Here is a question I recieved this week - I hope the discussion of the cause and prevention of capsular contracture - scar tissue that can develop around the
breast implant will be helpful to you. The national rate of CC with silicone breast implants is 36% - Dr. John Tebbetts’ internal practice rate is 1.5%! We may not be able to prevent it completely, but there are certainly proactive things that can be done to help reduce the risk of reoperation due to CC.
Q: Question on fibrocystic breasts
Hi Dr. Tebbetts, I have some questions re; fibrocystic breasts. I have very lumpy breasts with a
tendency towards cysts. Taking vitamin E helps somewhat. I am worried if this might result in CC, I’m
also worried the lumpy and hardened breast tissue I have will make the implant placement more
difficult. I’m hoping to have my augmentation via belly button incision. Thanks in advance for your
response!!
.
Terrye Tebbetts:
First, please know, I am not a surgeon, just married to one for the last 18 years! Dr. Tebbetts and I
wrote The Best Breast 2 together to help educate patients -he does the surgery, I do the patient
education and recovery care!
As for your question, most of us have some form of Fibrocystic disease whether we know it or not.
Stress, caffeine, hormones etc can make it seem worse at times. But in our experience, Fibrocystic
changes should not limit you from having an implant. Be sure you have a pre-op mammogram done if
you are over 30 and that it is clean and good.
Scar tissue formation around the breast is the most unpredictable complication we have in this
operation -it depends primarily on 3 things -how each patient heals around a wound, the type of
implant (filler and shell surface), and how the surgery is done. One of the neatest things we
discovered when we wrote the second edition of the book is that the better recovery we provide for
patients -the 24 Hour Recovery -is also showing us lower capsular contracture rates! Our internal
rate is 1.5 % -national with silicone implants is about 36%!!! We know keeping blood out of the
pocket is critical -that is why there are 2 chapters in the book about recovery -you MUST learn about
what your recovery will be like BEFORE you choose your surgeon -what recovery is like will tell you
what is going on in the operating room!!
And as for your incision choice -I would highly encourage you to read the incision location section in
your new book I will send you (just send your name and address as instructed in my post above).
Most
TransUmbilical incisions are done blind and blunt -no way you can keep a dry -precisely
dissected pocket due to location and instrumentation issues.
Read it carefully and please let me know if you have any further questions!
More information about
24 hour recovery ...
Labels: breast augmentation recovery, breast implants