Does Alloderm cause infections?

Alloderm, like any other implant, can lead to infection.  Careful follow up with your surgeon can help you determine whether there is an infection or rejection.  Best, Dr. Karamanoukian 

Every surgical procedure has an associated risk of infections. The question really is whether Alloderm has a higher risk of infection, but I do not believe that it does. It is a very useful material to improve breast reconstruction outcomes.

AlloDerm is essentially cadaver skin minus any living cells.  It is used as a scaffold through which a persons living cells can grow into.  It has many uses, but, in use his in breast reconstruction.  AlloDerm does not help in mastectomy recovery.  It does however help in breast reconstruction. In this application, AlloDerm was used to cover the lower portion of an implant that spans from the lower border of the pectoralis muscle to the breast fold.  Because AlloDerm is a foreign substance in can always get infected and as such your doctor and you need to pay close attention to the signs and symptoms.  AlloDerm has also been used in nipple augmentation as well as augmentation of other body parts.  Its efficacy is really not known in these realms because it is not common.  Some providers may use AlloDerm for these applications but please note that its most widespread use is particularly in breast reconstruction as well as repair for abdominal wall hernias.  Please speak with a board certified plastic surgeon if you have any specific concerns regarding your care.

Alloderm is an acellular dermal matrix that is used for breast reconstruction most commonly but also revision breast augmentation to hide ripples or abdominal hernia repair. All allografts, as there are many, are human cadaveric skin which has been sterilized. Our bodies use the allograft as a scaffold in which to incorporate (grow into) new tissue. You can think of the allograft as a type of "skin graft". Allograft has been very well studied in breast cancer reconstruction and is known to have a higher infection rate(~15% higher) and seroma rate (~10% higher) than traditional breast recon. (Seroma = collection of fluid) However the infection and seroma rates can be effectively lowered by good patient selection (non smoker, no diabetes, no obesity), and good surgical technique (good hydration of the allograft prior to placement, strict hemostasis, proper drain placement and time (typically 5-7 days), securing the allograft for stability to prevent sheering forces, and proper orientation of the allograft (there's an up and a down side)).

Even with the higher rate of inection and seroma I think the allograft is a valuable tool in the plastic surgeons ability to achieve a beautiful result. Talk with your surgeon more about the risks and how to mitigate them. I hope this helps.

The addition of any foreign body  ( including Alloderm or any other Acellular dermal graft)into the tissues carries the risk of infection

This is more common in high risk patients

Obesity, diabetics , radiation ,patients on steroids,poor tissues and patients requiring large pieces of graft

With any medical procedure there is always a chance of infection. However, I have been using alloderm for years and find the graft to be very effective in reconstruction surgeries. Due to the extensive chemical process that alloderm undergoes to remove cells from the previous donor, alloderm continues to be the most useful material when trying to get the best results.

I have used Alloderm, Strattice and Surgimend in breast reconstruction, and I find that Alloderm seems to incorporate best, especially if there is a problem in breast healing after a mastectomy. That is, if the skin healing is problematic, the Alloderm seems to maintain integrity and resist infection better. However, personal experiences may vary from surgeon to surgeon and among patients.

Like any foreign material, Alloderm (or any dermal matrix) can become infected. I have also seen a redness in the dependent (lower) part of the breast that may not be an infection at all, but may represent a hypersensitivity reaction or simply dependent swelling of the soft tissue. If you experience redness like this, it is important to immediately see your surgeon to make sure there is not an infection. Many infections can respond to antibiotics alone, but some infections may require removal of the Alloderm and an associated implant/tissue expander.

Yes, Alloderm can get infected.  I've used it primarily for Lip Augmentation for about 15 years and have seen very few infections.  These occur when the incisions, on the inside corners of the mouth, open prematurely allowing saliva to contact the Alloderm.  Antibiotics, trimming the exposed Alloderm and re-suturing the incisions have all taken care of the issue.