Reinsertability after breast prosthesis pocket infection: an experimental study

We report the development of an animal model for the study of S. aureus infection in silicone gel-filled prosthesis pockets. The purpose of this study was to determine (1) whether successful reinsertion of a prosthesis into a contaminated pocket requires a finite recovery period between implant removal and reinsertion, and (2) whether parenteral antibiotic treatment affects the success of reinsertion. All infected pockets were lavaged with saline and none were drained, either after wound closure or after implant reinsertion. The results indicate that a delay of 2 or more hours between lavage and reinsertion protects against implant exposure. Therapeutic parenteral antibiotic treatment neither prevented implant exposure nor altered the effect of temporal delay on reinsertion. These studies coupled with recent clinical reports suggest that women who develop breast pocket infection need not wait months for restoration of breast symmetry.