06/10/2026
Do you have capsular contracture?
When you get breast implants, your body naturally forms a thin layer of scar tissue around each implant — kind of like a soft pocket or “capsule” that helps hold the implant in place. This is completely normal and usually stays soft and flexible, so you don’t even notice it.
Capsular contracture happens when that scar tissue capsule gets abnormally thick and tight. It starts to shrink and squeeze the implant like a hand clenching around a balloon. This can make the breast feel hard, look unnaturally round or distorted (sometimes like a tight ball), and in some cases cause pain or discomfort.
It’s one of the more common complications after breast implant surgery, but it doesn’t happen to everyone. The normal capsule is like a loose sock around the implant; contracture is when the sock shrinks and squeezes tight.
If this is something you’re personally concerned about, it’s worth discussing with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons here at Hill Country Plastic Surgery.
About the study:
Hill Country Plastic surgery is enrolling patients in a research study looking at whether a P4HB mesh scaffold can help reduce the chances of capsular contracture recurrence. Capsular contracture is a common problem where scar tissue tightens around a breast implant, causing pain, hardness, or changes in appearance.
During surgery, some patients will receive the P4HB mesh scaffold, which absorbs over time. The study will help determine if the mesh scaffold keeps the implant in the right position and prevents scar tissue from tightening again.
The goal is to show that the scaffold is safe and actually reduces the chance of capsular contracture or implant shifting after revision surgery. If the results are positive, this study is designed to support an indication statement for use of the investigational device in the treatment of capsular contracture after implant-based breast augmentation.
