Capsule Removal? When the Cost Can Differ by About 2x (Advice from 20 Years of Research)
Hello — we are U&U Plastic Surgery, founded on over 20 years of breast surgery research.
Before this article, we uploaded a column on 'when capsule removal is necessary.'
If you are considering revision surgery or implant removal but are unsure whether the capsule should be removed too, please read the article below.
Capsule Removal: Is It a Must in Breast Revision Surgery? <Advice from 20 Years of Research>
Nice to meet you. The clinic with the highest Motiva implant usage (as of last year) - U&U Plastic Sur…
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Below, we discuss the cases in which the cost of capsule removal can differ by about 2x or more.
This information comes from 20 years of research experience, so please be sure to read it.
About 10 years ago, our breast surgeons appeared on the TV program 'Let Me In'
Capsule removal cost:
when can it differ by about 2x or more?
Source
The cost of capsule removal depends on whether the capsule is removed 'completely' or 'partially.'
Complete removal costs more; partial removal runs at about half that.
- complete removal
- partial removal
For those hearing these terms for the first time, here is a brief explanation of the two.
Complete removal
Source
As the name suggests, this means removing the entire capsule that formed around the implant.
As in the left photo below, think of it as detaching 4 disc-shaped pieces of capsule from the front and back of the 2 implants.
In another form of complete removal, shown in the right photo, the capsule is removed intact, keeping its rounded pouch shape.
The benefits you can expect from complete removal are:
- prevention and improvement of capsular contracture
- complete removal of inflammation and calcification within the capsule
- psychological peace of mind
However, doing both sides takes about two and a half hours of surgery, and as operative time lengthens, bleeding risk can be relatively higher.
Pain can accordingly be more severe as well — that is the drawback.
Partial removal
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This surgery removes only one side of the capsule — front or back of the implant.
For reference, removing the capsule behind the implant is technically about 2x harder than the front.
The photo below shows a partial removal in which the capsule in front of the implant was removed.
The pros and cons of partial removal are the exact opposite of complete removal.
Since only one side of the capsule is removed, surgery time is shorter, unnecessary tissue damage is reduced, and the cost can be relatively lower.
But if capsular contracture or inflammation is present, recurrence is possible. And if the remaining capsule is very thick, it can affect shape and feel.
If you have read this far, you are probably weighing 'complete removal vs. partial removal.'
But before you deliberate on that, there is 1 thing you absolutely need to know.
We will explain it now, so please stay with us.
Have you heard of a 'double capsule'?
Source
Many of those considering revision surgery or implant removal are carrying older implants.
In patients with older textured implants, the capsule occasionally found is the 'double capsule.'
A double capsule means the implant is wrapped in 2 layers of capsule.
Accordingly, as in the photo below, capsule removal yields more capsule tissue than in a normal case.
With two capsule layers, the surgery becomes trickier as well.
1) remove the outer capsule
2) remove the inner capsule
3) finally remove the implant itself
It must proceed in this order, and since the boundary between the capsules is indistinct, the surgery is highly demanding.
From the patient's standpoint, though, it is hard to tell whether you have a double capsule.
Unlike capsular contracture, a double capsule does not affect outward appearance. It causes no separate symptoms such as pain, making it even harder to detect.
As noted above, removal surgery in a double-capsule situation is trickier than usual. The cost can therefore be higher.
So first, please consult with a medical team that can examine your capsule by ultrasound and other tests, and talk it through with you.
That is everything we have prepared.
Finally, we attach columns worth reading for those researching revision surgery or implant removal.
All are based on published research, so please review them before your consultation.
Capsular Contracture: What Is the Recurrence Rate After Revision Surgery? A Look at 1,324 Cases
Hello — we are U&U Plastic Surgery, and we performed 3023 breast augmentation procedures last year. …
blog.naver.com
Breast Implant Removal Pain? A Look at 352 Patients Whose Capsules Were Also Removed
I had augmentation surgery years ago, and lately symptoms suggesting a complication have appeared…
blog.naver.com
U&U Plastic Surgery currently keeps to a principle of 3 surgeries / 6 consultations per surgeon per day.
If you would like a consultation with us, please book through Naver Booking via the map below.
That is everything we have prepared.
Thank you for reading this long article.
This has been U&U Plastic Surgery — a breast surgery clinic born of 20 years of research devoted to the breast.
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