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We can’t help but read the gossip magazines, or at least flip through them – our secret guilty pleasure.  And even the ones we don’t read, we sneak a peek at when leaving the grocery checkout counter…

So what’s the latest gossip coming from the celebrity plastic surgery world?  Victoria Beckham’s breast reduction!  Rumor has it that she is so intent to be on the cover of Vogue magazine that she had her breasts downsized to increase her odds of landing the cover. Vogue’s editor, Anna Wintour, said she would consider putting Victoria on the cover, but told her she had to get her breasts looking better.  Beckham recently had her surgery in France to downgrade from a 34DD cup to a B cup.

Victoria Beckham prior to her capsulectomy

So what’s the real scoop?
Victoria likely had a procedure called a capsulectomy, or a removal of the scar tissue surrounding the implants, with an implant exchanged to a smaller size.  Victoria’s breasts were not only larger before, but they were also encapsulated, or hardened.  This hardening occurs when the natural scar tissue that forms around any breast implant in the body thickens and contracts.  The result is that the breasts look high, round, and unnatural.  We’ve definitely seen plenty of evidence of this phenomenon in the pages of US Weekly.

Capsular contracture can occur in various degrees, from mild to severe.  Mild encapsulation may be evident only as a slight firmness in the feeling of the implants, with minimal cosmetic consequence.  More severe degrees can result in distortion of the breasts, and even pain in some cases.  Long term untreated severe encapsulation is associated with a higher rate of implant rupture, and mammography in these patients is less reliable.  For these health reasons, in addition to the undesirable cosmetic consequences, many patients may want to replace their encapsulated implants.

Luckily, most breast implants do not encapsulate to a severe degree, and there are various preventative measures that one can take, such as breast implant massage.  Your surgeon should provide you with instruction as to how to best prevent encapsulation.

In the meantime, Victoria looks great.  Her breasts are much more natural looking.  I think they complement her figure nicely.  Ms. Wintour should take note – only time will tell…

Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Posted by Dr. Carolyn Chang San Francisco Plastic Surgeon