Why Breast Implants Get Hard: Reasons and remedy.

Breast implants are foreign bodies, which in general are inert and unreactive to the human body. Your body does recognize breast implants as foreign and does form a normal capsule around the implant, no matter if it is saline or silicone. The first generation silicone breast implants were designed to rupture early and relied on this natural capsule for the maintenance of shape of the implant. These days, the new generation silicone breast implants are more solid silicone gel without a liquid phase, which hold their shape if ruptured and decrease the amount of silicone dispersion to the local tissue. The body’s natural response to breast implants help to maintain implant position and consistency. A capsular contracture or scarring around the breast implant can be increased in intensity with bleeding, infection and leakage. Silicone leakage can be more inflammatory than saline, which is absorbed. This inflammation around the silicone breast implant can lead to scarring and a capsular contracture. A capsular contracture can cause hardening of the implant, as well as implant malposition and breast deformity. Capsular contracture can also be related to bleeding and low-grade infection around the implant. This makes the risk of scarring around the new generation silicone and saline breast implants equivalent and equals about 7 % after 10 years. The risk of implant rupture is relatively equal and is about 1% per year, but if a breast implant ruptures the scarring is more intense with silicone. A new or worsening capsular contracture can be a sign of a silicone breast implant rupture, but with saline breast implant rupture, the immediate loss of volume is the usual problem.
The remedy for a breast implant capsular contracture may include removing the breast capsule or breast capsulectomy, changing the breast implants, and possibly changing the implant shell to a textured breast implant. Most capsular contractures can be prevented with proper operative technique, including anti-biotic irrigation and a bloodless breast implant pocket. In general, breast implant rupture is rare and breast implants do not need to be changed every 10 years. Breast implants only need to changed when there is a problem, such as breast implant rupture or hardness, but more commonly for breast implant size.
Dr. Trussler will review the risks of breast implants and will review the benefits of breast implants and secondary breast implant surgery.