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Breast Implants Became Infected Right After Surgery. Can a Urinary Tract Infection Cause It?

I had a BA on Sept 29th and from the time I woke up after surgery I had a lot more swelling and pain in my left breast than my right. Two days after surgery I ran a 102 fever and finally after extreme pain and soreness for a week on Oct.5th my left breast started pouring infection out my incision and my PS removed my implants. I'm having to pay the hospital fees for my removal and second BA in 6 months is this fair? The infection was not staph, so could a UTI have caused the infection?

Doctor Answers 4

Payment for complications of breast augmentation

October 14th, 2011
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Unfortunately complications may arise from cosmetic surgery, including breast augmentation.  Infections and bleeding are extremely rare complications of this kind of surgery, but they can be distressing and expensive to treat.  The cause of the problem will vary from case to case, and it is difficult to determine the true cause in some situations.

An ongoing infection anywhere on the body is a contraindication for an implant surgery of any kind, and definitely breast augmentation with implants, as it can spread to the implant itself and cause a severe problem, usually leading to the removal of the implant.

Financial coverage of complications that happen immediately after a previous procedure will vary according to specific practice policies.  Some Surgeons use a "complications insurance" coverage, while others have financial agreements that will vary.  It is very important to clarify these points during your consultation process to help you choose your Doctor.

Mario Diana, MD


Plano Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 26 reviews

Infection after breast augmentation

October 13th, 2011
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This is a very difficult question to answer online, without really understanding more about circumstances of your procedure.  Succinctly, yes, although not common it is certainly possible for a urinary tract infection to seed by hematogenous dissemination a new breast implant.

Web reference: http://feelbeautiful.com

Steve Laverson, MD

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 44 reviews

Breast implant infection after surgery

October 13th, 2011
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Systemic infection with fevers and circulating bacteria can be responsible for a breast implant infection, though few would consider surgery during active infection. Could the urinary tract be the source of your breast infection? In order to know, cultures from the breast wound, urine, and blood could be compared to identify the 'culprit' or pathogen. Without the full evaluation you cannot know how things started.

Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Web reference: http://www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Peter E. Johnson, MD

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 39 reviews

Breast Implant Infection?

October 12th, 2011
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Thank you for the question.

I am sorry to hear about the complication you have  Experienced. Unfortunately, it is usually very difficult to determine the exact source of a patient's infection. The culture results may provide clues. It is possible, although very difficult to know with certainty, that the urinary tract infection may have led to a bacteremia (bacteria in the blood stream)  and caused the implant to be  secondarily infected.

In regards to the fees associated with further surgery, every office has a different policy. Most plastic surgeons will work with you as much as possible given the unfortunate circumstances.

I hope this helps.

 

Web reference: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/procedure_breastaugmentation.htm

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.