revealed unique microtopographic projections on wrapped implant capsules, mimicking the mesh pattern, unlike featureless smooth implant capsules.
Conclusions:
- Vicryl mesh wrapping enhances smooth implant stability through induced capsular microtopography, increasing frictional forces.
- The fast-absorbing nature of Vicryl mesh allows for temporary scaffolding, promoting stability during tissue integration.
- This technique presents a promising, affordable method for stabilizing smooth implants and tissue expanders, addressing limitations of current methods.
