Is It Possible to Have Capsular Contracture After Only 4 Weeks Post Op?

In capsular contracture, the tissue around your implant can potentially tighten, and this is what squeezes the implant to make it feel harder. If you've just recently noticed that your breasts have changed in shape, feel, and how they project from your body, then you're right - you could be developing capsular contracture. While you can feel for yourself for any changes that indicate capsular contracture (signs include hardness, swelling, pain, and a rounder, more ball-like shape), please book an appointment with your surgeon who may examine you to see if it actually is. Your examination sometimes can involve an ultrasound, mammogram or MRI. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can be diagnosed and treated. Earlier detection is always better. Treatments for capsular contracture include medications, therapeutic massage and stretching, as well as implant removal/replacement. On the other hand, however, it can also mean that your right breast hasn't settled yet since you're still early in your recovery.

Four weeks after surgery, if your breast is hard on one side, early capsular contracture can certainly be a diagnosis.  Bob Ersek, M.D., of Houston, Texas, wrote a landmark paper on a "fibrous storm" where under certain conditions a capsular contracture can occur as early as a week after surgery. I am sure your plastic surgeon will want to see you and evaluate the tight breast, but the short answer is "yes", you can have a capsular contracture for multiple reasons at one month.

The tightness that you are experiencing may be a result of swelling, a hematoma, or early capsular contracture.  An examination is absolutely essential in order to minimize early development of capsular contracture. At the 4 week interval, true capsular contracture vs. normal tissue capsule formation, are still viable options. Surgery90210

In general, it is difficult to diagnose a capsular contracture at this point because scar tissue is normally forming at this point up until 6 weeks after surgery. However, it may be easier to diagnose after 6 weeks if it continues to remain firmer than the other side. There may be a variety of other reasons while one breast is firmer than the other which include hematoma, seroma, swelling, size difference, implant volume differences, etc

A firm breast 4 weeks after surgery can be several things:

1- Most commonly it is just tissue tightness. Larger implants in tight pockets will feel very firm for up to 2 months after surgery. The breast on the side of hand dominance( right vs left) will usually soften first, since the patient uses the muscles on that side significantly more.

2- A blood collection (hematoma) can also make the breast feel firm; Bruising would be obvious.

3-  An early capsular contracture can begin to be felt around this time, and will continue to worsen. If the tightness worsens over the next two weeks, you might have a capsular contracture.