The breast consists of milk ducts and glands, surrounded by fatty tissue that provides its shape and soft feel. Skin elasticity also contributes to breast shape. Factors such as pregnancy (when milk glands are temporarily enlarged) and the inevitable effects of gravity as you age combine to stretch the skin, causing the breast to droop or sag.

The breast implant can be placed either partially under the pectoralis major muscle (submuscular) or on top of the muscle and under the breast glands (subglandular) depending on the thickness of your breast tissue and its ability to adequately cover the breast implant. You should discuss with your surgeon the pros and cons of the breast implant placement selected for you.

The submuscular placement may make surgery last longer, may make recovery longer, may be more painful, and may make it more difficult to have some reoperation procedures than the subglandular placement. The possible benefits of this placement are that it may result in less palpable implants, less capsular contracture, and easier imaging of the breast with mammography. The subglandular placement may make surgery and recovery shorter, may be less painful, and may be easier to access for reoperation than the submuscular placement. However, this placement may result in more palpable implants, more capsular contracture, and more difficult imaging of the breast with mammography.

Incision Sites

To permit the smallest possible incision, the breast implant is typically inserted empty, and then filled with saline. You should discuss with your plastic surgeon, the pros and cons for the incision site specifically recommended for you. There are three common incision sites: under the arm (axillary), around the nipple (periareolar), or within the breast fold (inframammary)

If the incision is made under the arm, the surgeon may use a probe fitted with a miniature camera, along with minimally invasive (very small) instruments, to create a pocket for the breast implant.

Periareolar – Areola – Nipple Incision

This incision is most concealed, but is associated with a higher likelihood of inability to successfully breast feed, as compared to the other incision sites. This incision is a half-circle at the outer edge of the areola, the colored area around the nipple. The scar is extremely favorable and blends well with the areola. It grants the plastic surgeon with the best access for precise placement of the implant, resulting in a strong cleavage and better symmetry. There is also better control of any bleeding during surgery, which ultimately affects the chance of scar formation or capsular contraction.

Inframammary – Breast Fold Incision

This incision is less concealed than periareolar and associated with less difficulty than the periareolar incision site when breast feeding. This is a one to two incision made by your cosmetic surgeon near the under-breast fold. Like the peri-areolar incision, this approach affords the plastic surgeon the greatest control over the position of the implant, giving the patient more attractive cleavage. The final scar is very favorable.

TransAxillary – Under Arm Incision

This incision is less concealed than periareolar and associated with less difficulty than the periareolar incision site when breast feeding. An incision placed in the arm pit is also known as a Trans-Axillary incision. Despite the myth that this scar is usually unnoticeable, it can be more prominent than other scars, especially when a woman is wearing sleeveless cloths. This access point is very far from the central location of the implant making it very difficult to precisely position the implants, thus causing the implants to sit away from each other, creating a wide cleavage. It is associated with a higher risk of bleeding and less control, often forcing the surgeons to use drains which can increase the risk of infection.

Trans-Umbilical (TUBA) Endoscopic – Belly Button Incision

The Trans-Umbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA) involves making a one to two inch incision at the edge of the “belly button,” through which a long metallic tube is forced towards the breasts. Then the breast implant is folded and pushed through this tube to its final position under the breasts. There have been some reports of complication with the insertion of this tube, when the tube accidentally speared the liver or lung.

This approach has specific disadvantages as compared to the peri-areolar approach. First, because the implants cannot be placed precisely, there is a higher chance of breast asymmetry and of overly-wide cleavage. Second, if a patient also needs a Breast Lift, another incision has to be made around the areola.

This procedure is often marketed as a “Scarless Breast Augmentation,” but, to the contrary, the scar around the umbilicus could be very noticeable, and at times unsightly, especially if a woman is wearing a shirt that exposes the midriff.

Because this approach can be challenging, and due to its potential complication rate, it should be performed only by a board certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience with it.

