The Symptoms Of Capsular Contracture
CC is usually difficult to determine in the interim, but in advanced stages, is very easily diagnosed.

There are four levels of Capsular Contracture as determined by the Baker Grading System, below:

• Grade I: the breast is normally soft and looks natural

• Grade II: the breast is a little firm but looks normal

• Grade III: the breast is firm and looks abnormal (visible distortion)

• Grade IV: the breast is hard, painful, and looks abnormal (greater distortion)

What Does Capsular Contracture Look Like?

Your Options To Treat Capsular Contracture
There are few options which can correct CC, and even if the complication is corrected, it can reoccur in some patients.  We will outline the most frequently used treatments

• Closed Capsulotomy: This procedure involves the surgeon to forcibly squeeze your breast to stretch and break the tissue capsule.  This can cause bleeding, injury, a deflation, and can void your implant warranty.  This method is rarely, if ever, practiced anymore.
• Open Capsulotomy:  This procedure requires that the pocket be re-opened.  The surgeon will score the implant with small punctures, or cut away some of the capsule to release the pressure of the squeezing on the implant.  Although either of these methods risk defects in the implant which may cause an immediate or eventual deflation
• Open Capsulectomy: This procedure requires that the pocket be re-opened and the capsule is cut and removed.
• Implant Replacement:  Many surgeons choose to replace the entire implant and start from scratch. 
• Steroids: Some surgeons suggest asthma drugs, such as Accolate, to help reduce inflammation during the healing phase.  Although this method of prevention is considered off-label use of the drug.

Treatment Costs
The treatment depends upon the severity of the condition, and the treatment used.  If you have to replace your breast implants, the cost will be even higher.  The cost may also be increased in the event that you have a rupture of silicone into the cavity which will need to be removed. 

How To Help Avoid Capsular Contracture
You are more likely to develop CC with sub-glandular placement so if your surgeon instructs you to perform compression or pocket exercises or movements, do them to help prevent it from forming.  Many surgeons believe that implant placement under the pectoral muscles, or even under the pecs, serratus and rectus abdominus fascia significantly decreases one's chance of CC, however patients still do develop CC with this placement as well, although not as many.  The belief is due to the constant massage that the implant will receive during the life of the implant by the contractions of the muscles.

Some surgeons believe that implanting textured-surfaced breast implants will eliminate CC altogether.  This has yet to be proven, in fact many studies have reported that there have been about the same amount of cases of CC with both implant shell types.  However, some surgeons swear by textured implants.  I recommend talking it over with your doctor before you decide which placement or implant type is best for you.

Some surgeons vehemently believe that silicone gel implants reduce the occurrence of CC, although studies of patients with CC and silicone implants have proven that silicone oil/gel molecules leaching into the pocket surrounding the implant can trigger the formation of a contracting fibrous capsule.  However in the past, criteria for patients to receive silicone gel implants included women who had problems such as CC, or even post-radiation treatment patients. Some patients who have had radiation therapy have developed CC afterwards.  So you see, it really is up in the air and what works for some, may not work for others.

Some surgeons recommend taking Prednisone with your normal antibiotics directly after surgery and for 2 weeks thereafter.  Some surgeons instruct implant massage starting the very next day.  This can be painful especially with unders.

What can you do to decrease your chances?  Well, for starters choose your surgeon wisely and ask about his own, personal patient CC percentage.  Possibly reschedule any major dental several months after or before your breast augmentation surgery.  Maintain good oral hygiene.  If your surgeon instructs for you to massage your implants, do so and be faithful with it.  If he instructs that you take oral Vitamin E, then do so, but only when and if he instructs.  You don't want to take it too close pre-op or post-op as this increases the chance of bleeding.

Breast Massage & Compression Exercises
Some surgeons think you should perform implant massage (compressions) or pocket quadrant exercises some do not.  If you do not know what quadrant exercises are, they are the act of displacing the implant to the outer most corners of the pocket.  Say, up, down and side to side.  You are told to perform these movements and hold your implant in this position for a few seconds.  If your surgeon  believes in massage he or she should show you how to perform these exercises. You usually start about a week post-op but some patients are instructed to massage within a few hours of surgery.  If this seems too early and it causes you much pain, please notify your surgeon and ask his further instructions. Sometimes surgeons will instruct you to massage your breasts several times a day until about 3 weeks post-op.  Then after 21 days, you usually begin massaging them only once a day, for the rest of the life of the implant.  The purpose of quadrant massage is to keep the pocket roomy and the scar capsule loose and elastic. 

Some surgeons also tell you to do Compression Exercises as well. You should ask your surgeon about actually squeezing the implant with medium pressure to keep the naturally occurring capsule flexible and loose.  Please abide by your particular surgeon's instructions.

 

< Breast Augmentation Complications Photos

Breast Augmentation Before & After Photos >