Do these sound like symptoms of capsular contracture?

Question

I am four and a half months post op. Immediately after my surgery my right has had discomfort, left healed without much pain. Right has been more numb. When i drive and use right arm i feel discomfort along the bottom or side of breast and sometimes discomfort under arm. Its not terrible pain just annoying. When i sleep or dont use arm there is no discomfort. I had 3 month check up and dr was not concerned with breasts. Does this sound muscular/ nerve issues or like cc? i have 360 cc unders.

S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS · Answer

My short answer is "no".  Capsular contracture, when it gets far enough along that it causes pain, is a continuous, low grade discomfort.  Lying down at night usually does not make the pain go away.  In fact, it usually is more annoying once other stimuli no longer intervene.  The number one symptom of a capsular contracture is a hard breast, and although you explained a lot about discomfort and numbness, you never discussed a hard breast.  Therefore, I doubt that your breast, in fact, is hard.  The contracted side always looks smaller than the other side because the implant is squished inside a tight pocket.  Capsular contractures always contract upward, and you never made mention of this either.  I would agree with you that your symptoms sounds much more like irritated nerves and/or muscles, but you truly don't describe` the basic symptoms of capsular contracture.  Therefore, I doubt seriously the problems you are experiencing with your right breast are capsular contracture.

Curtis Wong, MD · Answer

as your breasts just get firmer and harder and eventually your breast distorts.  You can have many 'funny' sensations following surgery and if they are getting better, it usually means they will resolve with time and healing.  If they are worsening, you should definitely mention it to your surgeon so interventions can be done if indicated.

Mark L. Jewell, MD · Answer

It has been my
experience that patients like yourself have both tight chest wall muscles and
irritated sensory nerves that come out of the chest wall in the breast region
after a bi-planar breast augmentation. Musculoskeletal
discomfort of this type is improved with stretching. Nerve discomfort typically
goes away over time without treatment. Capsular
contracture involves hardness in the breast after implant placement. If your
breasts are soft, you may be having musculoskeletal or irritated nerve issues. A
physical examination by your surgeon would help you understand the exact
problem and what treatment your surgeon recommends. Good luck!

Stephen M. Davis, MD, FACS · Answer

Without a physical examination or seeing photos my guess is myo-fascial pain at the capsule chest wall interface. That is: where the capsule around the implant has scarred to the fascia ( covering of our muscles) of your chest wall. So when you move your arm, chest etc these muscles pull at the scar tug on the fascia and it hurts.Some options include massage, warm compresses followed by massage, careful ultrasound, careful injections, but always check with your operating surgeon before you take any advice / suggestion from the internet. Good LuckStephen M. Davis, MD, FACSGreen Hills Plastic Surgery

Do these sound like symptoms of capsular contracture?

Answers (4)