One of the highest risks of breast augmentation is capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is a natural bodily reaction to having a foreign objects placed in the body. The body produces tissue that forms into a scar, which grows around the implant, eventually hardening and becoming unsightly and painful.

There is currently no method of predicting whether or not an individual’s breast augmentation procedure will result in capsular contracture, nor is there any data to back up why this problem occurs. While there is no specific data as to the cause of this problem, there are several theories. Capsular contracture may be caused by injuries to the implant area, blood build up around the implant or bacteria on the implant when it is placed during surgery (though the likelihood of this is very slight.)

There are ways to lessen the chances of capsular contracture occurring. Capsular contracture is less common in saline implants that in silicone, though if you have small breasts, saline implants can wrinkle and become unsightly. When implants are placed underneath the layer up muscle, contracture is less common. This type of placement also affords a more natural look and feel. There is a belief that textured implants have a lower risk of capsular contracture than smooth ones.

Capsular contracture sometimes results in the removal and replacement of implants or scoring of the scar tissue around the original implant. Either way, doing nothing is not an option. While all implants have a capsule form around them, it is only when the scar tissue becomes excessive that the condition is qualified as capsular contracture.

Because breast augmentation surgeries have soared in popularity in recent years, a surge in capsular contracture cases has occurred. This surge has resulted in many women questioning whether or not breast augmentation is a good choice to make.

Advances in technology and surgical techniques are making breast augmentation safer and less risky. If you have concerns, only a board certified cosmetic surgeon should answer them. Dr. Calvert is a board certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Calvert, the best and one of the most well respected, well known cosmetic surgeon in Los Angeles, visit http://www.drcalvert.com/

Jay Calvert, MD, FACS is a board certified plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills and Orange County, CA. He performs all types of plastic surgery and specializes in face lifts, rhinoplasty and breast augmentation. To learn more about Dr. Calvert’s aesthetic surgery practice, please visit http://www.drcalvert.com or Call 1-310-777-8800 in Beverly Hills or 1-949-644-2858 in Newport Beach to set up an appointment.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/plastic-surgeries-articles/implant-exchanges-when-capsular-contracture-after-breast-augmentation-occurs-1742002.html

There are concerns about breast augmentation that all patients must understand before undergoing the surgery. When a patient chooses breast augmentation, she should understand that not all procedures and techniques bring incredible results.

In many cases, patients who have breast implants for augmentation encounter difficulties with their breasts. The most common difficulty is called capsular contracture. This happens when the body tries to encapsulate the foreign objects inside the breasts, i.e., the implants.

When this complication occurs, patients will feel that the breast is not soft and doesn’t feel natural. When you touch breasts that have this problem, you can feel the capsular contracture. Therefore, surgical removal is recommended for patients who have this problem.

There are ways to avoid capsular contracture.

1. You have to choose the procedure wisely. Talk to your doctor. It’s not always the price that you should consider; it’s about the result. If the implants are done under the sub-muscular layer, capsular contracture is less likely to occur. If you choose to have the implants done under the sub-granular layer, you need to know you might have capsular contracture.

2. You have to choose the right texture of the implants. There are two main texture types of implants. The smooth-textured implants are more likely to produce capsular contracture than are those with the rough texture.

3. Massage your breasts correctly and routinely. The doctor will teach you how to massage your breasts. You should do this regularly. Otherwise, you breasts are more likely to have capsular contracture.

The recovery process is also essential. Following the surgery, you must continue to massage your breasts for at least 3 to 6 months to prevent capsular contracture.

When a patient has capsular contracture from breast augmentation, revision surgery has to be performed to remove the contracture inside the breast. This revision surgery is called “capsulotomy.”

Patients should be informed that following this surgery, the shapes of the breasts may not return to their original states. This is because the capsular contracture changes the shapes of the breasts, and removing the implants will not return breasts to their original condition.

Copyright: Cosmetic Surgery Thailand
Reproduction allowed only if the above active link(s) remains intact.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/plastic-surgeries-articles/breast-implants-and-capsular-contracture-1530423.html