TY - JOUR
T1 - Rapidly growing Mycobacterium infections after cosmetic surgery in medical tourists
T2 - the Bronx experience and a review of the literature
AU - Cusumano, Lucas R.
AU - Tran, Vivy
AU - Tlamsa, Aileen
AU - Chung, Philip
AU - Grossberg, Robert
AU - Weston, Gregory
AU - Sarwar, Uzma N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - Background Medical tourism is increasingly popular for elective cosmetic surgical procedures. However, medical tourism has been accompanied by reports of post-surgical infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM). The authors’ experience working with patients with RGM infections who have returned to the USA after traveling abroad for cosmetic surgical procedures is described here. Methods Patients who developed RGM infections after undergoing cosmetic surgeries abroad and who presented at the Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, New York, USA) between August 2015 and June 2016 were identified. A review of patient medical records was performed. Results Four patients who presented with culture-proven RGM infections at the sites of recent cosmetic procedures were identified. All patients were treated with a combination of antibiotics and aggressive surgical treatment. Conclusions This case series of RGM infections following recent cosmetic surgeries abroad highlights the risks of medical tourism. Close monitoring of affected patients by surgical and infectious disease specialties is necessary, as aggressive surgical debridement combined with appropriate antibiotic regimens is needed to achieve cure. Given the increasing reports of post-surgical RGM infections, consultants should have a low threshold for suspecting RGM, as rapid diagnosis may accelerate the initiation of targeted treatment and minimize morbidity.
AB - Background Medical tourism is increasingly popular for elective cosmetic surgical procedures. However, medical tourism has been accompanied by reports of post-surgical infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM). The authors’ experience working with patients with RGM infections who have returned to the USA after traveling abroad for cosmetic surgical procedures is described here. Methods Patients who developed RGM infections after undergoing cosmetic surgeries abroad and who presented at the Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, New York, USA) between August 2015 and June 2016 were identified. A review of patient medical records was performed. Results Four patients who presented with culture-proven RGM infections at the sites of recent cosmetic procedures were identified. All patients were treated with a combination of antibiotics and aggressive surgical treatment. Conclusions This case series of RGM infections following recent cosmetic surgeries abroad highlights the risks of medical tourism. Close monitoring of affected patients by surgical and infectious disease specialties is necessary, as aggressive surgical debridement combined with appropriate antibiotic regimens is needed to achieve cure. Given the increasing reports of post-surgical RGM infections, consultants should have a low threshold for suspecting RGM, as rapid diagnosis may accelerate the initiation of targeted treatment and minimize morbidity.
KW - Cosmetic surgery
KW - Medical tourism
KW - Mycobacteria chelonae
KW - Mycobacterium abscessus complex
KW - Rapidly growing mycobacteria
KW - Surgical site infections
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijid.2017.07.022
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2017.07.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 28780185
AN - SCOPUS:85027500666
SN - 1201-9712
VL - 63
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
ER -