Reconstruction- can’t get rid of the Infection!

Hi mdoc524,

Hospitals are breeding grounds for all this stuff. I'm so sorry.

I think waiting awhile is an excellent idea. You want your body to be able to fight infection if it happens again.

I myself am on Day #8 of limited movement due to sutures opening. My surgery was Jan 2. I have no idea if this helps but I am doing it-trying to eat 100g of protein a day. I thinks it's helping.

Good luck and hang in there,

Tracy

Mary, I'm so sorry for those horrible infections. 

Yes, an appointment from Infectious Disease is the next step.

My PS starts every exchange patient on antibiotics even before the first incision. But an infection developed in my right implant around 10 days after exchange surgery. PS switched me to a stronger antibiotic. 

Hoping your infection clears up soon. 

Hi mdoc524, I too had bilateral mastectomies due to finding a lump in my right breast that turned out to be Her2+ cancer. After much research, I chose to have chemo first & then surgery. To make a long story a tad shorter, my expander's were put in September 2017. At my November visit with my PS, I asked him about the pain, hardening, & discoloration of my left expander. He assured me it wasn't anything to be concerned about.😨 Needless to say I decided to do my own research, which is how I found out about Capsular Contraction. My next visit I told him about my findings. He said that's what he was afraid it was going to turn out to be, but he could straighten everything out when the regular implants were put in. During my research I found out if a woman develops CC with the expander implants, there's a 70%-80% chance the final implant will do the same. So I decided to have the expanders taken out & no further reconstruction done at this time (I may never have any further reconstruction). Yesterday (2-16-18) was expander removal surgery, Oh happy day.😀 I have often wondered (since this problem with the expander's started) why the FDA still allows these implants that were previously banned in 1991/1992. According to the records, they weren't really officially approved for use in the USA, they were available under a grandfathered provision allowing the use of medical devices!! Anyway....the PS informed my husband that a large portion of the scar tissue (CC) was dead & had turned black due to lack of blood flow. There was also infection in & around the CC. This explains the reasons that for the last 3.5 months I have felt physically sick, achy EVERY day, very lethargic, in constant pain & my brain in a total fog, I couldn't remember anything longer than 3 minutes. I truly believe I was sensitive/allergic to the expander implant outer shell (silicone). I woke up today (2-17-18) feeling so much better! My son & husband told me I even looked like I felt better. Other than the pain from the surgery, I don't have any pain! I am so very, very thankful to be on the road to recovery, to have those infection causing implants out of my body. Do you think it could possibly be your implants that were causing your lingering infections? I hope & pray you are doing much better now.