Necrotising fasciitis following abdominoplasty performed abroad: a case report
- 1Service de Chirurgie Plastique, Reconstructrice et Esthétique et Maxillo-Faciale, Hôpital Universitaire Henri Mondor, AP-HP, 1 rue Gustave Eiffel, Créteil, 94000, France.
Abstract
Background
Cosmetic medical tourism has grown considerably in Europe, with many patients travelling abroad seeking lower-cost procedures. However, heterogeneous practices and the absence of postoperative follow-up inherent to geographical distance may lead to life-threatening complications with delayed management. We report a case of necrotising fasciitis following abdominoplasty performed abroad.Case presentation
A 42-year-old female patient underwent abdominoplasty, liposuction, and gluteal lipofilling in a foreign country. The postoperative course was complicated by anaemia, wound dehiscence, and an inflammatory syndrome, initially managed conservatively. Her condition deteriorated, necessitating medical repatriation. On admission, clinical examination revealed abdominal soft tissue necrosis with fever and purulent discharge, alongside a severe inflammatory response on laboratory investigations. Emergency surgical exploration confirmed extensive necrosis of the abdominal fascia and a gluteal collection. Wide debridement with bacteriological sampling and drainage were performed. Empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was initiated, and postoperative vasopressor support was required. An early second-look procedure was performed the following day. Following vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy, reconstruction with a split-thickness skin graft was carried out. The patient was discharged after six weeks of hospitalisation with significant aesthetic sequelae.Clinical relevance
Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but potentially fatal condition whose prognosis depends on the promptness of management. Medical tourism, owing to heterogeneous practices and lack of postoperative follow-up, may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic delay, exposing patients to this type of complication. Even in cases of favourable outcome, functional and aesthetic sequelae can be significant.
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BibTeX
@article{sulaiman2026necrotising,
title = {{Necrotising fasciitis following abdominoplasty performed abroad: a case report}},
author = {A Al Sulaiman and J Alexandre and O Hermeziu and G Roccaro and R Bosc and R Goron},
journal = {JPRAS open},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jpra.2026.10.012},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13718498},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Necrotising fasciitis following abdominoplasty performed abroad: a case report
AU - A Al Sulaiman
AU - J Alexandre
AU - O Hermeziu
AU - G Roccaro
AU - R Bosc
AU - R Goron
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - JPRAS open
DO - 10.1016/j.jpra.2026.10.012
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13718498
AB - Background Cosmetic medical tourism has grown considerably in Europe, with many patients travelling abroad seeking lower-cost procedures. However, heterogeneous practices and the absence of postoperative follow-up inherent to geographical distance may lead to life-threatening complications with delayed management. We report a case of necrotising fasciitis following abdominoplasty performed abroad.Case presentation A 42-year-old female patient underwent abdominoplasty, liposuction, and gluteal lipofilling in a foreign country. The postoperative course was complicated by anaemia, wound dehiscence, and an inflammatory syndrome, initially managed conservatively. Her condition deteriorated, necessitating medical repatriation. On admission, clinical examination revealed abdominal soft tissue necrosis with fever and purulent discharge, alongside a severe inflammatory response on laboratory investigations. Emergency surgical exploration confirmed extensive necrosis of the abdominal fascia and a gluteal collection. Wide debridement with bacteriological sampling and drainage were performed. Empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was initiated, and postoperative vasopressor support was required. An early second-look procedure was performed the following day. Following vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy, reconstruction with a split-thickness skin graft was carried out. The patient was discharged after six weeks of hospitalisation with significant aesthetic sequelae.Clinical relevance Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but potentially fatal condition whose prognosis depends on the promptness of management. Medical tourism, owing to heterogeneous practices and lack of postoperative follow-up, may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic delay, exposing patients to this type of complication. Even in cases of favourable outcome, functional and aesthetic sequelae can be significant.
SN - 2352-5878
ER -