Breast Implants - why is one harder than the other?

I had breast augmentation surgery six months ago - under the muscle, peri-areolar incision. The left breast remains hard, almost as if there is a wall around the implant. It is painful to lay on my stomach because it puts pressure on the breast and is firm to touch. I mentioned this to a PA I saw three months ago. She said it was common for one side to soften after the other and it usually corresponds to my dominant hand. For example, if I am right-handed, the right breast may remain hard even after the left has softened. However, in my case this was the opposite. I am right-handed and the left breast is still hard.  Is this "wall" going to breakdown and go away? There really isn't any deformity except it is slightly higher than the right breast; I assume because it is not soft and settled. I was also told that it could take up to a year for them to fully soften and settle, do I have to wait that long? Something doesn't feel right. What could be wrong? I've read various stories about calcification and capsular contracture. What are the chances I have something like this?

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

The "wall" that you are feeling is the scar tissue (capsule) that lines the implant pocket.  The scar tissue on your hard side is probably thicker that the opposite side and has shrunk the size of the implant pocket compressing the implant and displacing its position to a higher location.  In some patients, this will soften with time, but often does not.  Treatment could require surgical division and complete or partial removal of the scar tissue with pocket re-expansion in hopes that it will not re-form.  The cause of capsule contracture is not completely understood, but often is a result of a bleed within the pocket immediately following the original surgery.  Your surgeon would be in the best position to advise you about treating this problem.