Women with breast implants should take antibiotics against bacterial infections to avoid damage to the implant

Women with breast prostheses must strictly follow the protocols for taking antibiotics in the event of any type of bacterial infection, as revealed by the results of an investigation carried out by the Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and by the Microbiology Department of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra . The work has recently been published in the journal Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery.

The Clinic's specialists have studied the most frequent complication suffered by women with breast prostheses, both for aesthetics and for reconstruction; capsular contracture or encapsulation of implants. This is the biggest problem faced by patients with such prostheses.

The formation of a 'capsule' around the breast implant is a process that occurs in all cases of breast augmentation. It is a very fine internal scar that surrounds the implants. "What should not happen is that this scar increases in thickness and becomes thicker because it can deform the implants, causing aesthetic alterations and pain to the patient", warns Dr. Bernardo Hontanilla

, director of the Department of Plastic Surgery of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and principal investigator of the work.

Capsular contracture is the problem that most worries women with breast implants. "We wondered why a woman suddenly develops a capsular contracture when she has had prostheses for more than 20 years," he explains.

Contracture from bacterial infections

This research is the first to study whether bacterial infections increase the possibility of suffering a capsular contracture in women with breast prostheses. "The working hypothesis was the development of bacterial contamination, tonsillitis, a urine infection ... These bacteria, through the blood, are implanted on the surface of the prosthesis and cause an inflammatory reaction and, as a consequence, the appearance of capsular contracture ”, describes Dr. Hontanilla.

For the investigation, three groups of mice were used to which prostheses were implanted. Two groups underwent an injection of bacteria 30 days after implantation, which caused a capsular contracture. "One of the groups infected with bacteria received a treatment with antibiotics and we verified that it was the same as the control group (which had not been infected with bacteria and therefore had not developed a contracture)," explains the doctor.

In view of these results, Dr. Hontanilla advises that a woman with a breast prosthesis who suffers a bacterial infection should take antibiotics to avoid the formation of a capsular contracture and the problems associated with this complication, which can ultimately lead to withdrawal. of the prosthesis. "In these women it is especially important to follow the antibiotic administration guidelines during the period advised by the doctor", proposes the specialist.