WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal study reviewing a decade of outbreak investigations found that U.S. residents who traveled for cosmetic procedures experienced infections, other serious complications, and, in some cases, death, highlighting growing public health concerns surrounding medical tourism.
The study, published in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, examined consultations conducted between 2014 and 2024 involving patients who sought cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, and gluteal augmentation outside their local healthcare systems.
Researchers reviewed 2,162 CDC consultations and identified 34 related to medical travel. Among those, 21 reports involved approximately 145 patients who experienced adverse outcomes, including infections associated with both domestic and international surgery centers and clinics.
The findings suggest healthcare-associated outbreaks tied to cosmetic surgery tourism can be difficult to detect and investigate because patients often return home across multiple states after undergoing procedures.
Postsurgical infections were reported in 20 of the consultations reviewed. Twelve involved suspected or confirmed nontuberculous mycobacteria infections, a group of bacteria that can cause difficult-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections.
Four consultations involved patient deaths.
Most of the investigations were linked to surgery centers or clinics, according to the study.
“More and more people are getting medical procedures outside the United States, but there are risks,” lead author Kiara McNamara, a CDC nurse epidemiologist, said. “It is essential for patients to be informed and prepared before making decisions about seeking cosmetic surgery abroad.”
Infection prevention assessments conducted during one domestic and one international investigation identified deficiencies in environmental cleaning, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment use, and the reprocessing of surgical equipment.
The CDC said the findings support stronger surveillance efforts, closer coordination between healthcare providers and public health agencies, and increased patient education regarding the risks associated with medical tourism.
Additional information about medical tourism and travel-related healthcare risks is available from the CDC at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/medical-tourism.
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