Long-term Outcomes of Poly-4-Hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) in Aesthetic Breast Surgery.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, the use of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) in aesthetic breast surgery has grown in popularity. Published data on long-term outcomes, however, is scarce. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess long-term outcomes when using P4HB in various aesthetic breast procedures. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients undergoing breast procedures with P4HB performed by the senior author (WPA) between July 2012 and March 2022. All patients with greater than one year of follow-up were evaluated, including demographics, surgical indications, complications, secondary procedures, and patient satisfaction. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to assess the stability of satisfaction over time. RESULTS: A total of 248 patients were evaluated. The mean follow-up length was 2.9 years (range, 1-9.3y). The most common surgical indication was breast ptosis, which comprised 68 percent (n=167) of patients. The overall complication rate was 8.0 percent (n=20), with an unplanned reoperation rate of 2.8 percent (n=7). Across the entire study population, the mean satisfaction score was 3.42 out of 4. When satisfaction scores were compared to follow-up length, Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated no statistical differences (H = 18.2, p = 0.89, df = 2), suggesting stability of satisfaction over time. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents the senior author's entire experience with P4HB across a wide range of aesthetic breast procedures. With an average follow-up length of almost 3 years, P4HB appears to be both a safe and effective tool to support soft tissue in aesthetic breast surgery. Further, high patient satisfaction appears stable.