Incidence rate of capsular contracture
According to 2002 Plastic and Reconstructive surgery article by
Tebbetts and others, the incidence rate of capsular contracture
of 1664 patients over 7 years is 0.7%.
The information from implant manufacturing companies of
Mentor and McCann submitted to FDA reads 9%.
How can the two data of 0.7% and 9% from the same country,
US, have so much difference?
The implants in Tebbetts’ article were textured water drop type saline implants and the implants tested by the manufacturers were mostly smooth type saline implants. Also the writer is an advocate of 24 hour recovery system, and he enforces that the surgery must be performed without any bleeding and no damage to the tissue.
Most recent article in 2006 shows that Tebbetts used textured water drop type
on 50 patients and observed them over 3 years to find out that the
incidence rate of capsular contracture, and reconstruction is 0%.
Capsular contracture depends on
Who performs the surgery with what method?
How is the body of the patient?
Does the implant fit well with the body?
Here exists the core problem.
How can you avoid the revision surgery due to the capsular contracture?
Here is the summary.
- The surgeon needs to take care of the implant and not damage it when inputting it.
- Do not use less than full filled implant, use filled and secured implant. (Water drop, textured, silicone gel bag implant)
- An experienced surgeon should not damage the tissue and not cause any bleeding during the surgery. (24 hour recovery system)
- Double plane surgery or sub-pectoral surgery has lower incidence rate than sub-glandular surgery.
What can I do if I have a capsular contracture?
An internet popular “Baker method” has 4 types. But, this is something that is decades old. I do not think that this is necessary now.
The bottom table is useful.
Cases when you need reconstruction when there is a capsular contracture
- Very hard breast
- Awkwardly shaped breast, or implant moving to a different position
- When one can notice that the breast looks awkward when wearing everyday clothes
- Capsular contracture caused when there is an infection
You should not have a revision surgery because you have a capsular contracture. There is no guarantee that you will have a good result after the revision surgery. In conclusion, it is best to try and prevent the capsular contracture.
I would like to share something obvious before I finish off.
What can you do in order to minimize the possibility of a side effect?
You need to visit a good hospital with a doctor who would perform good surgery
on you. This is the best way to avoid any side effect.
- Get a surgery from a doctor who is well educated on the breast augmentation (beauty surgeon). (Be careful of similar titles such as International beauty surgery specialist, Beauty surgery specialist, etc)
- Go to a hospital that has a quick recovery system. A recovery must take place within 24 hours with pain and bleeding so that you can get back to your everyday life. This will minimize any possibility of implant collapse, and capsular contracture.
- Go to a surgeon who can explain properly about the side effect. An experienced surgeon would have experienced many side effects as well. Those who say that there is no side effects is not an experienced surgeon.
- Go to a hospital that charges an appropriate amount of surgery cost. Breast augmentation cost includes implant cost, surgery facility and personnel cost, testing expense, material expense, anesthesia, recovery and monitoring expense, surgery expense, unexpected cost, VAT, etc.
Very cheap surgery would leave out one thing from the above list. This means that you will not be guaranteed on what would happen to your body and would not be able to solve any problem you’re your body might get into.
This is all for today. Capsular contracture is the most important side effect, and there needs to be more explanation on it but I will have to end for now.
Thank you for reading.
