For those who are not science majors, if you place a foreign object inside your body your immune system will try to fight it or contain it. You will have to consider that when it comes to getting implants. You’ll find that since your immune system can’t really destroy the implant it will only try to contain it. It will begin to build up issue around the best so that it won’t spread to the rest of the body, making a capsule.
When the capsule tightens around the implant it’s called capsular contracture. The squeezing can be painful and can change the shape of the breast. The changed shape can affect the appearance of the breast as well.
There are many severity levels when it comes to capsular contracture.. With the mildest case, the breast looks normal and still feels soft. This is classified as grade 1. Grade 2 still looks normal, but the breast is a little firm. At grade 3, the breast is firm and the appearance is considered abnormal. Then there is grade 4, which happens to be a very painful and the most severe level of capsular contracture. The breast looks abnormal and is hard.
You may have to have another operation to fix capsular contracture. You’ll need to have the capsule removed and then you may have to replace the implant. But there are cases where successful treatments have been achieved without any additional surgery.
Keep in mind that it is not really known what causes the immune system to have some abnormal changes towards the implant, but it will happen have any implant surgery or even an repair surgery. Keep in mind that it’s not just about the implant, but the way your body reacts to the implant.
