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Timing of Breast Implant Replacement After Staph Infection?

asked 3 years ago by margaret6 in Washington, DC
Latest answer by Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
Question viewed 1,454 times
Tags: infection, staph infection, timing

I had breast augmentation in August 2007 and had my right implant removed 5 months later. The cause of it was unknown at the time, but after months of my incision not healing, and numerous visits to doctors and countless cultures, an infectious disease specialist was able to pinpoint it to a particular staph infection. I was given antiobiotics which I took for 3-4 months.

My incision healed up in August and I've been given the green light for my redo in February. All doctors have recommended that I wait 6 months. Needless to say, I'm happy, yet fearful about getting my implant back in. Is it too early though? I certainly can wait if need be. Could I get another staph infection? I definitely do not want to repeat what I went through again. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? Your advice and insight is greatly appreciated!

19 answers to Timing of Breast Implant Replacement After Staph Infection?

6 Months is Long Enough After Infection

^ months is long enough to wait after complete healing has taken place and you have been off antibiotics. Consult with your surgeon and your infectious disease specialist to be sure they agree and whether they want to do special cultures (like a nasal swab) before surgery to be sure you aren't host to certain kinds of staph.

Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Augmentation after an infection

Six months should be long enough to wait to replace an implant after infection. In general, anywhere from 3-6 months should be safe in an unfortunate situation such as this one. Luckily, infections are rare after a breast augmentation and when they do present, the implant can usually be salvaged with antibiotics. But if the infection does not resolve, removing the implant is sometimes the only option. When replacing the implant, care should be taken to minimize... more

Naveen Setty, MD
Plano Plastic Surgeon

Reaugmentation after infection

I'm sorry to hear about your explantation of the implant due to infection. Thankfully, this is an uncommon event. Staph infections do seem to be the primary culprit when an implant needs to be removed. The standard is to wait 6 months after explantation before replacing the implant. As with any surgery, there is always the risk of infection. My recommendations for my patients is to tailor the perioperative and postoperative antibiotics to the bacteria from the original infection. During... more

David Bogue, MD
Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Careful surgery is possible after an implant infection- but I would wait 6 months

It certainly sounds as if you have had a difficult experience so far. While your circumstance is quite rare, infections are to be taken very seriously. It sounds as if you were well cared for, having had the infected implant removed and then being placed on antibiotics. I agree that you should wait for a period of at least 6 months after appearing completely healed to replace your breast implant. With regard to your question- yes, it is possible that you can get another infection... more

Adam David Lowenstein, MD
Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

Etiology is unclear

If your question is can you have your implant surgery six months after clearing an infection, then I would say that is enough time as long as the tissues look and feel normal and pliable. One thing that is not clear from your statement is what started this whole process to begin with. Did your incision never heal? Was there a clinical infection that caused your incision not to heal? Was the culture really a pathogen or a contaminant? Was your infection secondary to a surgical or healing... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

If you healed and the breast is soft then you are ready for surgery

Sorry to hear about your problems. this is a very rare complication in breast augmentation surgery, and I personally did not see one in 15 years. Since you are completely healed and I assume the breast tissue is soft with no tissue distortion or retractions, you should be ready for reaugmentation. Sometimes, after a bad infection like yours, the breast shape can change due to loss of fat which was dissolved by the infection. An implant alone might not be able to correct this fully and make... more

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant infection

I would agree that 6 months is a reasonable amount of time. In addition to waiting an appropriate amount of time, I am sure your plastic surgeon will take other measures to limit your risks of another infection. Possible steps include: Prophylactic antibiotics started before the incision Bathing the implant in antibiotic solution prior to implantation Avoiding handling the implant as possible Layered wound closure to avoid implant... more

York Jay Yates, MD
Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon

www.yorkyates.com

Talk about your options

Margaret- It is unfortunate that you contracted an infection after a breast augmentation. I’m sure none of that was expected. As far as getting your implants replaced, it is important to talk to your surgeon about your questions and fears. I would suggest waiting at least 6 months after the incision has healed before getting another augmentation. Your body has been through a lot and you want to make sure that you will heal properly. Discuss your options with your surgeon and ask... more

Joseph G. Bauer, MD
Alpharetta Plastic Surgeon

6 months after breast infection is long enough for replacement.

