Infections versus penile implants: the war on bugs.

PURPOSE

Infection of an inflatable penile implant is the worst complication in prosthetic urology. This review summarizes the milestone advances that led to today's infection rates being the lowest ever, describes the current profile of the ever evolving bacteriology of device infections and suggests possible future research directions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive review of the relevant literature was performed and the data from that literature were summarized.

RESULTS

Continual refinements in surgical technique and implant design combined with a greater understanding of bacterial virulence factors led to a dramatic decrease in inflatable penile prosthesis infections.

CONCLUSIONS

Great strides have been made in decreasing the risk of inflatable penile prosthesis infections. The bacteriology of those infections is ever changing. Our continued success hinges on remaining attuned to those changes and adapting current approaches to meet them.