Capsulectomy is a
cosmetic surgery procedure designed to remove capsules that may have formed around
breast implants. When these capsules thicken, they can squeeze the implants and distort their shape. The risk of implant damage or rupture also increases with thicker implants. Capsulectomy procedure, which is also known as full implant capsule removal, is a surgery that can be performed on one or both breast, depending on the capsule position and the degree of irritation it causes. Board certified
plastic surgeon Dr. Hisham Seify provides this procedure to patients in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and surrounding locations.
Surgical Procedure
Breast capsulectomy
plastic surgery is performed as an open procedure. The surgeon will cut through the scar tissue, which opens up the capsule, to remove the implant. Open surgery is preferred over the traditional closed procedures in which the surgeon would squeeze the implant to break open the scar tissue. This older technique was not only painful, but also involved a higher risk of implant rupturing. Two types of capsulectomy procedures include total capsulectomy and sub-total capsulectomy. In case of total capsulectomy, as the name suggests, the
cosmetic surgeon will remove the entire capsule and replace the
breast implant with a new one. In sub-total capsulectomy, the capsule will be partially removed, but only if the implant has not shifted or broken. In both of these surgical options, the
breast implant will probably be removed. The goal of the surgeon is to remove the problem-causing capsule, and insert a new implant that will be more sustainable.
Dr. Seify receives patients from Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and nearby areas for capsulectomy.
Incisions and Implant Positioning
A number of options are usually available to a surgeon for placing the incision and positioning of the
breast implant. This will depend on the unique anatomy of the patient and her personal aesthetic choices. The surgeon will break open the scar tissue to release the tension. Thereafter, an incision will be made either along the breast crease below the breast, around the edge of the areola, or in the armpit. The new implant will inserted through the incision and placed in a desirable, natural looking position. The incisions will then be closed with fine dissolvable or non-dissolvable sutures. Tapes are placed over the sutures for extra support. The surgeon will also place a light dressing over the incisions to support healing.
Causes for Capsule Formation
When a
breast implant is inserted into the breast, the body’s natural defense system views it as a foreign body invasion, and gives a response. This response will be the formation of a thick barrier of scar tissue or a capsule around the implant. This is the immune system’s natural way of protecting the body and preventing the implant from damaging the surrounding tissue. The thickness of the implant capsule varies from one patient to another, and may even vary between right and left breasts. Capsule formation will occur each time
breast implants are inserted, but may only occasionally cause a problem.
See more procedures and treatments by plastic surgeon Dr. Hisham Seify in Newport Beach | Orange County 
