[Infections of penile prosthesis: treatment and prevention]

To date, there are 10,000,000 men with impotence in the United States and it is estimated that at least 17,000 penile prosthesis are implanted annually. The most fearsome complication is the infection of the prosthesis which is usually caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis (in 40-80% of the cases). In general, the incidence of infection is actually 0.8-8.3%, but it can increase to 37% in patients with tertiary implants. The initial empiric treatment is usually with vancomycin and aminoglycosides and prophylaxis is recommended with a penicillinase-resistant synthetic penicillins, first generation cephalosporins, or vancomycin in case of penicillin allergy.