Prophylactic absorbable antibiotic beads for prepectoral implant-based breast reconstruction: A single institution early experience

Abstract

Infection after implant-based breast reconstruction remains challenging, with infection rates up to 24%. Best clinical practice indicates prophylactic oral antibiotics are ineffective at preventing infection. Absorbable antibiotic beads have been routinely used in other surgical subspecialties such as orthopedic and vascular procedures for continuous local antibiotic delivery to the surgical site when implants are placed. Biodegradable calcium sulfate antibiotic beads have been shown to normalize incidence of infection when used prophylactically for a high-risk prepectoral patient population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of prophylactic biodegradable antibiotic beads when used non-selectively for all prepectoral immediate tissue expander (TE) reconstruction.

Patients who underwent mastectomy and immediate prepectoral TE reconstruction on the same day between 2018 and 2024 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: those who received antibiotic beads (Group 1) and those who did not (Group 2). Absorbable calcium-sulfate beads were reconstituted with 1 g vancomycin and 240 mg gentamicin. There were 33 patients (63 TEs) in Group 1 and 330 patients (545 TEs) in Group 2. TE loss was present in 1.5% (1/65 TEs) Group 1 compared to 9.4% (51/545 TEs) in Group 2 (p = 0.032). The mean follow-up time was 178 days (range 93–266 days).

Prophylactic biodegradable antibiotic beads used during immediate tissue expander reconstruction decreased implant loss rate. There was one occurrence of SSI in the antibiotic bead group. Antibiotic beads may potentially decrease complications in immediate TE reconstruction when used non-selectively for all patients.