infection in breast that will not heal

Almost a year after breast implant surgery my incision site started to leak. The Dr. put me on 3 weeks of antibiotics and wanted to sew the hole up. The infection did not clear up so I went to another surgeon who wants to remove the implant. My incision continues to leak and I cannot afford the surgery due to job loss. Does anyone know health risks associated with this???

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

If the infection is in fact related to the implant and within the implant cavity, then there is a high risk that the infection will not resolve without implant removal.  It is possible to be on chronic antibiotics and I have had patients who have recovered from infection with antibiotics alone, but if there is persistent infection with repeated antibiotic treatments, then you should have the implant removed.  It's like having an infected splinter - the infection will not likely resolve until the foreign body (splinter) is removed.