▪ ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Recent concerns about the safety of silicone implants have led many women to
seek the removal of their implants, even without apparent breast
complications. On the other hand, many surgeons do not feel comfortable
performing the explant for fear that the patient will not like the aesthetic
result after surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable
resource for diagnostic evaluation of the breast and can be used in explant
planning. The objective is to demonstrate how the systematic analysis of
breast MRI images can assist in planning silicone explantation.
Method:
A detailed analysis of the axial and sagittal MRI sections was performed to
assess the amount of tissue in each breast. These images were presented to
patients during the preoperative consultation so that they could clearly
understand how much the implant influences the size of their breasts. At the
same time, post-operative photos of patients with similar characteristics
were presented so that the patient could analyze, more objectively, whether
or not she would be satisfied with the aesthetics of her breasts after
explantation.
Results:
The patients demonstrated a high degree of
understanding of the images presented and were satisfied with this detailed
analysis of expected results.
Conclusion:
The comparison of breast MRI
images and postoperative results images provides greater objectivity to the
preoperative dialogue, favoring the understanding of the expected result and
bringing greater clarity to the decision for explantation.
Keywords: Breast implants - Breast diseases - Preoperative care - Magnetic resonance imaging
- Silicone elastomers
Bibliographical Record
