Capsular Contracture
in Irvine, CA
Most women never have complications with their breast augmentation or implants. At his Orange County practice, Dr. Andrew Smith specializes in making things right for those women who do experience problems, such as capsular contracture.
This is when the normal capsule of scar tissue around the implant begins to harden and contract, often squeezing and displacing the implant. It is the most common breast augmentation complication, and can cause visible deformity and discomfort. When you’re experiencing any breast augmentation complication, it’s especially important to choose your surgeon carefully.
After breast augmentation surgery, the body naturally creates a thin layer of tissue around the implants. This tissue, called the capsule, varies in consistency between patients and even between each of a patient’s breasts. In cases of capsular contracture, the tissue thickens and tightens around the implant causing discomfort and a distorted breast appearance.
When you’re experiencing any breast augmentation complications, it’s especially important to choose your surgeon carefully. Dr. Andrew Smith has years of experience performing complex revision procedures for Riverside and Orange County breast augmentation patients whose implants need correction.
Capsular contracture can affect one or both breasts. Most cases occur within a few weeks to a year of the original surgery; some cases occur years later. The cause of capsular contracture remains unclear. The condition is thought to be an immune system response in which the body rejects the implant and forms a barrier around it.
The following risk factors are associated with capsular contracture:
Dr. Andrew Smith has years of experience performing complex revision procedures for Riverside and Orange County breast augmentation patients whose implants need correction. Request a surgical consultation online to meet with Dr. Smith at one of his 3 locations. You can also call his office at (949)-653-7000 to schedule an appointment.
It’s difficult to predict who will be affected by capsular contracture. Because the cause of capsular contracture isn’t entirely clear, it can’t be completely prevented. The chances may be greatly reduced when your surgery is performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. The following factors have been found to minimize the risks:
In general, capsular contracture must be corrected with surgery. Irvine capsular contracture surgery provider Dr. Smith will recommend the method that will provide the most attractive results and minimize the possibility of recurrence. Options include:
Most women opt to exchange their implants when they undergo capsular contracture surgery, however some women choose to have them removed and not replaced. In either case, revision surgery is more complex than the initial breast augmentation, and recovery may be slightly longer.
This 44 year old female had a breast augmentation in 07 and felt that her implants were too big. She wanted to go smaller and have a lift at the same time. She is 5’6 135 pounds and had a 400 cc saline implant on the left and a 360 cc saline implant on the right. She replaced the implants with 234 cc silicone.
Patient Age: 45
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 234 cc
Implant Size Right: 234 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Semi-Solid Silicone Gel
Implant Shape: Round
Cup Size Before: DD
Cup Size After: C
This 34 year old female had a saline implants placed under the muscle approximately 8 years ago. She came into see us because her left breast implant had ruptured. She is a 32 D and would like to remain about the same size. She is 5’1 105 pounds. Using an inframmammry fold incision we placed 425 cc silicone implants under the muscle.
Patient Age: 33
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 425 cc
Implant Size Right: 425 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Semi-Solid Silicone Gel
Implant Shape: Round
Breast Incision Type: Inframammary
Cup Size Before: D
Cup Size After: D
40 year old female who had a previous breast augmentation and was very unhappy with her result. She had a saline subglandular augmentation and her implants have resulted in severe rippling and her implants have ended up under her arms. She has a lack of central fullness and her implants end up on her side when she lays down. We did a breast augmentation revision with a complex surgical approach. A switch to larger silicone gel implants along with a pocket change to subpectoral was done. The pocket change utilized AlloDerm® dermal matrix to define the pocket and reduce rippling postoperatively. This resulted in a dramatic improvement and has almost completely eliminated her rippling.
Patient Age: 40
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 421 cc
Implant Size Right: 421 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Liquid Silicone Implants
Implant Shape: Round
Breast Incision Type: Circumareolar
Cup Size Before: C
Cup Size After: D
This 57 year old female had a previous augmentation 28 years ago. She had severe encapsulation of right breast implant. Dr. Smith preformed a right breast capsulectomy, removed her existing implants and replaced them with new silicone implants.
Patient Age: 57
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 600 cc
Implant Size Right: 600 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Silicone
This 48 year old female had a previous augmentation 17 years ago. She had severe encapsulation of bilateral breast implants with grade IV capsular contracture.
Patient Age: 48
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 450 cc
Implant Size Right: 450 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Semi-Solid Silicone Gel
Breast Incision Type: Inframammary
Cup Size Before: D
Cup Size After: D
This 48 year old woman had a breast lift (mastopexy) She is 5’7 120 pounds and placed 325 cc silicone implants under the muscle. She was a 34 B.
This 23 year old female who is 5’4 and 119 pounds had a breast augmentation whoes right side remained on the high side. We left her right implant in place, did a capsulotomy and lowered her pocket on the right side to make her breasts more even during breast revision surgery.
Patient Age: 23
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Contents: Liquid Silicone Implants
Cup Size Before: D
Cup Size After: D
This is a 47 year old female who was interested in a breast revision. She has had multiple previous breast augmentation procedures including a breast lift. She has breast asymmetry with a right-sided encapsulation. She feels that her breasts are too large and wants to downsize her implants. She preceeded with a breast revision which included a right breast capsulectomy, right breast Alloderm graft, and bilateral mastopexy revision. She was placed with Natrelle style 15 265cc silicone implants. She is very happy with her results.
Patient Age: 47
Patient Gender: Female
Implant Size Left: 265 cc
Implant Size Right: 265 cc
Implant Placement: Submuscular
Implant Contents: Liquid Silicone Implants
Implant Shape: Round
Breast Incision Type: Inframammary
Cup Size Before: D
Cup Size After: C
Contact Andrew Smith, MD FACS Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Irvine, Orange County to schedule your consultation.
18 Endeavor Suite 102, Irvine, CA 92618