Previous evidence seemed to show that using textured implants over the muscle could decrease rates of capsular contracture. However, a study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal in September 2019 concluded that using smooth implants under the muscle didn’t significantly increase capsular contracture risk.
Most doctors now believe bacterial contamination during surgery could be the biggest culprit for triggering capsular contracture down the road. “Although it’s incompletely understood, capsule contracture, the tightening of scar tissue around a breast implant, is thought to be related to chronic bacterial contamination in the implant pocket,” says West Palm Beach, Florida, plastic surgeon Dr. Richard G. Schwartz in a RealSelf Q&A.Â
The 2019 study urges breast implant surgeons use an aseptic surgical technique to minimize contamination, saying this is “of greater clinical significance than implant surface characteristics, when discussing capsular contracture.”Â
You may also be able to take steps to prevent capsular contracture yourself by taking a prophylactic antibiotic before any procedure, including a teeth cleaning and Pap smears—both of which can send bacteria into the bloodstream and increase your risk of contamination.
While some claim that massaging the implant can reduce the risk of capsular contracture, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In one RealSelf Q&A, Beverly Hills, California, plastic surgeon Dr. Gerald Minniti says, “Data shows us that implant massage works no better than not doing it at all. This has been established for years, and surgeons who adhere to evidence-based best practices don't have their patients massage.”
