The surgeon's touch: Impact of surgical glove powder on the formation of capsular contracture

Background: Esthetic and reconstructive surgery routinely employs the utilization of silicone implants. Silicone's limited biocompatibility can lead to serious side effects, such as capsular contracture. A capsule forming around the implant is an inflammatory response to the presence of a foreign material; however, the precise cause of capsular contracture is unknown. This experimental study looks into the effects of the two most widely used powders in surgical gloves-talcum and cornstarch-on capsule formation. Materials and Methods: Three circular silicone implants, each 1.5 cm in diameter and 2 mm thick, were implanted into pockets developed on the dorsums of 12 female rats, which were then randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 received no powder in their implant pockets; Group 2 received 1.5 mg of talcum powder; and Group 3 received 1.5 mg of cornstarch powder. The capsules around the implants were histopathologically evaluated, their thicknesses were measured, and overall scores were determined after 4 weeks. Results: Although there were no statistically significant differences in the average capsule thickness measured across all four quadrants (P = 0.368), there were significant differences in the capsule score distributions across the control, talcum, and cornstarch groups (P = 0.026). Conclusion: The results of the study projects that powdered gloves (talc or cornstarch) contribute to exacerbated capsular inflammation forming around silicone implants. Therefore, powder-free gloves would be highly recommended during breast augmentation and reconstruction surgeries while handling implants.