Breast implant explantation and capsulectomy in symptomatic patients. Is there any improvement with the procedure? Systematic review and meta-analysis

There has been a significant increase in the surgical procedures for breast implant removal and capsulectomies, primarily because of the fear that implants may cause cancer, breast implant-related illness (BII), or systemic symptoms associated with breast implants (SSBI). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA criteria. The main objective of the study was to identify the causes of explantation and capsulectomy and whether the procedure improves the alterations attributable to breast implants. We did not include patients diagnosed with BIA-ALCs in this study. We divided the patients into two groups: the first comprised BII/SSBI and ASIA syndrome; the second group comprised granulomas, hypercalcemia, renal damage, and respiratory dysfunction. RESULTS: After explantation and capsulectomy, most patients in the first group did not achieve complete improvement and the degree was moderate, whereas patients in the second group achieved significant improvement. The patients with ASIA achieved partial improvement and required additional treatment. We found significant differences in the symptoms between BII/SSBI and ASIA. The incidence of breast implant-associated comorbidities was not related to the implant length of stay, capsular contracture, or rupture; age < 50 years was a significant factor in the incidence of BII/SSBI. CONCLUSION: There was considerable heterogeneity in the literature; therefore, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution.