Silicone (and saline) breast implants are resistant to fungal growth, if handled well.

There was an epidemiological cluster in Southeast Texas or Louisiana, where saline implants, which were filled with an "open system" of irrigation saline poured into a surgical container.  Apparently the prevalence of "spores" in these more humid environments may have been inadvertently imported into the implants.  This practice is a historical foot note, so it doesn't reflect what is done today. Saline implants are filled with intravenous grade saline (salt water), which is instilled using an Aseptic Transfer System, sterile tubing, which draws the fluid directly from the IV bag into the implant; essentially a "no touch" technique.  Good luck.

There were some reports early in our experience of Saline implants growing fungus in them because some plastic surgeons would pour saline in a bowl, and then fill the implant from there.  We learned this early, and started having it be in a "closed system" by placing a 3 way stopcock on the syringe, and go straight to an IV bag.  This leaves no air to get spores in the bowl, and then into the implant. 

Silicone implants come prefilled with silicone.  So the only way that one could have contamination inside the implant, is to have it done so in the manufacturing.  There are very strict controls on manufacturing by the FDA, so that is highly unlikely.  You can however, when placing the implants into the pocket get some bacteria from the patients body and skin to be pulled in on the implant, and into the pocket that could cause contamination.  This is why it is so important that you go to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, like one who is a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, as they have had many years of training, not just a weekend course, in sterile technique, and how to decrease the complications of surgery.

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Hello,

While it is theoretically possible, I have never seen it happen in either silicone gel or saline-filled implants. Web reports are unfortunately impossible to verify.

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