Although elective augmentation mammaplasty has become a popular procedure with the prospect of favorable results, unnatural firmness from capsular contracture has been a late complication.
Ree(1974) estimated that about 30% of the breast augmented were firmer than desired.
We could followed up 21 patients who had received augmentation mammaplasty with silastic gel prosthesis from 1972 to 1976 in the devision of plastic surgery of Severamce Hospital of Yonsei University.
8 patients of these patients had had complication.
Of these, 5 developed hard fibrous capsule bilaterally, 2 developed hard fibrous capsule unilaterally, and 1 developed hypertrophic scar of incision line.
One patient developed the hardness after 2 months postuperatively, two patients after 3 months, one patient after 5 months and three patients after 6 months.
One patient developed the hypertrophic scar after 4 weeks postoperatively. Treatment consists of removing the prosthesis in one patient, capsulotomy by squeezing technique in one patient and other 5 patients refused the treatment.
One patient who developed hypertrophic scar was injected with Kenalog locally.
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