Tag: Appearance

Capsular Contracture

When a foreign object inters our body, our immune system tries to either destroy it or contain it. Some immune systems interpret a breast implant as a foreign object. Since the immune system cant destroy an implant, it tries to contain it. It attempts to build a wall around the intruder to keep it from spreading to the rest of the body. The wall around the implant is called a capsule.

When the capsule tightens around the implant its called capsular contracture. The squeezing can be painful and can change the shape of the breast. The changed shape can affect the appearance of the breast as well.

The severity of the capsular contracture varies between cases. With the mildest case, the breast looks normal and still feels soft. This is classified as grade 1. Grade 2 still looks normal, but the breast is a little firm. At grade 3, the breast is firm and the appearance is considered abnormal. Grade 4 is the most severe and the most painful. The breast looks abnormal and is hard.

You may have to have another operation to fix capsular contracture. The capsule has to be removed, and sometimes the implant has to be replaced. But there are cases where successful treatments have been achieved without any additional surgery.

Its not known exactly what causes the bodys immune system to behave abnormally towards an implant, but capsular contracture can happen after any implant or implant repair surgery. Not just breast implants.

What Is Breast Augmentation?

Women have been trying to improve on what nature provided them for as long as men have noticed. The early methods consisted of padding inside the clothing. This only worked as long as the clothes remained on.

In 1895 the first implant was performed. The substances used for these early implants left much to be desired. It wasnt until 1961 that silicone implants were developed. The saline implants followed in 1964. There have been other substances developed, but none as common today as saline and silicone.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentations are the most common type of cosmetic surgery performed in America. 329,000 breast augmentations were done in 2006.

The breast augmentation surgery typically lasts one to two hours. The visits between patient and surgeon before the surgery are usually spent discussing the type of procedure which will be used. The differences are in the type of implant, the incision thats required and where it will be placed. Also discussed is where the placement of the actual implant will be made. These factors have an impact on the final appearance as well as possible complications.

Within a week of the surgery, normal work or school routines are able to be resumed by most implant patients. Of course this does somewhat depend on the level of activity these routines require. The incision scar from the surgery will probably last six weeks or longer. The scars should start fading within a few months.

Saline or Silicone, Whats The Difference

Saline implants are just empty shells. Theyre surgically placed then filled with a salt water solution. Since this implant is so small when its placed, the incision can also be quite small. This small incision leaves a much smaller scar. The silicone implant is a cover or envelope containing a silicone substance. This implant requires a larger incision for placement.

The United States places restrictions on silicone implants. Even though these restrictions have been considerably lessened in the past few years, the saline implant is still the most common implant used in America. Quality results can be expected from saline implants, but they can be more likely to suffer from cosmetic problems. Women with thin breast tissue may have the most problems.

Rippling and wrinkling of the implant may be seen. Theres also the possibility of noticing the implant itself, either by sight or by touch. Women with more breast tissue dont generally have this issue. Its for this reason that most surgeons prefer the silicone implant for post-mastectomy reconstruction.

Silicone implants are more widely used outside the United States than saline. Theyre considered by most surgeons to be more realistic in appearance. Methods have been developed to hide the scar left by the large incision the silicone implant requires. The newest version has shown the potential for significant improvements over the older products. Even though the leaked silicone hasnt been shown to cause health problems, the possibility of leakage is still a concern.

Implant Placement

Complications commonly arise from any surgical procedure. The possibility and severity of these complications vary depending on all the circumstances of each individual surgery. The same is true for breast augmentation. One factor in determining any potential complications you may encounter is how and where the breast implants are placed. The placement can also affect the final appearance..

There are four commonly used methods of placing breast implants. The placements vary from being underneath, below or against the pectoralis muscle. These methods achieve different results as well as encountering different complications.

The subpectoral technique is the most common method used in North America. It has the lowest rate of capsular contracture. The subglandular method has a higher capsular contracture rate, but is thought to produce results that are more natural in appearance. This method also might show ripples or wrinkles in the implant in women with thin tissue in the placement area.

The benefits of a third method, subfascial, are still being debated. Supporters claim the method helps in sustaining the implant position. The fourth technique is called the submuscular implant. This method is commonly chosen when doing full breast reconstruction.

Your surgeon may have a preferred method, or choose it based on each individual case. He should discuss the method choices available to you before surgery is scheduled. No particular method rules out the chance of complications just as no method assures them either. And the appearance achieved by one technique may differ from person to person.