Hello. I had an explant plus breast lift 3 weeks ago. I didn’t have a capsulectomy done. I wanted to know if during explant the fluid accumulation that would be found in BI-ALCL could be seen by the surgeon. Also, would the capsule be felt? I had mild capsular contracture and I still feel some heaviness and tightness on the right breast.
BIA is associated with textured implants manufactured by McGhan, Inamed or more recently Allergan.
It is not common to remove the capsule with explantation if there is no evidence of BIA; but yes fluid is typically seen if BIA is present.
The tightness in your breast 3 wks after surgery may be very normal, but I would check in with your surgeon.
Typically the fluid collection in BIA is quite large and is identified prior to surgery through diagnostic tests. That said the fluid would be seen during the explant. In many cases the capsule is very thin but yes it too is felt. Hope this helps.