Are antibiotics mandatory after surgery?

It’s understandable that you’re concerned about taking antibiotics, especially if they cause stomach issues for you. However, post-surgical antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent infection, which can be a serious complication after any procedure. Whether or not you must take them depends on your individual situation, but here are a few key considerations:

Purpose of Antibiotics: After surgery, the risk of infection is higher, especially when incisions are involved. Antibiotics are prescribed to lower that risk and help your body heal without complications. An untreated infection can lead to more serious issues and even affect the success of your surgery.

Alternative Options: Some people are more sensitive to certain types of antibiotics. If you’ve experienced significant stomach issues in the past, you might want to discuss this with your doctor. There could be alternative antibiotics that are gentler on your stomach or even non-oral options like topical or intravenous antibiotics, depending on your specific case.

Probiotics and Stomach Support: If you do need to take antibiotics, you might also want to consider using probiotics or eating probiotic-rich foods (like yogurt or kefir) to help balance your gut bacteria and minimize stomach upset. This can sometimes lessen the gastrointestinal side effects of antibiotics.

Skipping Antibiotics: Not taking the prescribed antibiotics increases the risk of infection, which can lead to serious complications. It's generally not recommended to skip them without discussing it with your surgeon. They can evaluate your risk for infection and determine if the antibiotics are essential for your particular procedure.

It’s really important to have an open conversation with your doctor about your concerns. They may be able to offer a solution that helps protect your stomach while also ensuring that you’re protected from infection.

If you are getting implants, you need antibiotics. Go ahead and start taking probiotics and stay on them for at least 3 months. Nipples are an open system and do contain bacteria. When placing implants, the nipples are disturbed, and bacteria are released into the blood. If the bacteria get around the implants you will either develop an infection or a capsule. Either of these may need additional surgery. Talk to your medical doctor for further advice.

Antibiotics are notoriously over prescribed especially for elective cosmetic surgery. If a patient refuses antibiotics for surgery, we still proceed. I’ve never had a problem with that approach