Can Implants Become Infected Years After Surgery?

asked 2 years ago by hyannis in ma
Latest answer by Scott E. Kasden, MD
Question viewed 1,815 times
Tags: infection

Is it true that implants can become infected sometimes years after surgery? If so, what causes the infection and what can patients do to minimize the chances of infection?

10 answers to Can Implants Become Infected Years After Surgery?

Yes, I have expereinced it too!

I have had 2 or three cases where the patient had perfectly natural and aesthetic results but after years, spontaneously get infected. To be fair, this is in perhaps a couple of thousand or more implants. One woman had a dental abcess. The other one may have been due to breast feeding/masitis. It is VERY reare, and I am not sure it can be prevented. sek

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant infection years after surgery

Yes. They can. Although this is not a common occurrence, it is not unheard of. In theory, any presence of bacteria or fungus in your blood (IE bacteremia - as seen with blood poisoning [sepsis], severe mouth or urinary tract infection etc) can literally seed an implant. We have known for years that people with irregular or noisy heart valves (those having murmurs) or those with artificial valves are at a higher risk of getting them infected with bacteria from elsewhere (known as bacterial... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant infection extremely rare

It is extremely rare for a breast implant to become infected years later. However, it is not impossible. You could have an infection in another part of your body and it could travel through your blood stream and cause an infection totally unrelated to the intial implant surgery. Sometimes you may never know the cause. Fortunately, if this very rare event did occur, it is treatable.

Darrick E. Antell, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Infected implants

Infections can develop in implants years after the procedure. But, I would have to say this is very rare. Unfortunately there really is not anything you can do to completely prevent this from happening.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Infected breast implants.

Hi! Do not worry about this. I have done approximately 1500 breast augmentations, and I have seen only one very late (years) infection, that was caused by a fungus. Nothing you can do to prevent this extremely rare complication.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant infection years after surgery? Rare but possible.

Any of the devices that surgeons place in patients' bodies, e.g. breast implants, knee or hip prosthesis', heart valves etc can develop a late infection. this can happen when we have bacteria in our blood and the bacteria happen to end up on or around the implant. Since implants don't have a blood supply, if bacteria end up on the device an infection can occur. Most orthopedic surgeons recommend to their patients that have artificial joints to take an antibiotic for any procedure that can... more

John E. Gross, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant infection could happen, but very rare

Any material in the body for any length of time can become infected. Certain procedures like dentalsurgery can release bacteria into the blood which can infect implants. Antibiotics can prevent this. Just be careful of all later surgery, take antibiotics, and rest assured, it's very rare.

G. Gregory Gallico III, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Late breast implant infections

Breast implants can definitely become infected years after surgery. Because implants are a foreign material, distinct from your body's own tissues, your body is able to deliver antibodies or antibiotics around the surface of the implant, but not into the implant itself. If you get an infection elsewhere in your body, and the bacteria gets into your bloodstream, it can seed the implant. In milder cases, this can result in capsular contracture (significant scar tissue buildup around the... more

Sam Jejurikar, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Yes, implants are foreign bodies

Implants can indeed become infected many years later. This is true of any implants whether they be breast, hip, or shunts. These are foreign material that do not have intrinsic blood supply. As such, bacteria that might be carried in the blood stream from distant or local infection, such as urinary tract infections, skin infection, tooth abscess,etc. may seed the implants and start an infection. For this reason, you must treat all bacterial infections promptly and also should... more

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

Breast implant infection years after surgery?

I have seen this twice. Once was in a patient who had her nipples pierced after breast augmentation. The second case was in a patient who "bound" her breasts after she delivered her baby to prevent her milk from coming in. In the breast tissue there are ducts that connect the milk producing breast lobules to the nipple. Bacteria are in these ducts. In both cases it is possible the bacteria from the ducts infected the implants. In the tattooo case, it is also possible a non-sterile... more