breast solutions
by Jenny Bryan
longer term problems
Capsular contractions, leaks and ruptures are the longer term problems of breast enlargement that have caused most concern. After an implant, the body automatically responds by forming tough, fibrous scar tissue around it, usually in the first year after surgery. This scar tissue shrinks and the amount of shrinkage varies from person to person. It is called capsular contraction. In about 1 in 10 cases, there is so much shrinkage that the breast feels hard and misshapen, and may need to be replaced.
In the 1970s and 1980s, silicone implants had thinner walls than they do today, and some leaked or ruptured. In many cases, the silicone gel which was released stayed within the fibrous capsule of the breast. But some women reported a range of symptoms from headaches to insomnia, arthritis to chronic fatigue, incontinence to loss of libido, which they felt were related to leakage of silicone into their body. Various reviews, including those carried out by the Department of Health, failed to support this view.
Today, surgeons are encouraged (though not legally required) to register implant operations with the National Breast Implant Registry. This is to help the Department of Health gather information about the safety and effectiveness of implant surgery.
(July 2004, resources updated January 2005)
