Managing breast augmentation and its side effects

There are those who are ask questions such as “How do you take care of capsular contracture in this clinic?” when I talk to the patients.

I have felt that many patients are unclear about what the hospital can do if the patient suffers side effects or other complications after breast augmentation as they gather information on the hospital.

Today, I would like to share about a complication that patients are most concerned about, capsular contracture.

1. Can it be avoided? Why does it happen?
Let’s first look into this and then carry on.
Capsular contracture is something that the doctors are still not biochemically clear about to this day.

It happens to some, and it does not to others. It gets formed to some within 6 months and disappears. One might not have any problem for 5 years but then suddenly it gets formed. What is the reason for this? We still do not have an answer.
The incidence rate, referred to a publishment and FDA report, is found to be at less than 20% but Tebetts and others have stated that it is less than 1%. The fact is that the incidence rate of capsular contracture is dramatically low at present than that in the past.

In the past, there were much bleeding during breast augmentation, and it was done above the pectoralis muscle. There was no method or concept such as dual plane. Also, not many textured implants were used. The doctors may not know the cause of the capsular contracture, but they have built up knowledge on how one could avoid it, therefore, limiting its incidence rate. However, we cannot make the incidence rate 0% with the usage of silicone implants. It can be formed although you take much care of your body.

One common cause that most doctors agree on is that the capsular contracture gets formed with infection in the part of the body that we cannot see and the inflammation that is caused. When substance such as an implant goes into the body, it gets polluted with air outside. Such pollutant reacts with the body and the matabolism system causes a capsule that is strong and hard. This capsule which makes the breast hard is called capsular contracture.

The most effective method in preventing the capsular contracture would then be to prevent pollution as much as possible. There are techniques for this, and these techniques are shared in my other posts.

2. Who is responsible for capsular contracture?
Unwanted happening after a surger is called “side effects” or “complications”.
One would argues if complications such as capsular contracture after breast augmentation is medically responsible or if it is something that happens naturally. It is difficult to say that this is something that is caused through medical reasonsing based on the sources and experiments conducted so far. This means that it is not caused due to the surgeons’s act, misdirection, or any other related actions.

Then, can the patient not have the hospital responsible for capsular contracture?
This is not true either because a doctor has a responsibility to do the best he/she can to achieve best result for the patient.



Although, there is no medical fault, the doctor needs to be somewhat responsible for the result. Therefore, he/she has the responsibility to make things right. Therefore, is the capsular contracture is formed, there are invasive methods such as correction, or non-invasive methods such as massaging that can be conducted. We, at our clinic, provide non-invasive methods for free of charge. If correction is necessary, it is free also. However, we charge for anesthesia, medication, and other material costs.



The gel within the implant gets dispersed and at times may feel that it gets folded
If there is malpractice or medical fault such as leaving the gauze near the implant, not knowing about it, and causing inflammation, I think that the hospital cannot charge the patient for breast augmentation. If the hospital does not react to such problem quickly enough leading to worsening of the inflammation and implant collapse, then this is a medical accident and the hospital must be reliable for compensation as well.
However, this is not the case for capsular contracture. That is the solution to it is vague and the hospital cannot give a clear answer.

3. Does correction help recover from capsular contracture?



When corrrecting a severe case of capsular contracture, we open up the epithelium. A complete removal of the epitheium might be necessary at times. The implant can be replaced as well.

There are patients who ask if the recurrence of capsular contracture can be completely avoided. The recurrence is avoided 90% of the times after the epithelium is opened up.
There are many who search for “capsular contracture” on the internet and think that it is the scariest complication. From my much experience, I believer that it is not the worst complication that one can suffer. Also, your interview with the doctor is very important before the surgery.

Therefore, you do not need to worry or be scared off capsular contracture. This applies to those who are waiting for the breast augmentation and those who already have got one. The assumptions from the internets are much different from statistically known facts.

I hope that today’s content has helped you. Have a great weekend. Thank you very much.