Does climate impact inflatable penile prosthesis infection (IPP) risk? Assessment of temperature and dew point on IPP infections.

This article investigates whether climate factors such as temperature, dew point, and humidity influence the risk of infection following inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) surgery. An international, multicenter retrospective study of 5,289 patients across 16 institutions found no statistically significant association between the season or local climate conditions at the time of surgery and the incidence of IPP infections requiring device explantation. Despite prior evidence linking climate to other surgical site infections and skin microbiome changes, this study suggests that infection prevention strategies for IPP do not need to be adjusted based on local climate. Limitations include the use of city-level climate averages rather than patient-specific data and potential confounding factors related to institutional practices. These findings provide reassurance to prosthetic urologists that climate does not appear to impact IPP infection risk.