Breast Augmentation: Q&A

Ask a Question

Help with Healing from Breast Augmentation?

I've had breast augmentation almost 3 years ago and since then I've had Capsular Contracture which made me go back into surgery twice. The first to fix it and the second to then replace the implant. Now I've been testing positive for psuedonomas and been given antibiotics but it has not healed. I have a large strawberry look on the top, it's constantly burning and I can't move to fast because of the sensitivity. Can someone please advise what I should do now? I can't go through another surgery!

Tags:

Comment on this

12 Doctor Answers | Asked by hollymh9 in Tampa

Doctor Answers (12)
Community Comments (0)

You likely need to have your implants removed.

Holly, It is difficult to tell for sure without reviewing your entire clinical course and performing a physical examination. However, if you have a chronic infection of our implants / implant pocket with pseudomonas, then you likely need to have your implant removed and need treatment with antibiotics to clear up the infection. If your infection clears up and you are symptom free for a year or so, then one may consider replacing the implants in a different pocket (submuscular vs... more

Healing problems after breast augmentation

I am sorry to hear about your problems. You have had two operations for capsular contracture; now, it seems like you have infection. Pseudomonas infection is hard to treat. With your clinical symptoms and documented infection/colonization with pseudomonas, I would recommend you to have the implants removed. If you still want implants, you should wait at least 4 to 6 months prior to placing implants back again. Good luck with your treatment.

Multiple recurrent problems with breast implants: simple solution

Removing and replacing the implants is one way of guaranteeing you will need future surgery,. So, in other words, if you really want to be done with the problem, I would remove the implants for now.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Healing a capsular contracture

My belief is that when plan A does not work, do not make plan B the same as plan A. In other words try something different. In my opinion you should remove the implants and all the scar tissue in one surgery. Then wait three months before replacing the implants. This time period will allow your body to remove any unwanted bacteria that would be impossible to do with implants in place. I have treated similar problems from other surgeons successfully in this fashion. Good luck... more

Multiple complications with Breast Implants

I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal. Capsular contracture can be very difficult to treat, and to have an infection subsequently is terrible. In particular, pseudomonas is a very difficult bacteria to treat if it is attached to the implant. It usually requires implant removal. In a situation such as yours, I would recommend to my patients to have the implants removed, have the capsules removed, and let your body recover. If you wish to have implants replaced, I would wait at least 6... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Remover implants when there is a chronic infection.

You have had a dreadful experience with your implants. I would recommend to my patients that given your scenario, removal of both implants should take place with removal of capsule as well. Replacement should be delayed for 6 months, but the choice to never replace the implants should be considered.

Capsular contracture after breast augmentation

Breast augmentation is the most common cosmetic surgery in the United States because it provides a consistent way for a woman to change the shape, position and size of her breasts. The formation of a capsular contracture is one of the known risks of breast implant surgery. The best way to correct this finding is to receive a surgery that requires removal of some or all of the thick scar around your breast implant. We do not know exactly why capsular contractures performed in some... more

Remove the breast implants if you developed pseudomonas

If you have developed pseudomonas as an infection, I would remove the implants and wash out the pockets and perhaps remove the capsule as well. I would then let the wounds heal and wait a good 6 months or more before undergoing a repeat procedure.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant removal.

Hi. 1) I know this is not what you want to hear. Just based only on your description, I would recomend removing the breast implants, scraping the capsule around the implants, and putting in suction drains for a week to prevent fluid collections. 2) If 6 months later, you still have the motivation, they can be put back in.

Pseudomonas and breast implants

Holly, It is somewhat difficult to get a grasp on your situation and present condition. If, by testing positive for pseudomonas, you mean a culture of fluid coming from your incision site, then you may have merely a wound infection. Wound infections can be superficial or deep, and the deeper it is, the more at risk your implant is. On the other hand, your implant itself may be infected. This could be an explanation for your capsular contracture, as a relationship between bacterial... more

Need careful decision making

Hi- I agree that without seeing you it is difficult to determine your best course of action or make recommendations. Given the problems you have had and the nature of the current problem, it may be that you will need to have them out- but I would find another well trained and board certified plastic surgeon with a lot of experience in breast surgery to advise you on your options. I have had some success in saving implants in situations like yours through aggressive intervention and a... more

It sounds like you need your implants out for good

Certainly without seeing you and caring for you there is no way to be terribly helpful. However, if you have had multiple problems with capsular contracture and are now dealing with a Pseudomonas infection, it may just be that the only recourse for you is to have the implants removed and be done with them. This is hard when you have been through multiple surgeries so far but on rare occasions implants just don't work for people. At the very least, go to another excellent plastic surgeon in... more