4. What is Capsular Contracture and how often does it occur? Is it painful, what can be done about it?
Capsular Contracture (CC) is caused by the tissue that forms around the implant contracting and squeezing the implant. It is quite normal for tissue to form around a foreign body. This how your body naturally reacts to such a thing. The problem is when the encapsulated implant is squeezed by this tissue. Some women's bodies do not react well to implants and will develop CC. When the tissue squeezes the implant it becomes compacted and very round, resulting in the tell tale look and feel of "baseball breasts." Your breast can look extremely, for lack of a better word, deformed, not to mention, it can be very painful.
Capsular Contracture may happen repeatedly to one breast over and over or to both only once. Some surgeons still attempt to remedy CC by literally squeezing your breast and implant. This can result in a lot of pain, possible deflation and minor internal bleeding of the breast. Still other surgeons prefer to make an incision and lance the contracted tissue surrounding the implant and even injections of steroids into the pocket have been known to remedy CC. Before these techniques were utilized the only remedy was thought to be removing the implant, resituating and removing residual scar tissue.
Now, it is quite possible to develop CC again. Most patients that do get CC start having symptoms at 3 months post-operatively. Although for any time in the life span of the implant or your choice in keeping them, you may develop CC if trauma to the breast occurs, a bodily bacteria infection occurs or for simply no reason at all. For instance, if you get hit in the chest or perhaps by a seatbelt if you are in a car wreck, you can possibly develop CC because of it. This doesn't mean don't wear your seatbelt in fear of harming your implants; you can always have an additional surgery, you can't have an additional life.
You are more likely to have Capsular Contracture with sub-glandular placement so you should adhere to the breast implant 'exercises' if instructed by your surgeon. Those who have hematoma within the breasts or infections, even when successfully eradicated with antibiotics, may develop CC.
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