Evaluation of invitro degradation of commercially available breast implants

Implantable silicone gel breast devices have been commonly used for augmentation mammaplasty and breast reconstruction. Nowadays, 13 manufacturers dominate the global breast implants market and about 1.5 million breast implants surgeries are performed every year. This study investigated the mechanical and physicochemical properties of breast implants from five manufactures. Surface morphology, chemical composition, thermal behavior, cross-linking degree and mechanical properties were monitored on samples as received and after submitted to degradation in acidic and basic conditions. All samples demonstrated changes in chemical structure after degradation experiments, and parameters such as cross-linking degree and chemical composition seems to play important role on material performance.