Link between capsular contracture and pregnancy after BA? (photo)

Question

I'm a 29 year old with 3 children ranging from 6 yr to 18 mos. I have breastfed all 3 children and am at the point where I have very little breasts left which has really affected my confidence. I am hoping to get a BA done this year and have another child within a couple of years BUT I have come across articles mentioning a link between CC and pregnancy after BA. Is this true? Is there anything that can be done to prevent the significant increase in risk?! Or is it best for me to just wait. :-(

David Finkle, MD · Answer

Capsular contracture (CC) is the formation of scar-like tissue around breast implants.  It is not dangerous and it is not a rejection phenomenon, but it can displace the implant, make them feel firm and hard and in severe cases cause pain.  CC is classified according to the Baker scale:Baker I ----- implant soft, no deformity, no painBaker II ---- implant firm, but no deformity noticeable visually and no painBaker III --- implant firm and visually noticeableBarker IV -- implant firm, hard, visually noticeable and painfulOur bodies are very smart and our immune system can detect when a foreign object has entered our body.  It will "attack" this foreign invader and try to wall it off from the rest of the body.  This reaction occurs to any foreign object; breast implants, chin implants, hip joints, pacemakers even slivers in the hands!We really don't understand completely why CC forms, so we don't know how to prevent it, totally.  There are many theories, mostly related to biofilm nowadays; a subacute infectious process surrounding the implants.  Most of the attention to prevent CC, therefore, is in trying to prevent bacterial contamination of the implant; oral antibiotics, antibiotic irrigation at the time of surgery, decontamination of the skin prior to surgery, handling the implants with a "no touch" technique, etc.  After the procedure, implant massage can help reduce CC and some oral medications are helpful ( Vitamin E, Singulair, Trental).  But, in reality we still don't know how to prevent CC.To the best of my knowledge, and having placed over 12,000 breast implants over 30 years, I have not seen or heard of any evidence linking CC to pregnancy.  Since most of the implants placed are in young women who go on to child bearing, I think it is safe to say there is no correlation.Based on your photographs submitted, you would be an excellent candidate for breast implants.  There is very little breast tissue, the right breast is slightly larger than the left and your BMI appears to be low.  I would recommend placing the implants under the muscle and using silicone rather than saline to prevent wrinkling and rippling.  This is a short outpatient procedure with a 3-5 day recovery period.  Fees vary from city to city and from saline to silicone, expect the price range to be about $4,500-6,000.Good Luck!

Jon A. Perlman, MD (retired) · Answer

I have had many patients become pregnant after breast implant placement and I can only recall one where the pregnancy was clearly tied to the appearance of capsular contracture.  This patient developed moderately severe  mastitis causing redness and swelling and immediately developed capsular contracture.  I recall this happening thirty years ago and have not seen it occur again.  Needless to say, pregnancy changes breasts and there is probably a small risk of CC if you develop an infection but overall the risks are low.Best wishes,Jon A Perlman MD FACS 
  
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery 
  
Member, ASAPS, ASPS
  
Extreme Makeover Surgeon, ABC TV 
  
Best of Los Angeles Award 2015, 2016 
  
Beverly Hills, Ca

Link between capsular contracture and pregnancy after BA? (photo)

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Link between capsular contracture and pregnancy after BA? (photo)

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.