Although apparently uncommon, fungal contamination of saline-filled breast implants is readily preventable, according to a study in the July 1 issue of <<>>, now available online.
The key steps are to use closed systems for filling the devices and to adhere to the strict moisture control and operating room ventilation standards in force at major hospitals. The potential benefits of these precautions could be considerable, since 265,832 women in the United States underwent cosmetic or reconstructive breast surgery in 2000 alone, and most received saline-filled implants. Moreover, increasing numbers of non-surgeons are performing cosmetic breast surgery in outpatient clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, or physician offices, where the risk of complications is especially likely without precautions. This study is a case in point.
The investigators, Marion A. Kainer, MBBS, MPH, and coworkers at the <<>> studied an outbreak in 2000-2001 that involved five women whose implants were found to contain black sediment during revision surgery for cosmetic breast augmentation; the sediment was subsequently identified as Curvularia, a fungus commonly found in soil. All women had been treated in 2000 at an ambulatory surgical facility, where an initial in-house investigation failed to find a source of contamination.