Your story is unusual (fortunately), but does occur rarely. The foreign body was removed (the implant) and the tissues have been given enough time to recover. There is a chance you could have another infection but this chance is small. I would consider placing the implant in an entirely different region. If the infected implant was below the muscle, I would suggest placing the replacement above and vice versa.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Consult with your surgeon

Definately, consulting with your board certified plastic surgeon would be the best advice. It is wise to wait atleast 6 months before proceeding with another surgery. This allows your body to heal appropriately, allowing for further surgery at a later time when you are ready. For further information regarding breast surgery, check out and compare before and after photos of patients. It is very important to listen to your plastic surgeon's advice and follow all instructions to... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Wait 6-12 months before getting another implant

In a case of a complicated infection after a breast augmentation, you are best served to wait at least 6-12 months before getting another implant. Give your breast a chance to fully heal and let your breast tissue become pliable before receiving another surgery. To learn more about breast augmentation, see photos, and help you decide which one is best for you, please visit us at the link below:

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Implant replacement

It sounds like you got good advice by your doctors. Concern about a new implant is a valid one, but most people would say that waiting 6 months or until the tissues were soft is the appropriate earliest time to replace your implant. If your infectious disease doctor and your surgeon feel that this is the appropriate amount of time, then you should feel comfortable to go ahead. Remember, that a staph infection can happen anytime from may different sources.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Six months or wait until the tissues are pliable

Margaret Having to remove an implant is an unfortunate, but thankfully rare event. In that event waiting at least 3 months and usually closer to 6 months is the rule. The longer your infection was present and the more reaction that the tissues had, the longer one should wait. Certainly 6 months is long enough, as long as there is no sign of infection and your tissues are back to normal. The breast should be soft and pliable. We have found that if the original incision is a fold incision,... more

Francisco Canales, MD
Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant replacement - You should be good to go

Margaret, I am sorry about your complicated breast augmentation. It is generally accepted that a six month waiting period after infected breast implant removal is a sufficient amount of time for your body to clear the infection completely from your tissues. Fortunately, this complication occurs very infrequently and the likelihood of it happening to you again is also remote. The shower with Hibiclens recommendation on the night before your surgery is an additional means to decreasing your... more

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

6 months should be enough time to have your breast implants replaced

Hi there- I'm sorry to hear about your problems. Breast implant surgery is normally very low risk in healthy individuals, but unfortunately (as you understand) it's not a perfect science. I think the 6 month wait between complete healing and re-implantation is more than enough to lower your risk as much as possible. In other words, there should be no benefit or further lowering of your risk associated with waiting longer than 6 months, as by 6 months, your body has had a lot of time to... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Implant replacement timing should be discussed with your plastic surgeon

Although infections from breast augmentation can happen, they are not very common. It is widely felt that waiting at least 6 months should give your body an appropriate amount of time to clear up any residual staph infection that was present. Although it is possible to get another staph infection, the chances are slim. Things you can do to help prevent this are to take a hibiclens shower the night before your surgery. This will help decrese the potential for any staph in the surgical... more

David A. Robinson, MD
Munster Plastic Surgeon

Infection and breast implants

There is no hardfast rule to waiting, however, it would seem statistically fruitful to wait at least six months to ensure that your body has minimized the source of infection. I would personally advise you to wait the full six months at the very least.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

For you, I would wait a year.

To margaret6, Hi! After a typical infection, 6 months is a reasonable period of time to wait before replacing the implant. But you describe a difficult and unusual complication. You say that it took a full year from your original surgery until the wound healed. This suggests that you may have a lot of internal scarring and possibly thinning of the tissues. So I would wait longer, not so much because there is such a high risk of another infection, but rather because the surgery may go... more

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

6 months is probably fine

As long as your surgeon feels that you have completely resolved the infection and your tisues have softened, 6 months would be fine usually. Good luck!