I recently received treatment for capsular contracture (“CC”) from Aspen Rehabilitation and want to share my experience in hopes to provide you with information and an alternative to undergoing needless surgeries.Here is my history:- Initial surgery August 2012 350 cc high profile cohesive gel textured anatomical implants (commonly known as tear drop gummy bear implants)- Sept 2013 diagnosed by my surgeon with CC Grade II of left breast- January 2015 diagnosed by my surgeon with CC Grade IV of left breast- March 2015 revision surgery (left breast only – implant replacement and capsulectomy)- Sept 2015 I noticed tightness and mild firmness was returning (left breast)- March 2016 Aspen therapy for CC (Grade II) of left breastFirst and foremost, it is important to understand that CC is not caused by your surgeon. It is simply your immune response to a foreign object. Capsules form around joint replacements, pacemakers, heart valves, pierced ears, etc, etc. CC occurs when the protective capsule thickens, tightens and adheres to the surrounding tissue, creating hardness, poor mobility, distortion and sometimes, discomfort and pain. CC can be exacerbated or triggered by infection, seroma, hematoma, trauma or nothing at all.In my case, I did not have any of the triggers for CC. My immune system simply decided the capsule in my left breast needed to tighten, causing distortion, hardness and pain.As you read above, I underwent revision last March and I wanted to try a non-surgical treatment as I was not prepared to undergo a second revision. Had I not discovered Aspen therapy, I would have simply removed my implants and been done with them. Given my history, I knew that my CC would progress and I’d end up right where I was in March 2015.After spending hours and hours on google trying to find as much information as I could about Aspen therapy, I finally reached out to the clinic located in Coral Springs, FL in February 2016 prepped with a zillion questions given the information available online is pretty limited. I was really impressed with how knowledgeable the front desk staff was in regards to the details of the treatment. Rhiannon patiently spent a lot of time on the phone with me over the next week. Next, I spoke to Tim, the creator of the Aspen system, after filling out the online evaluation and sending pictures as I am not local to Florida. Again, he was patient and very thorough. So, after a week of emails and phone calls, I booked my treatment, plane tickets, rental car and accommodations.I must admit that my expectations weren’t high as I have only read or heard of PS’s discrediting physical therapy and ultrasound for the treatment of CC. BUT, given I was wanting to avoid surgery, I accepted that a little bit of time and a little bit of money on a safe treatment wasn’t really going to set me back.The clinic in Coral Springs is really just a classic physio center that happens to house a special ultrasound machine specially designed for breast implants. When I arrived, I went through the initial exam with Tim and Bonnie. It was determined that my prognosis was good and that I would likely receive benefit from the treatment.For the next 5 days I underwent 2 treatments per day. Here is how the treatments go:- Ultrasound machine is applied to the breast for 16 minutes- Physical therapist then performs manual manipulations (this can be uncomfortable as they have to displace the implant and stretch the capsule out) for 30 mins.- 30 day post treatment Homework: stretches, pinching, and massage to keep the capsule from recoiling and tightening. Often, wrapping is required as well.My CC softened right up even after the very first treatment. By session 6 (end of day 3) I had no more tightness and the manual manipulations were no longer painful. By end of day 5, I was blown away. My breasts were symmetrical, soft, and mobile. As I do my homework over the next 30 days, I should continue to improve and will share an update at that time.If you are suffering from CC, I highly recommend reaching out to Aspen to see if they can help you. Here are the things that determine your success factors:- Number of revisions: the more revisions you have, the worse your scar tissue is. Keep in mind that every surgery you undergo is trauma and your body will respond to the repeated injury accordingly.- Textured vs. smooth implants. Textured implants have to be treated more carefully as the textured surface can cause bleeding upon manual manipulation. This is why many surgeons use the no touch method post operatively with textured implants. Smooth implants can be manipulated much more aggressively and this allows the physical therapist to stretch the capsule out much further. - Grade of contracture. The lower the grade, the more success you will have. Aspen successfully treats Grade II and III contractures, but Grade IV can be more challenging as the capsule is usually very tight and can be calcified. The minute you notice firmness and tightness starting, get in for treatment ASAP. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to treat. - Aftercare compliance. This means doing your homework. It is really important to keep up with the at home regime for the prescribed period of time. Being a good patient always goes a long way.Because my implants are textured, Tim admitted up front that this could work against us in treatment. However, since my grade of contracture was low, I had excellent results.Now you are all probably wondering “if I do the treatment, does the contracture eventually come back?” The answer is no. As long as you are compliant, the contracture does not return. The folks at the clinic told me that the only time they see people come back is if they attempted treatment at an advanced Grade IV contracture, without success, and then undergo revision, but return to Aspen at 2 weeks post op for treatment to totally prevent the onset of CC. As a result, Aspen has a 90% success rate in treatment.The next thing you are all probably wondering is “Do I have to go to Florida for treatment?” The answer is again, no. There are about 15 surgeons across the US who have the machine and are trained by Aspen to perform treatment. The closest office to me is in Portland, OR, but I elected to go to Florida because I wanted to be treated by the pioneer, Tim, himself, and the cost. The clinic in Portland charges $2900, while Aspen charges $1500. It was actually cheaper for me to fly to Florida, stay with a friend and do treatment over the course of 5 days.It is disappointing that more don’t know about/recommend Aspen therapy for CC because this type of treatment isn’t new. The same methodology has been applied for YEARS in complication of joint replacement surgery like “lock shoulder”. A physical therapist applies ultrasound and then manipulates the shoulder to release the tight capsule that has formed around the artificial joint. It is also disappointing that many surgeons aren’t more open minded. I realize that revisions = revenue, but patient safety and mental sanity should always come first. If surgery can be avoided, it should be. That said, I have utmost respect for my surgeon and would allow him to operate on me again. I just wish that the treatment was available in his office – maybe this write up will convince him ;)A HUGE “thank you” to Tim, Bonnie, Zora and Kim for their kindness during my treatment. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to meet you all. I felt comfortable during my entire experience and I would happily recommend Aspen Rehabilitation to anyone suffering from CC.Tim, an extra special “thank you” to you for developing the machine and treatment protocol. It is scientists like you that give people like me options! The world needs folk like you. Keep doing what you do!** I have not been paid or compensated in any way to write this review **