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Dr. Eid who is beyond responsive gave me some interesting information I have not seen elsewhere when I ask what to look for for the 1st sign of infection.

He said that the pump is the bellwether of the entire system when it comes to infection. The term bellwether refers to the leading sheep in a flock with a bell that indicates where the flock is going.
He said that the first observable indication is that you can tell a change in the pump. The features become less distinguishable as the infection surrounds the pump and the body attempts to fight it and wall it off. It is often accompanied or followed by pain and swelling but those can have other explanations in newly implanted patients.

Since learning that I am very attentive when feeling my pump. I just do a quick check to seek if I can feel the subtle features like ridges etc.

I also asked if there is ever a situation in which an infection can be caught very early and cured. Without hesitation, he said "Never, and the sooner you remove the device the better for the patient. That is why infection is always the primary concern of our practice." He indicated no delivery system of antibiotics can reach the local site whether oral or IV.
Hopefully, this is of some interest and something none of us ever have to cope with although I know there are brothers here that already have faced implant infection.

Thanks for this.

Infection is quite honestly my biggest fear associated with the implant procedure.

I wonder if there are certain conditions that can pre-dispose one more to an infection? I just wish there was something I could do to absolutely minimize this risk!

There are different kinds of infection. I was told I had an "infection" which caused lymphedima, which was some kind of swelling that was somehow a response to either my surgery or the implant. Dr. Eid, Dr. Perito, Dr. Kramer, Dr. Carrion, and a couple others never provided a complete explanation. What I got was "I've never seen that before." or, just "That's going to require removal of the implant." Not a pleasant experience.

username_taken29 wrote:Thanks for this.

Infection is quite honestly my biggest fear associated with the implant procedure.

I wonder if there are certain conditions that can pre-dispose one more to an infection? I just wish there was something I could do to absolutely minimize this risk!

Diabetes... keep sugars under control until fully healed.

Larry

yep, the biggest factor for infection is being diabetic, and/or having a high A1C level. anything above a 7 and My Dr. is very hesitant to do the implant, because of the infection risk.

Prior to my implant surgery in 2015, my urologist/surgeon instructed me that from now on I will need to take 2000 mgs of Amoxicillin an hour before any dental procedures. I've known for decades that even a dental cleaning can possibly be one of the most infectious routines to which our bodies are subjected. For the rest of my life, I have a standing prescription to have (5) 2000 mg doses on hand at all times. In searching for references to this prophylaxis regarding our implants just now, I found thousands of hits. These are just two of them:

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Prior to Dental Procedures

"In patients with prosthetic joint implants, a January 2015 ADA clinical practice guideline, based on a ... Infective endocarditis prophylaxis for dental procedures should be recommended only for patients .... joint replacement,2, 5 breast augmentation with implants,14 or penile implant.15, 16 ... Last Updated: June 25, 2018"
https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/antibiotic-prophylaxis

The following one is from 1992 but shows a rather lackadaisical attitude/response from a majority of urologists AT THAT TIME. I'm curious if others of you have standing prescriptions from your urologists for pre-dental antibiotic infection prophylaxis.

The need for antibiotic prophylaxis of patients with penile implants during invasive dental procedures: a national survey of urologists.

"A national survey of urologists was conducted regarding the need for prophylactic antibiotic coverage for patients with penile implants when undergoing invasive dental treatment. A total of 1,756 questionnaires was sent to urologists in the United States and 297 responses were received, for a participation rate of 17%. The low response rate might be partly related to a low level of concern by urologists due to the lack of reported cases of penile implant infections following invasive dental procedures and the lack of the literature calling attention to this possible association. This is supported by the fact that none of the responding urologists had noted any case of infection of the prosthesis following dental treatment. The majority of urologists who responded did not recommend antibiotic prophylaxis for penile implant patients undergoing invasive dental treatment. The majority of urologists who recommended prophylaxis selected a cephalosporin. None of the responding urologists indicated that they were aware of infection developing in any penile implant patients following invasive dental treatment. The dentist is advised to consult with the urologist of patients with penile implants on an individual basis to determine the need for antibiotic prophylaxis."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1433612