Feels Like My Implants Are Being Squeezed or Contracted?

Swelling and tightened tissues may cause this feeling. It probably isn't capsular contracture since you are still very early on in your recovery. With time, natural tissue expansion will relieve the tightness you're feeling. However, please see your surgeon if you are very concerned. 

It is quite normal to feel muscle and tissue tightness the first one to two weeks after breast implant surgery.  I would recommend that you begin massage treatments as directed by your surgeon. 

Five days post op is very early in the healing process.  Everything you are describing sounds very normal.  Most patients notice that their breasts heal differently, with one usually being more painful than the other.  I would discuss this with your PS at your next follow up visit.  I hope this helps.

Kindest regards,

Neil J. Zemmel

Thank you for your question.

At 5 days post op,  The sensations you are experiencing are quite likely part of the “normal” healing process. Your current symptoms do not necessarily increase your risk of breast implant encapsulation.  I would suggest continued follow-up with your plastic surgeon who is in the best position to advise/reassure you.

Best wishes.

This feeling you are experiencing is most likely due to swelling since you are only 5 days after your breast augmentation.  This feeling should progressively get better.  Please follow-up with your PS to make sure you are healing well and that there are no signs of bleeding/hematoma.   It can take 3-8 weeks for your swelling to resolve depending on the technique(s) used, your healing potential, and your activity level.  Best of luck.

Dr. Basu

Houston, TX

heavensent:

It is quite unlikely that you have a capsular contracture developing this soon, or that this tightness is a harbinger of a contracture in the future.

I don't have a photo or any size info, but commonly a rather large implant more that fills the breast skin, and until it stretches out the breasts will feel tight. This is a normal post-op occurrence in many patients. 

Please consider attaching a photo, and you will get more useful comments!

Thanks for the question, best wishes.

At 5 days, this is most likely just part of the normal healing process. It is very common for the breast to feel tight or pressure, and I would not be concerned. 5 days is far too early for a capsule to be formed. If the implant is feeling tight and looks much larger than before or significantly bruised, then I would return to your surgeon to have this evaluated sooner. It could be a hematoma.

Best of luck,

Vincent Marin, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon