Breast Implant Surgery
in Denver, Colorado
What is capsular contracture?
Capsular contracture is the term given to scar tissue that can form around a breast implant. Your body normally tries to wall off or deposit scar tissue around a foreign body such as a breast implant. Some scar tissue is normal and we depend on it to heal your incisions and prevent the implant from sagging down. An abnormal amount of scar tissue around a breast implant may lead to the implant feeling firm. In severe cases it can make the implant very round, displaced or even painful.
What Causes Capsular Contracture? The cause of capsular contracture is not entirely known. Most people who get it have a perfectly normal implant on the other side. We know by clinical observation that bleeding around the implant at the time of surgery leads to a higher rate of contracture. However, many people who get capsular contracture have had no bleeding around the implant. Another theory that has been proposed is that of low-grade infection although this has never been proven. Silicone breast implants have a higher rate of capsular contracture than saline implants. Breast implants above the muscle tend to have more problems with contracture than ones below the muscle.
What can be done to minimize the chance of getting capsular contracture? Textured implants were noted to develop softer scar tissue around them than smooth surface implants and they were promoted as a way to minimize capsular contracture. These studies compared textured and smooth implants without massage being done. We now know that implant massage is an important component in reducing the risk of capsular contracture.
How does implant massage work? By moving the implant around, the body is prevented from making scar tissue around it. Smooth breast implants under the muscle are the easiest to move. At surgery a pocket is made under the muscle that is bigger than the implant. It's important to start the massage within the first few days after surgery to get the implants moving before scar tissue begins to form. Textured breast implants are designed for tissue in growth and are not to be massaged. Experience has shown that sub muscular placement of smooth saline implants with early massage gives the lowest rate of capsular contracture (less than 5% in my practice).
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3003 East Third Avenue, Suite 206 Denver, CO 80206
phone :: 303.321.3210 || fax :: 303.321.6056
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Denver breast implant surgeon Dr. John R. Squires, M.D. and his staff have provided this website to keep you informed of the latest in breast implant surgery procedures available at The Squires Clinic for Plastic Surgery in Denver, Colorado. It is intended for informational purposes only. If you are considering breast implants, please contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Squires.
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