What happens to any remaining scar tissue after a complete capsulectomy? Does it eliminate itself from the body if it is stuck to ribs, or does it stay? I am interested in breast implant removal en-bloc and am concerned if all the scar tissue can't be removed.
Remaining Scar Tissue After Capsulectomy?
Doctor Answers 11
Hello! Thank you for your question! It is a matter of surgeon
preference as well as what is seen during your procedure that will
determine whether or not a complete capsulectomy is performed. If
significant capsule formation is seen intraoperatively, a full capsule
removal may be warranted with a drain in order to completely remove all
of the tissue and allow better adherence of your breast back to its
normal anatomic position down on your chest wall. If minimal contracture
is seen, it may be possible to leave the capsule, or place cuts within
the capsule to allow better adherence. It truly is dependent on what is
seen with your capsule and the issues that may be causing you to have
such a procedure (e.g., contracture from rutptured implant vs pain vs
simple pocket adjustment, etc).
Without knowing your issues and without an examination, it is difficult to tell you what may be the best thing for you. I tend to favor performing capsulectomies (in an en bloc fashion) in order to create a fresh pocket, reshape the pocket, allow better shape and adherence of the overlying breast. I would discuss your issues with your plastic surgeon who will assist you in determining the right modality for you. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
Without knowing your issues and without an examination, it is difficult to tell you what may be the best thing for you. I tend to favor performing capsulectomies (in an en bloc fashion) in order to create a fresh pocket, reshape the pocket, allow better shape and adherence of the overlying breast. I would discuss your issues with your plastic surgeon who will assist you in determining the right modality for you. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
If your plastic surgeon tells you that he/she removed all of the capsule or scar around the implant, there should be none of it remaining. Whether ot not it needs to be removed is case by case dependant. Capsules around older silicone implants (greater than 20 years old) most often should be removed due to the higher chance of silicone free inside the capsule. If in the operation it is felt that the back of the capsule is very adherant to the chest wall, it is sometimes left. Capsule left behind will be remodeled for the most part by the body and become scar tissue.
Dr Edwards
Every effort is made to
remove the entire capsule when plastic surgeons perform total
capsulectomies.Unfortunately, small
amounts of capsule are occasionally left behind.In addition, capsule removal may be associated
with secondary complications such as bleeding and rarely, perforation of the
chest wall.For this reason, remnants of
the capsule may be left behind on the chest wall surface.Under these circumstances, it may not be safe
to remove the capsule from the anterior chest wall.
When capsule remnants are left behind they form scar tissue which eventually remodels and softens.This doesn’t generally create long term problems for patients and wounds tend to heal without difficulty, even when small amounts of capsule are left behind.If you’re considering capsulectomy surgery, it’s important to discuss these issues in detail with your plastic surgeon.Your surgeon should be able to discuss this in detail and alleviate any anxiety that you may have.
When capsule remnants are left behind they form scar tissue which eventually remodels and softens.This doesn’t generally create long term problems for patients and wounds tend to heal without difficulty, even when small amounts of capsule are left behind.If you’re considering capsulectomy surgery, it’s important to discuss these issues in detail with your plastic surgeon.Your surgeon should be able to discuss this in detail and alleviate any anxiety that you may have.
You might also like...
Related content
Complete capsulectomy for all practical purposes means removal of all internal scar tissue. Your body as a part of natural part of healing under ideal circumstances will make a new thin and supple capsule rather than a thick stiff one that was removed.
Scar tissue tends to dissipate over time through a process called scar maturation. It will generally be thin and soften as long as most of the foreign body is removed.
Web reference: http://www.bodysculptor.com/breast-surgery-chicago/implant-replacement/
There are two surgeries available, a partial or complete capsulectomy; to remove capsule and scar after augmentation. It is usually not necessary to remove the entire contents of the capsule, as the anterior portion predominately contributes to asymmetry and distortion.
Web reference: http://www.karemd.com
Once the implant is removed, the capsule is staring the surgeon in the face. it may be tough going, but all capsule should be removed if the will is there.
After a capsulectomy, you'll had a small amount of scar tissue at the junction of the breast tissue. If you receive another implant in this pocket, your body will re-create another capsule. If you receive an implant in a different location in your breast, your body will create capsule at the new breast implant location and the old implant location will collapse and eventually scar together.
It really depends on the situation at hand whether the scar tissue around the implant is removed completely. In general, where there is suspicion of ruptured silicone and/or a thickened scar then it usually is all removed competely. If the scar tissue is thin and the implant is a saline implant, then most commonly it is left alone to adhere to each other and heal over time.
Hope that helps.
Web reference: http://www.feplasticsurgery.com/orange-county-breastrevision-newport-beach.php
The goal is to take as much of the capsule out if it is scarred in. Sometimes the entiere capsule can not and often this softens and disappears.
Web reference: http://www.stevenwallachmd.com
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
You might also like...
Related Content
What Happens to the Pocket After Breast Implant Removal?
27 doctor answers
Scar Tissue Left After Removing Breast Implants??
3 doctor answers
Breast Implant Removal Recovery
44 doctor answers
Breast Implant Removal Complications
23 doctor answers
Ask a Doctor
Get personalized answers from board-certified doctors. For free.
Breast Implant Removal Pictures
Photos from the community
Breast Implant Removal Pictures
Photos from the community
