Robert Whitfield MD explains how inflammation after surgery normally resolves, but persists when bacteria like Cutibacterium acnes form biofilm around implants. Chronic inflammation keeps immune cells active long-term, which is why some people need implant removal.
About 1,500 explants.
About 35%.
Cutibacterium acnes (transcript: 'cutie and bacterium acnes').
Can you explain exactly, like, from a very kindergarten level of why I was experiencing that inflammation? Like what? Like really get in there. Besides the four pathways, what was actually happening?
So acutely after surgery, there's acute inflammation, or if you sprained your anchor and your ankle swelled up, that's acute inflammation. And your body has inflammatory cells. Inflammatory cells can be our B lymphocytes, our T lymphocytes, our monocytes, mast cells. People have heard of mast cells or endothelial cells. These all secrete a product, if you will, that stimulates inflammation. And you want acute inflammation in certain instances, Correct? Right. Because it's going to drive repair and healing. But when that acute process is over, if you still have the stimulus for inflammation now, you are going to develop chronic inflammation because your body's going to keep sending the inflammatory cells out to get rid of the problem. And so in the case of a breast implant, wherein I've done about 1,500 explants at this point, about 35% have biofilm. So that's. Biofilm's produced by bacteria. So it's a contaminant biofilm around the implant when you take it out. Right. So the biofilm is found by DNA testing, but the bacteria is called cutie and bacterium acnes. And this bacteria produces almost like a little slime layer to protect itself from your immune system. Even though your immune system can't get rid of it, it's still stimulated to react to it and respond to it. So once again, you create more and more inflammation in a constant manner.
