If I suffer from staph infection easily, would it be a problem if I got breast implants ?

Thank you for your question, and I can appreciate your concern.  Depending on the type of staph infections you have been prone to in the past (MRSA?), it may be wise to have a screening test done to confirm whether you are a carrier/colonized with the bacteria.  If you are, there are methods to eradicate the virus from your system.  There are also preoperative maneuvers to minimize any infectious risk with surgery, including showers with Hibiclens soap and antibiotics that kill the staph that is prevalent in your area.  During surgery, minimal touching of the implant to skin should be stressed, and after surgery prophylactic antibiotics may be useful.  Voice your concerns with your surgeon, they will best be able to make the right precautions for your specific case.

Any
infection including staph can be devastating to an implant and usually
requires implant removal to get over the infection. If you are carrying MRSA
that is even more serious. You should be screened to see if you were colonized
with bacteria. A prophylactic antibiotic regimen to eradicate colonies would
be important before surgery.

Hello, there are steps to decrease the risk of staph infection such as preoperative antibacterial skin wipes or germicidal soap, prophylactic antibiotics, etc.  You could also be screened for antibiotic resistant strains of staph prior to surgery and steps could be taken to eradicate it from your nose and other areas where it is found.  I would recommend discussing this with your PS and family doctor.

I would recommend getting a screening test to see if you are a carrier of MRSA which can be the more serious staph infection. If you screen positive, there is an treatment you can undergo to decolonize yourself from being a carrier and decrease your risk. Being MRSA positive does not preclude you from getting an implant and usually a preoperative dose of antibiotics and short post-operative course is sufficient in preventing infection. #PlasticSurgery #BreastImplants #BreastAug #staphinfection 

There are numerous methods that can be employed pre-operatively to minimize the risk of infection including the use of chlorhexidine scrub bath and the use of Mupirocin (aka Bactroban) for nasal mucosa (for MRSA positive patients). Prophylactic antibiotics are usually given immediately prior to your surgery to further reduce the risk of infection. During surgery, the use of triple antibiotic irrigation is done to minimize infection and capsular contracture. Experienced breast surgeons will also minimize the handling of the breast implants to reduce the risk of contamination. After your surgery, a close follow up of the incision site with prompt antibiotic treatment if signs of infection appear is important. Even with all these measures, there is no 100% guarantee that an infection won't happen. Please consult with a nearby board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck.

can be prevented with good technique and proper antibiotics.  It should not be a problem but there is always a chance you can develop an infection as you can with any procedure.

Hi, brittyl.  I don't know what type (sensitivity) of staph infection you had in the past.  If you have any documentation on your staph infection (antibiotics that you took to cure it, which area, etc), please share with your plastic surgeon.  In all breast augmentation patients, we clean the chest and give patients pre-operative antibiotics to prevent infection.  If you know of staph infection  sensitivity, your plastic surgeon will administer specific antibiotics to prevent staph infection.  Best regards.

Thanks for sharing your question. I can
appreciate your concern.



You have to start by defining the type
of bacteria that favors your recurrent infections. Once you have this
information, your plastic surgeon, or your infectious disease doctor could
advice you better on the regimen to follow.



If the infections are in the skin of
your breast, then the likelihood of having complications with your surgery are
significantly increased.



Finally, make sure that you have a
consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

You probably should be on the appropriate antibiotics for several days before the surgery, cutaneous antibiotics before, during and after the procedure, as well as oral antibiotics for at least 3 days after the procedure.