Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection Post-Liposuction in South Korea

Abstract

As antibiotic resistance becomes a serious health issue, medical tourism is an accelerating factor. Several studies report antibiotic-resistant cases in Southeast Asia are increasing every year. We report the first case of a vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) infection in an Indonesian post-liposuction in South Korea. The patient is a 34-year-old Indonesian woman reporting concerns of fever and abdominal abscess post-liposuction. Culture results before antibiotic therapy were positive for VRSA. After the patient received one-time abscess drainage and initiated oral broad-spectrum antibiotics, the abscess clinically improved. To this date, the most common complication of infection post-liposuction in Indonesia is related to Mycobacterium as etiology. The pathogen transfer correlates to medical tourism, and this becomes a reminder for health care providers to be prepared to encounter problems tied to medical tourism.