Infection Prophylaxis for Breast Implant Surgery: Could We Do Better?

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Infective complications after breast implants cause patient distress and incur significant treatment costs.
• Current infection prevention strategies lack consistent evidence and uniform application.
• Standardizing precautions is crucial to minimize risks associated with breast implant procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the frequency and consistency of infection prevention precautions during breast implant surgery.
• To identify variability in practice among surgeons and across different surgical units.
• To inform strategies for improving the reliability of infection control measures.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter observational study involving real-time data collection.
• Assessment of 121 breast implant procedures across 7 NHS breast units.
• Data collected on various infection prevention techniques used by 22 consultant surgeons.

Main Results:

• Antibiotics were administered universally; 92% received postoperative antibiotics.
• High adherence to glove changes (98%) and disposable drapes (94%).
• Significant variability observed in practices like closed glove technique (67%) and laminar airflow use (55%); only 1 surgeon showed consistent practice.

Conclusions:

• Infection prevention measures in breast implant surgery are inconsistently applied, with significant surgeon-specific variability.
• National guidance on infection control is not uniformly implemented.
• Implementing an infection prevention checklist could enhance the reliability of precautions and reduce complications.