Van Straaten G, Tomczak S, Philandrianos C, Bertrand B, Abellan-Lopez M, Casanova D
Service de chirurgie plastique reconstructrice et esthétique, hôpital de la Conception, Marseille, France.
Service de chirurgie plastique reconstructrice et esthétique, hôpital de la Conception, Marseille, France.
Ann Chir Plast Esthet. 2025 Sep;70(5):371-376. doi: 10.1016/j.anplas.2025.05.017. Epub 2025 Jul 23.
Surgical tourism has been rapidly expanding over the past two decades, particularly in aesthetic surgery. Facilitated by specialized agencies, this practice leads to medical risks, the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, and additional costs for the healthcare system of the patients' home countries.
We conducted a retrospective study in our University Hospital, analyzing patients who developed complications following aesthetic surgery abroad between January 2018 and June 2024. The type of initial surgery, complications, and the total cost of their management were analyzed.
Thirty-three patients were treated for complications after undergoing aesthetic surgery abroad, mostly in Tunisia. The most frequent procedures were breast augmentations (n=15) and abdominoplasty (n=14). Complications were primarily infections, occurring in 51% of cases. The total cost of care amounted to €283,781.85, with an average cost of €8599.45 per patient.
Our study highlights the medical and economic impact of surgical tourism, particularly the frequency of infections and the cost of their management. Preventive measures and regulation are necessary to mitigate its effects on the healthcare system.
