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Can Fungus or Bacteria Grow Inside a Breast Implant?

asked 3 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Question viewed 2,877 times
Tags: bacteria, fungal infection, risk, side effects

I heard a web report of bacterial or fungal growth in a saline implant. Can this happen with mentor silicone breast implants?

12 answers to Can Fungus or Bacteria Grow Inside a Breast Implant?

Breast implant complications

Infection is exceedingly rare in breast augmentation. If you add to it a rare microorganism then the math becomes less and less likely. Once an implant is exposed to infection it must come out. They are rarely salvageable but fortunately an exceedingly unusual event. Best Wishes.

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implants

I have never personally seen this happen, nor do I have any colleagues who have personally seen it. I have however heard of such things happening with saline implants, but it would not be possible with a silicone filled implant. Silicone implants are filled at the factory, and sealed in a sterile packaging system. There are pros and cons to both types of implants. If you are most concerned with possible fungal growth, silicone may be the best option.

Darrick E. Antell, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

This shouldn't be possible with a silicone gel implant.

I have heard of this in rare cases with saline implants when they are not filled using a sterile "closed system." However, I have never personally seen a case of it. Since the gel implants are filled and sterilized at the manufacturing plant, this shouldn't be a concern.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants come prefilled, so no you cant have something grow "inside".

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... more

Dan Mills, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.danmillsmd.com

Bacteria or fungus can grow in contaminated saline implants

The saline we put in the saline implant is sterile and we use a close technique to fill the implant. We try to handle the implant as little as possible to prevent contamination If contamination does occur, then yes, the bacteria or fungus can grow in and around the implant.

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Fungus in saline implants

I personally did have experience with this. I removed an implant placed by another doctor in my town, since retired, which was black when I exposed it. Luckily there was no leakage of the saline when I removed it. When I called the doctor to tell him about this he admitted to using the open basin technique as decribed by the other surgeons here. I think he also added an antibiotic to the saline as well. In any event, I can confirm from personal experience that this can happen. more

Robert B. Pollack, MD
La Jolla Plastic Surgeon

Fungi or bacteria in breast implants

Yes, there have been reports of fungi or bacteria growing in implants. This has been in saline filled implants. Since silicone implants are solid structure without a fill valve, they have not been reported as far as I know in these implants.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Fungi in Saline and Silicone Implants?

Yes in saline, it has been reported in the Plastic Surgery literature. Though unlikely in silicone implants, the thought of 'never say never' applies. Hope this helps.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Fungus or bacteria inside breast implants theoretically possible

Yes, this is THEORETICALLY possible especially when implants were filled step wise with syringes from an open bowl (open system). But even when does this way, this was a rarity which was publicized by a magazine article featuring a single Plastic surgeon in Georgia. Why was it so uncommon? Simply, to infect something 2 requirements must be met. First, you must place enough bacteria or fungus in a certain part of the body that overwhelms the local immune defenses. (Anything less than that... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implants and fungal infection

Yes this can happen and was typically associated with open filling of the implants. Currently, the risks of this developing have greatly diminished with the use of the closed system which is also known as the aseptic fill kit.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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),... more

Lavinia Chong, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Bacteria or fungus growth possible inside breast implants?

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.