Capsular contracture, anyone?
 

Hi All~
I feel so very fortunate to find myself preoccupied with this rather light topichttp://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ilies/wink.gif...just wondering, anyone else out there with capsular contractures?
I'm only 4 weeks post-op L SkinSparing Mastec, w/submuscular, silicone implant reconstruction. The R side was simply augmented w/a subglandular silicone implant & looks & feels so amazingly real-sometimes I wonder if they didn't just replace my 38 year old breast with the one I had when I was 14!!
I know the reconstructed L side will always look & feel different than the augmented R side, but the L side is still sitting pretty high & feels more much more firm than the R.
I'm doing the massaging, taking vitamin E, lying on my belly & putting some weight on my chest to keep the capsules stretched out, etc.
Is it pre-mature for me to be worried about capsular contracture? Will the L side continued to drop & soften? How long til your reconstructed breast "mellowed out" & didn't look & feel so new?
Would love to know what you guys might have experienced?
Thanks so much, guys. Hope Spring has sprung where you are...it's beautiful here in Atlanta~

Hi Jessica,

I had silicone implants also. They were VERY tight and felt like they were up to my chin for quite a while. I kept asking my plastic surgeon when they were going to drop. (kind of a reverse question, now!) Anyways, they have loosened up alot and have softened as well and I am very happy. I was very worried about contracture as I had to have radiation, but made it through with no problems.

Love, Kelly

Jessica--I had to laugh at the 'replacing the 38 year old breast with one you had at 14', LOL! I am the same age right now, have the 'Spongebobsquareboob' on one side and a different shaped one on the other (the radiated side) and will be getting my [hopefully] last fill in a couple weeks. So, am looking forward to the swap for the implants. Would you mind me asking what type of silicone implants you chose (cohesive gel?) and how big you chose? I will be discussing with the surgeon in a couple weeks what my options are but am curious about what someone else might have chosen. I have a small frame, about about 115 lbs, 5'8", had next to nothing for breasts before the bilaterals but am looking to maybe "upgrade" in size a bit (ha!). I am in Canada so not sure if that makes my options different or not. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

I had capsular contraction at 7 months out from putting implants in. It was painful. The surgeon went in a few months later and removed most of the scar tissue and replaced the implant (we had decided I needed one just a tiny bit bigger... got the size wrong the first time). The scar tissue has not reformed since -and it has been 18 months since that surgery.

Jessica

I too have it from the silicone implant, but mine started after about 6 months, and has never gotten better....just worse...I have one 14 yr old boob to compare to the other 55 year old one.....not exactly what I thought would happen...I guess I need to go back in for surgery, but am very cautionary with active mets in my nodes right now.

Thanks so much ladies for your wisdom!
I've discovered "TUMMY TIME" - lying on my belly & chest to keep the capsule stretched out. It feels very odd & uncomfortable, b/c I can't rest my head on the floor because my L breast is in the way, but it's getting better every day.And the L & R are looking & feeling more & more similar.
Thanks again for everything, ladies!

Sherri~
Sorry so long to reply to your question about reconstruction & implants! Hope I'm not too late to be helpful!
I have Mentor cohesive, silicone gel implants. On the L side, I had a skin sparing mastectomy, so the implant is placed "dual plane" -the top half of the implant is under the muscle, the bottom is over the muscle. The R side was just a simple augmentation & the implant is completely over the muscle. The L side is a 400cc implant & the R side is 250cc. Like I said, I CAN'T believe how real the right side feels.
The L, reconstructed side, is still sitting a little high & tight, but I'm still only 7 weeks post-op, so there's still progress ("dropping") to anticipate.I was trying to be really diligent about "massaging" etc, b/c I want to avoid a capsular contracture as much as possible! But I've found "TUMMY TIME" (lying on my belly w/direct pressure on my chest) has been really helpful keeping the capsule stretched out.It felt really weird at first & I can't quite rest my head/face on the floor b/c my L breast is "in the way", but I'm getting closer!
I've always been very active as a dancer & now a Pilates instructor & was athletic & small breasted. That was my greatest concern w/the recontsruction - I didn't want to feel "exposed" wearing work-out tops, etc. (I think that's so ironic that women CHOOSE elective breast augmentations so that they can expose themselves..!)
I do still feel like the new breasts are a little too big, but they don't look too big. Actually, it's only when I wear pilates/yoga tops do I feel a little "too boob-y", otherwise they really are proportionately the right size for my body & I look very balanced. But I guess I'm just still used to being small breasted.
Ultimately, I very happy with the outcome. I have a great, compassionate surgeon-he's a brilliant general surgeon/surgical onc/plastic surgeon all wraped up in one -so he's done all of the work himself & really understands what I want & why.
I hope you have as good a relationship w/your doc as I do with mine. My sister & my girlfriends are all very impressed & envious of the new "TWINS" & I gotta say, it's not awful having full, lovely breasts - even though I am short one nipple!
Please let me know if there's any additional information or insight I can offer.
Take good care &
Keep the Faith!

ps-the silicone implants feel a MILLION TIMES more natural than the saline expander!