What Is Encapsulation, and Should I Worry About It?
Capsular contracture — also called encapsulation — happens when your body forms thick scar tissue around your breast implant, sometimes affecting the appearance or feel of your breast.
Your body changes over time and your breasts — even if they have implants — are no exception. Add in the fact that implants aren’t designed to last a lifetime, and it’s no surprise that many women with breast augmentation choose to talk to a plastic surgeon again.
If one or both of your breast implants seem like they’re deflating, don’t hesitate to talk to Linda Swanson, MD, at our office in Torrance or Los Alamitos, California. As a specialist in breast revisions, Dr. Swanson can guide you through the process to get your breasts back to their best shape and position.
Whenever a foreign object enters your body, your system naturally creates scar tissue around it. That happens with your implant too. Over time, that encapsulation can cause your implant to ripple or deflate.
Most women notice this when one of their breasts becomes significantly smaller than the other. If that’s happened to you, don’t worry — but don’t wait to talk to us. Dr. Swanson has expertise in removing not just your problem implant, but also the scar tissue that’s formed around it.
She can help you get back to a balanced, beautiful chest. To get there, most women choose one of two options.
This path entails exactly what it sounds like: Dr. Swanson removes your deflated implant — along with any scar tissue that could adversely impact the shape and feel of your breast — and replaces it with a new gel implant.
After the procedure, you should enjoy a chest look and feel similar to what you had after your initial implant surgery. In fact, your results may be even better thanks to Dr. Swanson’s expertise and the advancement of implant technology in recent years.
Since implants generally need to be replaced every decade or so, some women choose to forgo getting new ones. That doesn’t mean you have to fully revert back, though.
With a breast lift, Dr. Swanson remodels the tissue in your chest to alleviate any sagging and give you the fullest possible chest using your natural tissue. If you’re willing to sacrifice some volume so you don’t have to worry about doing anything with your implants in the future, this option is for you.
Depending on the option you choose, Dr. Swanson talks with you about what your procedure will entail and what to expect during your recovery period. It should be fairly similar to your initial implant procedure.
To give you an idea of what your results will look like, you can explore our before-and-after gallery of Dr. Swanson’s breast revision patients, many of whom were specifically dealing with implant deflation.
If you think you may have a deflated implant, don’t hesitate to call our office nearest you or book your appointment online today.
