Implant removal

Hi.  I had breast augmentation on the 1st December 09, everything ok, healed nicely until 14 days later, I started with a cold and pain in my left breast, my ribs, my back, swelling and my skin turned bright red and  it was painful to breath so was advised to go to A&E as the surgeon wasnt available, where they gave me antibiotics.  Day 16 I went to the surgeon, who put me on a antibiotic drip, did some tests, examined me and said he would have to remove the implant, which he did on another surgeons advice also.  My blood results came back with no known infection but I have been given information by the nurse who said there had been no infection at all and it was probably my body rejecting the implant.  I questioned the surgeon again who said there was an infection but not a serious one and my body had responded to the antibiotics.  What does it all mean, no known infection and rejection of the implant and what do you think possibly happened. Thanks and hope you may help me understand a little more.

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

Infections can and do occur where the culture results turn out negative.  One type of post-op infection, for example, would be anaerobic batceria, which are notoriously difficult to culture out.  Implant are not really "rejected" and the usual manifestation of such a reaction is capsule contracture, not the red, painful, early post-op complication that you experienced.  Is is possble to undergo another attempt at augmentation, but should wait for many months before re-attempting this procedure.

[moominmama]

Thank you for your reply and would like to ask if three and a half months is long enough as I am booked in for the end of March or to wait a little longer for it to be re done.  And are the chances of it recuurring higher,  And lastly when the surgeon removed it he said there had been alot of fluid accumulation.  Is that a result of the infection too.
Thank you for your time.

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

Timing after an infection is at the discretion of the surgeon.  There are no hard and fast rules about this.  The fluid accumulation was a result of the reaction to infection.

[moominmama]

A related discussion, Second implant, second infection, second removal was started.