Capsular Contracture

Posted on Friday, March 23rd, 2012 by Dr. Babak Dadvand

One of the risks of breast augmentation is capsular contracture. So what is capsular contracture? Well let’s start by saying that developing a capsule around an implant is entirely normal. The body forms a capsule around any foreign object, whether it’s a breast implant, chin implant, or hip implant. It is just your natural immune response. However, in some women, the body continues to form a thicker and thicker capsule which eventually can lead to a firm breast and in the most extreme cases can distort the look of the breast and cause pain.

Now there are some known causes of capsular contracture, such as bleeding, infection, and trauma. However a majority of women who develop capsular contracture have none of these factors. We are starting to learn that in a lot of theses capsular contracture cases, there is a low level of bacteria on and around the implant…not enough to cause an infection, but enough to keep the immune system revved up. In most women the treatment of a capsular contracture means a revision surgery to remove the capsule, replace the implant with a new implant, and to place the implant in a new pocket. A new therapy which is used in recurrent cases of capsular contracture is the use of Strattice, which I will discuss in a future submission. To learn more about breast implants visit my website at drdadvandplasticsurgery.com.

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