Effect of cortisone on capsular contracture in double-lumen breast implants: ten years' experience.

Two groups of patients are compared with respect to capsular contracture after insertion of silicone breast prostheses. Six hundred seventy four women received single-lumen gel prostheses and 700 received double-lumen prostheses with cortisone. The addition of 12.5 mg of prednisolone to double-lumen prostheses diminished capsular contracture (Baker II to IV) dramatically; in patients with simple augmentation from 19% to 4.9%, in patients with subcutaneous mastectomy from 54% to 14.9%, and in patients with breast reconstruction from 64% to 24.4%. The use of double-lumen implants has three distinct advantages: (1) There is no bleeding and therefore no contact of the body with the silicone gel. (2) There is no danger of ruptured implants, even if the outer shell shows leakage. (3) If prednisolone is administered, capsular contracture is prevented to a significant degree.