THE WHAT? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned of serious health risks associated with travel-related cosmetic procedures after reviewing a decade of reported complications among American patients

THE DETAILS A CDC study published in the agency’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal reviewed more than 2,100 reports involving U.S. residents who travelled domestically and internationally for cosmetic procedures between 2014 and 2024. Researchers identified 21 investigations involving around 145 patients who experienced adverse outcomes, including postsurgical infections. Twenty of the reports involved infections, with 12 suspected or confirmed bacterial outbreaks. The CDC also cited four reports involving patient deaths. Investigations into some clinics and surgical centres identified deficiencies in environmental cleaning, hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment and surgical equipment sterilisation. The cases involved procedures such as liposuction and breast augmentation, with patients frequently travelling to destinations including Mexico, Canada, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

THE WHY? The agency is seeking to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with medical tourism and is calling for stronger surveillance, better collaboration between healthcare providers and public health authorities, and improved patient education to help identify complications earlier and improve safety standards.

Source: Reuters