Capsule removal after explant, what's the recovery time & how painful is the surgery?

On average, residual capsulectomy takes about two hours on average. Recovery time is about 4 weeks. The capsule sits right on top of the chest/rib cage and adheres. A very meticulous and tidy dissection is required. Most of my patients say the pain is minimal but every patient has a different pain tolerance.

Dear LimoMB,
generally speaking, capsule removal shouldn't cause major pain issues. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Removing the capsules will be more involved than just opening the scar tissue. However, nerves are not in the actual capsule, so many women do not have much pain.

Each situation is unique but the recovery should be about a week. Be sure to closely follow your surgeon's post op instructions for optimal results. I would encourage you to speak with your surgeon about your questions as she/he is most familiar with your case and planned procedure. You can learn more by visiting my website for recovery milestones.

Breast pain is pretty common, and this may or may not be due to the capsule.
Did you have capsular contractions when you had your implants removed? There are different ways of doing this, but it’s generally best to remove the capsule at the same time as implant removal.
I have found that removing the capsule without an implant holding the capsule tight makes it technically difficult.
my approach would probably be to put in a temporary breast, implant sizer and use that to create some tension on the capsule when attempting a complete capsulectomy years after explantation.
The amount of discomfort after surgery depends on how aggressive the surgeon is and how much dissection is needed to get the capsule out.
It depends on if the capsule is removed 360°.
Part of the capsule may be adhered to your pectoralis muscle and part of it may be on your rib cage.
Part of it depends on what position your implant was placed if it was above the pectoral muscle, or below the pectoralis muscle.
Amount of discomfort may be similar to having breast augment, but without the tight sensation.
It’s generally easier to remove a thick, scarred, contracted capsule, then a thin flimsy one.
This is why knowing if you had a cap or contraction at the time of explantation would be useful knowledge.
If your capsule was thin and did not have evidence of contraction then the capsule is probably not causing pain for you.
These are really issues you need to talk to your surgeon about.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD