Breast augmentation is the most popular procedure at our plastic surgery practice in Paramus, New Jersey, and we love seeing so many happy patients get the shapely curves they’ve always wanted.
Occasionally, however, patients who’ve had prior breast augmentation experience a condition called capsular contracture, where the tissue around their implants will harden. If you suspect this has happened to you, you don’t have to wonder any longer about how to treat capsular contracture.
It can be successfully addressed, relieving your symptoms and restoring an aesthetically pleasing shape and appearance to your breasts.
How Does Capsular Contracture Start?
As part of the normal breast augmentation healing process, your body will form a capsule, or tissue lining around the breast implants. Normally, this lining is flexible, soft and barely noticeable by touch or appearance.
In a small percentage of patients, however, this capsule hardens and contracts around the implant, giving the breasts an unnaturally round and hard texture and appearance. In some cases, the condition can even be painful.
Although capsular contracture is one of the more common complications following breast augmentation, it’s still pretty rare—in a recent study of about 2500 breast augmentation patients, only about 7.6% developed capsular contracture within 5 years following surgery.
Currently, there are two options for treating capsular contracture.
Can You Treat Capsular Contracture Without Surgery?
Yes, the Aspen Ultrasound System is a unique non-invasive treatment that combines deep sound wave therapy (ultrasound) with targeted massage to help painlessly break up the excess scar tissue and release the capsule.
For patients with mild to moderate cases of capsular contracture, this treatment can help relieve pain and hardness and help the breast implant assume a more natural position without having to undergo the expense, recovery time, and risks of a second surgery.
In our experience, about 80% of our patients experience noticeable improvements after Aspen Ultrasound System treatment. For patients who are deemed good candidates, we will typically recommend this non-invasive approach first.
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Can Capsular Contracture Be Fixed With Surgery?
For some patients, breast implant revision surgery will yield the best results. During a procedure to correct capsular contracture, a surgeon will take out the old breast implants, remove the hardened scar tissue, or “capsules,” and place new implants.
As such, revision surgery is usually the better option for women who wish to change their implant size or type at the same time, as well as those who have more advanced cases of capsular contracture. You can see how revision surgery can restore beautiful, natural-looking results in our before and after photo gallery.
For patients who do require surgical intervention, the Aspen Ultrasound System can be used as a post-surgical therapy to reduce the recurrence of the capsular contracture.
If you suspect you have capsular contracture after breast augmentation, contact our practice online or call us at (201) 967-1212. This is not a condition you should live with, and we will help you understand your treatment options at your consultation.
How much does this treatment cost and how many would I need and over what time period
Hi Sharon,
We would love to help answer your questions. Please give us a call 201.967.1212, or contact us using our contact form and we can help you navigate pricing and treatment needs. Thank you!
https://www.parkercenter.net/contact/
Sincerely,
Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
i had breasts implants inserted into both my breasts in oct 2013 in south korea – i went from 32A to 32C. However, i had capsular contracture (cc) on my right breast so i went to south korea again in oct 2016 to replace the implant). Both times they use Polytech textured type implant 255 cc. Now I feel tightness and pain again on my right breast and i believe its cc again.
1) Can i go to the clinic for the cc revision on 3 july 2017? I need the ultra scan/surgery done as soon as i land in states as i need to be back for work.
2) 8 months (oct 16 to jul 17) for surgery is alright for me right?
3) do you need me to take any ultrasound scan from singapore?
4) I am coming from singapore so how long do i need to stay in states?
5) What is the average costs for such a revision? Are the stitches dissolvable or do i need to stay in states to have the stitches removed?
6) what are the chances of cc occuring again?
7) worst case, would you need to replace my implants with saline ones as ive read that they are less susceptible to cc? Or any other types of implants?
I am working so hopefully i dont have to stay in states for more than 10 days. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Hi May,
Thank you for your questions. Can you contact us using our contact form: https://www.parkercenter.net/contact/? You can also give us a call at (201) 967-1212 and we will be glad to help you. Thank you again. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
The Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Hello, would private insurance cover the
Revision surgery?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, we do not accept private insurance for revision surgeries. If you have any more questions, we would be glad to help! Please contact us using the form listed below or by giving us a call at 201.967.1212.
Sincerely,
Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
https://www.parkercenter.net/contact/
I had breast cancer in 2015 and developed capsular contracture on my right breast and a air bubble on my left breast. All of my treatments have been covered by insurance because of the breast cancer. I was wondering if I was to come in if this can be put through insurance since it was not an elective surgery. I would possibly like to see if the ultrasound would work in fixing the problems.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your questions. Please give us a call at 201.967.1212 or contact us using the form below and we’d be happy to help you.
Sincerely,
Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
https://www.parkercenter.net/contact/
My Right breast is capsulated and is very high on my chest
Hi Ruth,
If you are concerned with your result, we’d suggest contacting your surgeon to see about your treatment options. Thank you!
Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Hi Ruth I have implants that were put in around 1997. They’ve gradually become harder and harder and now the right breast is so hard and tight that it’s actually uncomfortable. The left breast was actually exactly the same but I think the implant ruptured because now it’s very soft and just like a regular breast but it looks a lot smaller so I can’t really wear clothing that’s at all tight because it looks like I have one breast and the other side I have none so I don’t know what to do . I did read that there are ways to break up the contracture without going in with a knife have you heard of that have you done anything about your problem