What Is Capsular Contracture?
Whenever an implant is placed in the body, your immune system naturally forms a thin layer of scar tissue around it, this is called a capsule, and it's a normal part of healing. In most cases, this capsule stays soft and flexible, allowing the implant to look and feel natural.
Capsular contracture happens when that scar tissue thickens and tightens around the implant. Depending on severity, this can cause:
- Firmness or hardness in the breast
- A rounder, less natural shape
- Visible distortion or asymmetry
- Discomfort or pain
- In more advanced cases, the implant may appear to shift position
Capsular contracture can develop months or even years after the original surgery, and it can happen with either one or both breasts.
Why Does It Happen?
How Breast Augmentation Revision Surgery Can Help
The good news is that capsular contracture is treatable, and revision surgery is typically very effective at resolving it. Depending on the severity and your specific anatomy, our surgeons may recommend:
- Capsulectomy or Capsulotomy: Removing (capsulectomy) or releasing (capsulotomy) the thickened scar tissue to relieve tightness and restore a more natural shape.
- Changing the Implant Pocket Position: In some cases, moving the implant to a new position, such as switching from a sub-glandular to a submuscular placement, can reduce the likelihood of recurrence and improve the overall look and feel of the breast.
- Replacing the Implant: If the implant itself is contributing to the issue, our surgeons may recommend exchanging it for a new implant, sometimes alongside a breast lift if skin laxity has developed over time.
Because revision surgery involves working with existing scar tissue, altered anatomy, and stretched skin, it requires a higher level of surgical expertise than a first-time augmentation. Our surgeons, Dr. Whidden, Dr. Humphreys, Dr. Byers and Dr. Lafreniere , have the advanced training needed to manage these more complex cases and help you achieve comfortable, natural-looking results.
Can Capsular Contracture Be Prevented?
There's no guaranteed way to prevent capsular contracture entirely, but certain factors can lower the risk. Contributing factors include bacterial contamination during surgery, bleeding after surgery, implant placement, and each patient's individual healing response.
To help minimize risk, our surgeons use techniques like meticulous surgical technique, implant pocket irrigation with antibiotic solution, no-touch implant insertion, or sub-muscular placement, all associated with lower contracture rates. After surgery, following post-op instructions, attending follow-ups, and avoiding smoking can also help.
Even so, some patients still develop capsular contracture due to individual biology, it's unpredictable and not a sign anything was done wrong. If it happens, breast augmentation revision surgery is a well-established, effective solution.
If your breasts feel different than they used to, firmer, tighter, or visibly changed in shape, it's worth having them evaluated. Capsular contracture doesn't resolve on its own, and addressing it early can make treatment more straightforward.
Request a consultation with our team to discuss your symptoms and find out whether breast augmentation revision is the right next step for you.