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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Electroporation of Mycobacteria
Published on: May 23, 2008
Nontuberculous mycobacteria infection risk in medical tourism
Antonina Avanzi1, Kristin Bierbauer, Guillermo Vales-Kennedy
1At the time this article was written, Antonina Avanzi, Kristin Bierbauer, and Guillermo Vales-Kennedy were students in the PA program at Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, N.Y. Jean Covino is a clinical professor and director of didactic education in the PA program at Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital, and practices at Medemerge Family Practice/Urgent Care Center in Green Brook, N.J. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract:
The increasing popularity of medical tourism among US citizens has led to the rising incidence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections from cosmetic surgery performed in other countries. Clinicians must be aware of these infections and the potential difficulties in treating them. The most common NTM species isolated from cutaneous infections in medical tourists is Mycobacterium abscessus. Because many NTM species are antibiotic resistant, combination therapy is needed to combat skin and soft-tissue NTM infections in patients who had cosmetic procedures performed in foreign countries.
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