CULTURES FROM GENITOURINARY PROSTHESES AT REOPERATION - QUESTIONING THE ROLE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-EPIDERMIDIS IN PERIPROSTHETIC INFECTION

Purpose: We determine the colony counts of organisms present on cultur e of clinically uninfected genitourinary prostheses at reoperation for reasons other than infection. These results served as control data fo r comparison with cultures from infected devices to determine the rela tive incidence of organisms involved. Materials and Methods: Cultures were prospectively obtained from 65 penile prostheses and 22 artificia l urinary sphincters. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 month s after reoperation or until development of infection (mean 27 months) at which time cultures were again obtained. Results: Low colony count s of Staphylococcus epidermidis were isolated from 40% of uninfected p enile prostheses and 36% of artificial urinary sphincters. Only 3 of t hese devices later became infected (9%) and in al cases a higher colon y count of another organism was found at explantation. Conclusions: Wh ile Staph. epidermidis can cause prosthesis infection, low colony coun ts of the organism may not be associated with clinical infection. Ther efore, the high incidence of infection attributed to this organism may be overestimated.