August, 2018

In my previous blog, I discussed the various grades of capsular contracture and the proposed causes of capsular contracture.  Let’s now take a look at prevention and treatment of this condition. Can capsular contracture be prevented? In many cases, the formation of capsular contracture is random and could be considered “bad luck.”  However, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing the condition. Careful patient selection.  Patients that have a history of severe scar formation or adhesion formation after abdominal surgery should be counseled on the increased risk of developing capsular contracture.  Additionally, patients at high-risk for developing […]

What is capsular contracture? The formation of a capsule around a breast implant is part of normal wound healing.  The body’s natural response to a foreign object is to form a thin layer of scar tissue around the implant.  However, in capsular contracture, that thin layer of scar tissue becomes thicker and causes a problem in women with breast implants.  There are 4 grades of capsular contracture: Grade 1 – This is the normal response to the breast implant. The capsule is soft and the presence of the capsule is imperceptible to the patient or her plastic surgeon. Grade 2 – There is […]