Textured implants became a popular option for patients who wanted to avoid some of the aesthetic irregularities connected to smooth implants, like capsular contraction, or hardening of the breasts from tightening of the capsule. While the addition of texture reduced the risk of capsular contraction, it also created areas of inflammatory bacteria to grow. “We’ve discovered that implants with more texture, or macro-textures, allow for exponentially higher numbers of bacteria on the implant surface,” says co-chair of The Aesthetic Society’s FDA task force, Dallas plastic surgeon William P. Adams Jr. “It’s the bacteria living in all the little nooks and crannies, and not the implant, that causes the chronic inflammation.” Of those 573 cases of BIA-ALCL, a large majority of patients had BioCell implants, leading researchers to believe that the unique BioCell texture led to proportionally more cases compared to textured implants from other brands.
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