Capsular Contracture of Saline Implants

This is a great question and capsular contracture is something that I help my patients with in my Bay Area practice frequently. One of the most common reasons for people with implants to have additional surgery is capsular contracture. There are four grades of breast capsular contracture - The grading is as follows: Grade I the breast is normally soft and looks natural Grade II the breast is a little firm but looks normal Grade III the breast is firm and looks abnormal Grade IV the... more

Silicone implants have a higher capsular contracture rate profile. However, patients with implant palpability, thin breast tissue, and previous contracture are candidates for softer silicone implants. The risk of developing recurrent capsule is still quite high. The solution to the problem of capsular contracture depends on symptoms. There is a classification scale of contracture that is designed for diagnostic and planning purposes by a plastic surgeon. You may consider very aggressive... more

Your chances are increased to develop capsular contraction, but not necessarily from the type of implant used, saline or silicone. There has been an excellent discussions posted answering your question. I am in agreement with Dr. Williams’ detailed answer and would like to hit upon a few highlights. You are at an increased risk for scar capsular contraction because you had it before. The exact cause of scar capsular contraction is unknown, but likely sources that have speculated and... more

The short answer is that there is probably no increased or decreased risk with silicone implants versus saline. One thing the surgeon may consider is placing the implant in an new plane (for example, if your current implants are in front of the muscle, placing them behind the muscle). Short of that, when the old implant is removed and replaced, the steps that can help reduce your risks are: removal as much of the existing, hardened capsule as safely possible meticulous attention to... more

Hi. 1) Actually, in our experience in Manhattan, saline breast implants are a little LESS likely to cause capsular contracture than silicone breast implants. But the difference is small. 2) I don't know why you are swtching to silicone. Perhaps it is because silicone breast implants are by far the most commonly used now. But other things can be done to minimize the risk of your getting another contracture. For example, we do a capsulectomy (removing the old tissue lining around your... more

There are many studies in the literature reviewing the risks of capsular contracture based upon the implant type used, the pocket location, and the technique used.  There really is no strong evidence either way that there is a lower or higher risk with silicone or saline implants.