Some New Jersey women undergoing breast revision surgery are doing so in order to change the size of their implants. Others are undergoing breast revision to replace ruptured or leaking implants. And some women undergo breast revision surgery to fix issues following their original breast augmentation surgery. Many New Jersey women who have had breast augmentation in the past and now have hardened, misshapen or misplaced breast implants wonder if a breast revision can fix capsular contracture or the hardening of scar tissue around the breast implant. Read on to learn more about this condition and how a breast revision from Dr. Comizio can help resolve capsular contracture.
What is Capsular Contracture?
Most of the times when New Jersey women receive breast implants, the implants feel soft and mobile. But in rare cases, scar tissue forms around the breast implants and causes them to harden. This hardening may cause the implants to look misshapen, asymmetrical and otherwise unnatural. Contracture can also cause pain.
How Can Capsular Contracture Be Prevented?
There are several ways that capsular contracture can be prevented, including:
- Using Textured Implants. For above the muscle breast augmentations, the rough surface of textured implants tends to help prevent capsular contracture from forming. However, since today most breast augmentations are placed behind the muscle, this benefit is often limited.
- Under the Muscle Placement. Today, most implants are submuscular, and this is good news when it comes to preventing capsule contracture. In fact, submuscular implants reduce your risk of capsular contracture by about 8 to 12% over your lifetime.
- Practicing Breast Massage. After your original breast augmentation procedure, your plastic surgeon may recommend that you perform breast massage. These massages – which involve moving your implants within the breast – can prevent the scar tissue in your breast pocket from hardening.
How Can Capsular Contracture Be Treated?
There are two main ways that capsular contracture can be treated. First, is a breast revision, in which the original implants are removed, the scar tissue is broken up, and a new implant is placed. When New Jersey women undergo breast revision for scar tissue, they are highly encouraged to have a submuscular placement and practice breast massage to reduce the chance that capsular contracture occurs again.
There is some evidence that an oral medication taken twice daily for 3 months may cause some patients to experience a softening of the scar tissue around their breasts. There are also ultrasound modalities available that may break up scar tissue around the breast implant.
I Think I Have Capsular Contracture. What Do I Do Next?
If you think that you have capsular contracture, you will need to see New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Comizio for a full breast consultation and evaluation to diagnose the condition. If you do in fact have hardening of your scar tissue, Dr. Comizio will discuss with you the treatment options and come up with a full treatment plan for you, including reviewing your original breast augmentation surgery records to understand the specifics of how your original implants were placed.
If you think you have capsular contracture, don’t delay. Call Dr. Comizio today at (973) 775-9248.
