There are an increasing number of patients who come into my office for consultation regarding capsular contracture pain. Recently, I am seeing more patients come to both the Beverly Hills and Newport Beach offices from the South, Midwest, and East Coast with capsular contracture symptoms.
Frequently these patients present with signs and symptoms related to their capsular contracture such as change in shape of their breast, asymmetry, pain, and more frequently I see women who present with malfunction of their saline breast implants. Occasionally if saline implants have been in place for a long period of time, the shell may undergo “fold flaws" and rupture at the weakest location of the shell.
Most recently, I have seen several cases where a capsular contracture has started to cause breast pain and soon after the patient experiences a deflation of their saline implant. While the leakage of saline does not cause any physical harm to the patient, it is nonetheless very distressing and post rupture may cause more pain to the patient.
In a recent case, as depicted above, I noticed that a small portion of the capsule had grown into the saline valve. While I cannot prove this, I believe that the continued pain experienced by the patient is the adherence of the capsule to the chest wall, muscle, or skin and the mobility of the ruptured implant within the capsule lining.
This motion with exertion, movement, etc. can be extremely painful to the patient and warrant surgical removal and replacement of the mammary prosthesis. More frequently, I am seeing more patients from outside of California who present with either Baker Grade IV capsular contracture or Baker Grade III capsular contracture who also have a malfunctioning of their breast prosthesis. Capsular contracture surgery is frequently performed at both the Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, CA surgery centers.
Frequently these patients present with signs and symptoms related to their capsular contracture such as change in shape of their breast, asymmetry, pain, and more frequently I see women who present with malfunction of their saline breast implants. Occasionally if saline implants have been in place for a long period of time, the shell may undergo “fold flaws" and rupture at the weakest location of the shell.
Most recently, I have seen several cases where a capsular contracture has started to cause breast pain and soon after the patient experiences a deflation of their saline implant. While the leakage of saline does not cause any physical harm to the patient, it is nonetheless very distressing and post rupture may cause more pain to the patient.
In a recent case, as depicted above, I noticed that a small portion of the capsule had grown into the saline valve. While I cannot prove this, I believe that the continued pain experienced by the patient is the adherence of the capsule to the chest wall, muscle, or skin and the mobility of the ruptured implant within the capsule lining.
This motion with exertion, movement, etc. can be extremely painful to the patient and warrant surgical removal and replacement of the mammary prosthesis. More frequently, I am seeing more patients from outside of California who present with either Baker Grade IV capsular contracture or Baker Grade III capsular contracture who also have a malfunctioning of their breast prosthesis. Capsular contracture surgery is frequently performed at both the Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, CA surgery centers.
Brian P. Dickinson, M.D.
