Early experience with lightweight breast implants in breast reconstruction and massive weight loss patients

Abstract

The B-Lite® lightweight breast implant (LWBI) weighs ~ 30% less than traditional silicone implants for a given volume. Since weight is a persistent and unrelenting stress on the soft breast tissues, a lightweight implant is expected to reduce complications, particularly in challenging cases where there is very thin or ‘at risk’ breast tissue. The study determined the clinical outcomes of women who underwent B-Lite implantation surgery following mastectomy or massive weight loss (MWL) after bariatric surgery. Retrospective review of all cases from January 2017 to June 2018. Candidates underwent standard surgical procedures with the LWBI, either one-stage implantation DTI or two-stage implantation, with surgical mesh or fat grafting. Eleven women (8 following mastectomy and 3 following MWL) aged 47.5 ± 9.1 years with a BMI of 20 ± 1.4 underwent the procedures with a total of 15 implants. At one-month follow-up, complications were rare with no adverse events including no cases of infection, hematoma, seroma or red breast syndrome. The only complications involved two cases who developed necrosis that was clearly related to the mastectomy. The necrosis was consequently, conservatively treated with local debridement. The current follow-up duration is 26 ± 7 months (21–31) with no further complications noted and excellent clinical outcomes. The cosmetic result is exceptional with minimal scarring from the vertical incision. The B-Lite results are preliminary but suggest a safety profile similar or better than traditional implants with a promising benefit in challenging cases. Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study.