Enabling hydrogel coating on silicone breast implants with a poly(vinyl acetate) primer layer†

Abstract

Implant-associated infection is a major cause for breast implant re-operation. A practical method to reduce this risk is yet to be established. Hydrogel coating represents one promising approach. However, the adhesion of the hydrogel layer onto the silicone implant surface presents a significant challenge due to the intrinsic hydrophobicity of silicone surfaces. In this study, we described a surface-priming strategy involving poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) polymers to facilitate hydrogel adhesion to silicone implant surfaces. Miniature silicone implants with identical surface properties to clinical implants were custom-made for this study. We demonstrated that a PVAc primer layer can easily be deposited on the implant surface via a dip-coating procedure. The wettability of the implant surface was increased by a stable and cytocompatible primer layer of PVAc. The improved wettability allowed the application of a model hydrogel precursor solution (alginate) on the primed implant surface. The effectiveness of such a priming strategy in facilitating hydrogel coatings was validated by testing two commercially available hydrogels on the silicone implant surface. Specifically, DAC (defensive antibacterial coating) and Coseal hydrogels, representing paintable and sprayable hydrogels, respectively, were successfully coated on the primed surface, as confirmed by ATR-FTIR analysis. Our surface-priming strategy, which avoids surface treatments like chemical reactions and plasma irradiation that are impractical for clinical use, opens up new opportunities for exploring intraoperative hydrogel applications on silicone implants.