After going through breast augmentation surgery, it is very distressing to find that one or both implants are becoming hard, poorly positioned, unsightly and painful. This is a condition called capsular contracture, a condition that affects over 25% of all breast implant patients.
Causes of Capsular Contracture
It is not definitively understood why 25% of women develop this condition or why one breast is sometimes involved while the other breast is unaffected. The cause is understood to be an inflammatory response within the capsule. It is thought that a very small amount of bacteria entering the surgical site might cause inflammation, which then causes the capsule to respond by growing thicker. The bacteria create a thin layer or “biofilm” that leads to chronic inflammation and thick scarring. Trauma, blood around the implant, or remnants of silicone gel from a prior implant rupture can cause chronic inflammation as well. Additionally, the biology of some patients simply reacts poorly to the placement of an implant.