New CDC Study Highlights Adverse Outcomes Linked to Travel-Related Cosmetic Procedures

[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

NTM infections, outbreak detection challenges, and clinician reporting considerations

Healthcare Providers Should Consider Recent Travel-Related Cosmetic Procedures When Evaluating Postsurgical Complications

A new CDC study in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal highlights findings from a review of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) consultations from 2014–2024 among U.S. residents who traveled domestically or abroad for cosmetic procedures. Share CDC's press release.  CDC experts identified 21 investigations related to patients who developed infections or other complications after procedures such as liposuction and gluteal augmentation. More than half of the investigations involved nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), which are resistant to many antibiotics and can be difficult to diagnose.

Patients often return home after cosmetic procedures and seek care from healthcare providers who were not involved in the original procedure. As a result, infections can be difficult to link to a common source, such as a clinic or provider, which can complicate outbreak detection and investigation.  Healthcare providers should:  Consider recent travel-related cosmetic procedures when evaluating patients with postsurgical infections or other complications.  Consider testing for NTM in patients who present with infections following travel-related cosmetic procedures.  Promptly report potential NTM and other infections and outbreaks to infection control staff and public health authorities to support timely treatment and outbreak investigations.  These findings reinforce the importance of:  Stronger surveillance systems to help identify infections and adverse outcomes linked to cosmetic procedure travel.  Continued collaboration between healthcare providers and public health authorities to support outbreak detection and response.  Proactive patient education about the risks associated with cosmetic procedures, particularly those performed away from home.  These measures are critical to identifying adverse outcomes early and implementing effective prevention strategies. CDC continues to work with domestic and international partners to improve surveillance and prevention of healthcare-associated infections, including those linked to medical travel. Read the full study to learn more about the findings and their implications for clinical practice.

	New CDC study highlights adverse outcomes linked to travel-related cosmetic procedures. Healthcare providers should consider recent travel-related cosmetic procedures when evaluating postsurgical complications. Read the full study at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/6/25-1883_article

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