Polyurethane Implants – what’s all the fuss about?

Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the use of polyurethane implants. These are silicone implants coated with a polyurethane foam.

This implants are now used much more than previously, and the principal reason for this is they have a very low capsular contraction rate.

Capsular contraction is caused by the body forming a lining like an eggshell around the implants. In most cases this is very soft but in some cases the lining can become thickened and making the implant hard. This also causes the breast implants to become rounded as the egg shell capsule around the implant tightens.

With traditional silicone implants, whether they are textured or smooth, capsular contration rates are approximately 10-15%. Polyurethane coated implants reduce this rate to approximately 1%.

Many surgeons in the United Kingdom are now using polyurethane coated implants.