Bad Breast Implant Results. What Are my Rights?

Capsular contracture, or scar formation after breast augmentation, is a common problem after surgery and a recognized complication. It is certainly not malpractice.
Capsular contracture occurs with every single busy surgeon. Capsular contracture is more common in implants placed above the muscle than implants placed below the muscle.
Modern techniques can minimize the formation of capsular contracture, but not prevent it altogether.
You should communicate with your surgeon about the problem and discuss with him what can be done now. Often, removal of the scar tissue in surgery is an option.

Typically, it's best to wait 6 to 12 months depending on the reason for #revision.  Matters such as sagging or drooping  and size change will not improve with time. As with all cosmetic surgery, results will be rewarding if expectations are realistic. With any surgical procedure, there are some risks which your doctor will discuss with you during your consultation. It's best to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeons who have specialized in breast surgery and cosmetic surgery are suitable to perform your breast augmentation. You will then greatly improve your chances of getting the result you desire, and, without the need for a revision surgery. Aside from checking board-certification, it is suggested that you look at before and after photos of the surgeons actual patients, and read patient reviews. Gathering all of this information will help you make a well-informed decision. Please be advised that each patient is unique and previous results are not a guarantee for individual outcomes. 

Capsular Contractures occur unfortunately in 5-10% of patients and in the vast majority of cases is unrelated to the surgeon, but rather your body's response to the implants. In other words your surgeon probably did nothing wrong.

In all surgical specialties and procedures you are paying for the surgeon's best surgical efforts and care. There are never any direct or implies guarantees of success and this is especially true of Plastic Surgery which is both an Art form and Inexact Science. For example if you rejected a kidney after it was transplanted you would not expect your money back. If you looked over the consent paperwork you signed, I am sure you will find this explained as it is standard for all surgeons.
Capsular contracture can not be predicted and is our bodies particular reaction to the implant.Your surgeon did not do anything wrong which is the reason for and necessity for to be responsible financially for additional procedures.

Although you may feel upset about the capsular contracture, there are many ways to correct the problem and minimize your risk of developing complications associated with it.  I would advise you to speak with your surgeon about those options.  He will provide insight into the development of the capsular contracture and its causes. 

Capsular contracture is a risk with all breast augmentation procedures regardless of the surgeon.  The reported incidence is anywhere from <1% to as high as 17%.  In my experience, it is much closer to the former, but not nearly that low.  Nevertheless, because we do not know the specific trigger, it is impossible to "do something" to prevent contracture.  There are various treatment options and your surgeon should discuss these with you and minimize the cost of any chosen treatment.

Unfortunately, capsular contracture is a very well known complication of breast implant surgery that can happen to anyone at any time. To make matters even more confusing, we really don't completely understand why it happens or who it will happen to. Some people are at higher risk in general, and it may occur early after implanmt surgery or late (even many years later!) There are certain surgical maneuvers which can be performed to help decrease the chances of it occurring, such as trying to prevent infection, washing the pockets out with antibiotics and mainting excellent hemostasis with complete prevention and control of intraoperative bleeding and excellent technique. These should help guard against early capsular contracture (as in a few weeks to months after surgery). In addition, the placement of implants in a submuscular or dual plane location, as opposed to under the gland only, is thought to help prevent later capsular contracture. Late capsular contracture is a big unknown, however, and everyone is at risk!
As for the treatment - your doctor is correct - the treatment is surgical in nature: usually the capsule is removed and the implant replaced. All practices handle the costs differently. I do not charge my patients (the ones in whom I placed the original implants) for surgery to correct this condition; however they are responsible for the OR fee, anesthesia, and the cost of a new implant (if necessary) and patients are made aware of this policy (as well as the possibility of capsular contracture occurring) at the original augmentation consultation.
Good luck and I am sorry that you are dealing with this unfortunate, but well known, complication of breast implant surgery.

Hi there-
I'm sorry you're having problems.
Unfortunately, capsular contracture is a well-recognized risk of breast implant surgery, and while it is thankfully fairly rare, it does happen to many women if their implants are in place for a long enough period.
Early capsular contracture, as you have experienced, is even more uncommon but is known to occur in a small number of patients. We really do not have a clear understanding of exactly what causes this problem (although we know about a few things that increase your risk), and so it is impossible to say that something "could have been done to prevent" the problem.
When it does occur, the best and safest solution is unfortunately surgery to remove the capsular tissue. This will unfortunately generate costs, and those costs must be borne by you as the beneficiary of the intervention to correct this problem (that could have happened to anyone).
However, while I do not think that your surgeon is responsible for your problem (it happens to the best of us), I'm sure that he or she would like for you to be as happy as possible- talk to him/her and review your options for management, and ask about any financial consideration they might offer you as an existing patient. I bet you can work something out.

I think it says a lot about you that you have been reading up on capsular contracture specifically to see if your surgeon did something wrong.  Wow. 

Capsular contracture is a known risk after any implant surgery.  It has to do with how your body heals--we don't know exactly why it happens, so we don't know exactly how to prevent it. 

You should absolutely expect to pay for the cost of the revision surgery, as your surgeon likely did nothing wrong.  Again, capsular contracture is not the fault of your surgeon, nor is it your fault--it just happens from time to time.  Women who have breast implant surgery should clearly understand that they are not undertaking a one-time expense.  They will need revisions down the road for any number of reasons. It is not reasonable to expect your surgeon to bear the cost of a revision for which he/she holds no responsibility.  In many cases, i will work with my patients to reduce the cost of revisions as much as possible, but 2.5 years after surgery is not an early revision.

Complications after surgery happen to every surgeon, but not every patient. This is why informed consent regarding surgery is so important. The goals of informed consent are to educate the patient as to the more common risks of surgery, what to expect from surgery, and what we would do if those complications occur. Although the risks of a complication are given in percentages, when it happens to you, it's 100%. Having had the discussion ahead of time makes dealing with the problem much easier.

For breast augmentation, capsular contracture is a well known risk of the surgery. The causes of capsular contracture are many, and even the best surgeons will have patients with this complication. Other complications such as bleeding and infection can even lead to capsular contracture, and thus plastic surgeons do many things to prevent these complications. Unfortunately, a large percentage of contractures are considered idiopathic, which means we don't know exactly why a woman developed the contracture. The treatment often includes removal of the capsule, changing of the implant, and sometimes even relocation of the implant to under the muscle. The chances that contracture can happen again is also elevated for the revision operation.

Cosmetic surgery is an expensive undertaking. Although there is no standard, most plastic surgeons have a system in place as to how complications are taken care of. Many surgeons will wave their operating fees, however, the anesthesia and facility fees are usually not excluded. It is important to discuss these costs for covering complications with your surgeon before the first operation. There are even insurance plans for cosmetic surgery which will cover the costs associated with cosmetic surgery complications. Contact your plastic surgeon to review his/her office policy regarding revisions and complications. Remember, the issue of contracture won't go away by placing blame, but by working with your surgeon to resolve the issue.

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 patients or in just one breast. This complication unfortunately can happen to any patient and any plastic surgeon.

To learn more about breast augmentation, see photos, and help you decide which one is best for you, please visit us at the link below: