I Have Hardening of my Implant in One Breast. Will Massaging Make Any Difference?

i had my implants 4 years ago this summer. i have no problems at all with the other one.

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by Cheekiboon in london england

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Capsular contracture four years postopertive

Capsular contracture can occur many years after breast augmentation. Breast massage at this point will not help improve the hardening. The hardening can progress to the point where the breast implant feels rock hard. Frequently, when the implant gets hard, it tends to displace upward towards the axilla. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort ormyour clothes don't fit quite right secondary to the displacement of the implant then you will likely wish to proceed with surgical correction... more

Todd C. Case, MD

14 reviews

Tucson Plastic Surgeon

Hardening of Breast

It sounds like you are experiencing capsular contracture (scar tissue around your implant). Unfortunately, massaging will likely not correct this. You will most likely need a surgical intervention to remove this scar tissue and replace your implant(s). Please visit with your plastic surgeon to learn more about your options. Best of luck.

Capsular Contractures and Massage

Unfortunately, once your breast is firm surgery is necessary to correct a capsular contracture. Massage and medication will not turn it around. Once you have had the corrective surgery medication may help reduce a recurrence in the first few months, but there are no guarantees. Capsular contractures continue to plague plastic surgeons and their patients nearly fifty years after we started using implants for breast augmentations. We still do not know the precise cause. more

This is capsular contracture in a fully healed breast; massage is not helpful at this point. You need surgery.

Unfortunately, late, unilateral capsular contracture is usually due to one of two causes: bleeding from some sort of trauma to the affected breast, or bacterial contamination, often from dental work or other source of bacteremia, in conjunction with a minor injury to one breast that allows bacterial "seeding" and formation of a biofilm. Then capsular contracture results in that breast in as short a time as a few days to a couple of weeks. Regardless of the cause in your case,... more

Hard breasts at 4 years

If your breasts are firm after 4 years, it is unlikely that any massage will help. It sounds like you have a capsular contracture and may want this corrected.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Capsular contracture

You sound like a typical capsular contracture patient with one hard implant and a soft one on the other side though an exam wiould be essential to say if this is true. If that is the case, only revisionary surgery will fix this, not massage or medications.

Hardening of 1 implant likely capsular contacture.

It would be very difficult to determine what the issue is with that 1 implant without an examination. That said, the most likely cause of your problem, 4 years after surgery, is whats called capsular contracture. This is when the scar, which forms around every implant, begins to contract. As it does, it squeezes the implant inside and makes the implant feel firmer. This can be uncomfortable and there may be some distortion of the appearance of the breast. I'm not... more