Why are infections so common amongst breast procedures?

Hello, thank you for your question. Im not so sure that it is the most common surgery to cause infections however it does put the patient at higher risk. Infections can occur with any surgery. We do our best to ensure that the surgical field is clean and sterile; however it can still happen. With breast surgery, sometimes the glandular tissue and the grooves around areola make it difficult to achieve a completely sterile environment. We have natural bacteria in and around our areolas. In fact when performing an augmentation after prepping the areolas we then cover them with sterile tape so that the bacteria stays in place. We usually treat the patients pre operatively, intra operatively and post operatively with antibiotics.

Very often when there is any difficulty healing an incision, the patient automatically calls it an infection. It is often more related to the blood flow to the area that results in an open wound. Often the surgeon will recommend some type of antibiotic cream or ointment to help this area heal. That does not necessarily indicate an infection. These creams and ointments are more to decrease the risk of infection rather than treat an infection. As others have stated, infection in breast lifts are quite rare. Healing difficulty of same areas is quite common.

Infection rates are very low for breast augmentation. You want to begin by selecting a board certified plastic surgeon and having the procedure in an accredited facility. I have several steps that I take to prevent infection. The skin is cleaned with special cleansers prior to surgery. Sterile technique is used throughout surgery. The breast pocket is bathed with a solution using three antibiotics. I also use a Keller funnel for insertion of silicone implants in order to minimize touching of the actual implant. There are actually several other things that are done. These are just a few!