I currently have capsular contracture and my health insurance is willing to remove them... how long should I wait until I can have new implants placed under the muscle. Looking for a surgeon who will implant under the muscle in my area.
You should be able to have it done at the same operation. The key is to prevent recurrence so the capsule should be removed and methods such as LPG should be employed after surgery. Even if the surgical result is quite good an early recurrence would be a major set back.
Treatment of a capsule contracture usually requires removal of the old implant and removal of as much of the capsule as possible. It is very common to place a brand new implant in at the same time and use various techniques to help minimize the risk of a recurrence of the capsular contracture.
It is standard practice to place the new implants at the same operation as the removal of the old ones & capsulectomy. So, you don't have to wait at all.
All the best,
Hi Debra and thank you for your question. New implants can usually be placed at the time of removal and treatment of the capsular contracture. If you are splitting the two surgeries due to insurance then it is best to wait a minimum of 3 months before having the second surgery to ensure that your tissues are well healed. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing your excellent question. Most surgeons will go ahead and place your implants underneath the muscle at the same time as removal of your old implants and surrounding scar tissue. Hope this helps.
Hello and thank you for your excellent question. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. In general, breast implant removal and replacement is performed during the same surgery. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!
You ask an excellent question. Capsular contracture is best treated by complete removal of the old capsule and old implants. Sometimes, this can entail modifications of the implant position and rarely use of dermal matrix. New implants can usually be replaced at the same operation. Your plastic surgeon should be able to review these and other important considerations with you during in-person consultation.
Often times with capsular contracture, removal of the implant and all of the capsule will cause release of the space that is so tightly adhered to the scar tissue. This may lead to a space that is large and hence the implant selection will have to be carefully chosen. There may need to be adjustments made to the pocket. Other times, based on your desire for a size, smaller implants may be desired in which case a lift may be needed. Other times, creation of a new pocket called a "neopocket' may be required to precisely control the placement of a new implant. The location of the new implant can be determined based on the need, i.e under the muscle etc. It's recently been shown that capsular contracture maybe due to sub clinical contamination with bacteria, in addition to other technical reasons. In such cases, removal of the offending scar tissue, implant and implant material is important. In such cases, it is also wise to stage the removal and replacement in 2 sessions.