The surgeon's touch: Impact of surgical glove powder on the formation of capsular contracture


Alpat S. E., Kaya B., Cerkez C., Kosemehmetoglu K., Serel S., Gultan S.

TURKISH JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY, sa.2, ss.43-48, 2023 (ESCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.4103/tjps.tjps_6_23
  • Dergi Adı: TURKISH JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Academic Search Premier, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.43-48
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Esthetic and reconstructive surgery routinely employs the utilization of silicone implants. Silicone's limited biocompatibility can lead to serious side effects, such as capsular contracture. A capsule forming around the implant is an inflammatory response to the presence of a foreign material; however, the precise cause of capsular contracture is unknown. This experimental study looks into the effects of the two most widely used powders in surgical gloves-talcum and cornstarch-on capsule formation. Materials and Methods: Three circular silicone implants, each 1.5 cm in diameter and 2 mm thick, were implanted into pockets developed on the dorsums of 12 female rats, which were then randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 received no powder in their implant pockets; Group 2 received 1.5 mg of talcum powder; and Group 3 received 1.5 mg of cornstarch powder. The capsules around the implants were histopathologically evaluated, their thicknesses were measured, and overall scores were determined after 4 weeks. Results: Although there were no statistically significant differences in the average capsule thickness measured across all four quadrants (P = 0.368), there were significant differences in the capsule score distributions across the control, talcum, and cornstarch groups (P = 0.026). Conclusion: The results of the study projects that powdered gloves (talc or cornstarch) contribute to exacerbated capsular inflammation forming around silicone implants. Therefore, powder-free gloves would be highly recommended during breast augmentation and reconstruction surgeries while handling implants.