Long-term results of polyurethane-covered prostheses.

Forty two of 63 cases of bilateral augmentation mammaplasty are surveyed in which the so-called Ashley "Natural-Y" polyurethane-covered prosthesis was used. The cases were evaluated 15-17 years after the primary operation. These cases were compared with breasts augmented with other devices with respect to capsular contracture. The extreme difficulty of removing these implants because of the deterioration of the polyurethane cover leads the author to conclude that any further use of these implants is unjustifiable.