Is It Common to Reuse the Old Breast Capsule when Going Larger in Cc's?

It is difficult to respond to your specific circumstance without more information.  Was your initial implant saline or gel?  If gel was ruptured and capsule was not removed, then you likely have residual silicone that may be contributing to contracture.  It is common to create a virgin pocket anterior to an old capsule, a technique popularized by Dr. Patrick Maxwell.  This applies to patients, in my opinion, with non-calcified capsules with intact implants.  Otherwise, my preference is to remove the old scar (capsule) prior to placing a new implant.  Replacing a new implant into a contracture is generally not recommended.  It sounds from your narrative like you did not have a contracture on the replacement side, just a ruptured implant.  In this case, it is not uncommon to remove the ruptured implant (if it is saline), open the capsule to develop a new pocket, and place the new implant in the new pocket, which incorporates elements of the old non-contracted capsule.

Without knowing more about your situation and exactly how your procedure was done, it is impossible to answer completely.

Whether one's existing breast implant capsule is maintained, released or removed during an implant replacement/exchange depends on numerous factors. If it is a simple implant exchange due to deflation and the previous implant position was satisfactory and the new implant will not be appreciably bigger, then the implant capsule would be maintained. If the implant exchange involves a significantly larger implant, then the implant pocket would be enlarged by doing capsular releases. If the existing implant capsule had prior problems (capsular contracture, calcification) or the implant has previous positioning issues, then the capsule would be removed with the implant exchange. These are general guidelines that may change based on each patient's circumstances and other factors including the quality and thickness of their breast tissue and overlying skin.