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Bad Capsular Contraction Require Waiting for Breast Tissue Regrowth?

asked 3 years ago by cbse in Honolulu
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 1,562 times
Tags: capsular contracture

I have very bad capsular contraction with 410CC implants (I had 3 surgeries and went larger - overfilled due to rippling). The Dr. said he needed to remove them completely and wait 3-6 months for my breast tissue to come back (I am VERY slender) and have very little breast tissue he said. Is this true or could I have the old removed and new ones placed in me @ the same time? They are over the muscle he feels my muscle is high and hard so going under would not do much good.

12 answers to Bad Capsular Contraction Require Waiting for Breast Tissue Regrowth?

Capsular contracture and implants

With chronic and recurring capsular contractures, ther may be an underlying cause. Soemtimes it is due to very rare slow growing infections from mycobacterium. An anlaysis of the tissue with cultures could be helpful. In this case, waiting 6 months to a year to allow things to heal could be worth while.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Removing breast implants is very rarely done.

Hi. I have done this maybe twice in my career. It is a reasonable option in extreme situations to remove the breast implants, wait (but I would wait a year), and then attempt revision breast augmentation with small implants under the muscle.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Strange situation

What you are describing are some things I have never personally heard before. I do not believe your breast tissue will "come back" over time. I am also not familiar with a muscle that is too "high and hard" for a submuscular augmentation. Either you might have misunderstood what the surgeon was saying or I would recommend that you see a new doctor and ask for another opinion. Having multiple capsular contractures means that your body has a tendency for this and that implants may never... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

You many want to get a second opinion, but may also get the same answer

It is hard to give you specific advice without examining you or reviewing your pictures. It may just be that the surgeon wants to give the tissues time to relax and settle without causing more trauma. However, in most cases the implant exchange can be done at the same time as the capsulectomy. Good luck with your surgery.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Implant and capsule removal allows breast tissue healing

You have had a rough course and I know the thought of having more surgery does not sound appealing. Removing the implants and the surrouding capsule for a while will not have any effect on your breast tissue "to regrow or come back" as you have stated. It will allow your tissues to heal completely and allow for a better outcome possibly. Placing the implant under the muscle is the only option left to decrease your risk of capsular contracture. You can also discuss using textured... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Difficult situation

Waiting would not hurt anything from a surgical point of view, but I wonder what the reason is for this. My thought on this is that you have alredy had 3 (or 4 depending on how I read your report) contractures when the implant was placed above the muscle. What would make the next set behave any differently when placed above the muscle? Unless I am missing something, I would strongly urge you to consider submuscular placement of the muscle, which should reduce your chances of contractrue... more

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Capsular contracture after augmentation has alternatives

Cbse, Capsular contracture has always been one of the problems of augmentation of the breast. There have been hundreds of studies as to the cause and prevention of this common problem. All breast implants will develop scar tissue around them, a soft covering your body will form to isolate the implant in the breast. For some patients though the scar capsule will tighten down on the implant causing the implant to round up and become firm and occasionally uncomfrotable. This capsule... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Not so sure about breast tissue regrowth

I'm not too optimistic that you'll see growth of new breast tissue (you might want to clarify with your plastic surgeon what exactly he/she meant). It is much more likely that what was meant is that they wanted to give your breasts and implant pockets time to "cool off" so that the replacement would hopefully be less likely to result in another contracture. However, if the implants are currently on top of the muscle, there really shouldn't be any need to worry about taking the old... more

Brian K. Brzowski, MD
Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon

www.brzowski.com

Consider removing the implants

Hello, When you have developed severe contracture and don't have much tissue to cover them, a removal interval is the best option. If the tissue softens, then you can try to place smaller implants, but sometimes the lack of tissue leads to hardening particularly with silicone gel and in patients who smoke.

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

Changing implant pocket could be best for capsular contracture

Sounds like you are one of the few patients which develop this bad problem (capsular contracture III). There is no good answer for it, but usually, the best solution is to change the pocket (location of the implant); if you have the implant above the muscle, moving it to under the muscle will give you more of your own tissue on top of the implant. You need to remember that everybody is different and the best way to give you an answer will be after examining your problem. My advice to... more

Victor Manuel Perez, MD
Kansas City Plastic Surgeon

Capsular contracture is a difficult problem

First, capsular contracture is a difficult problem and there is no great solution. Taking out your implants and waiting 3-6 months may be a viable option in certain cases. I am not sure though it adds anything. In certain cases where a lift is needed, some doctors feel that giving the breast tissue some "relief" and waiting is beneficial. The jury is still out on that. Recommendations for capsular contracture are usually to change the pocket location, in your case going... more

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Remove all the scar tissue, change the implant and pocket if possible

The gold standard for bad capsule is to perform a total capsulectomy (complete scar removal) in addition to implant change and pocket change (going from above to below the muscle). The reality is that sometimes it is very hard to perform the pocket exchange, as the muscle is either very thin or very high. Early massage following scar removal is very important. Hope that helps.