Cosmetic Tourism Amidst the Covid-19 Global Pandemic

Long, RL Rebekah; Martin, SM Serena; Hill, CH Chris

Amidst the current global pandemic, when healthcare resources worldwide have been restructured to save the lives of the critically ill and all non-essential surgery has ceased, we want to highlight a case of cosmetic tourism complications putting an increased burden on these already overstretched resources. The patient in question is a 43-year-old female who travelled from the United Kingdom (UK) to Poland for a circumferential abdominoplasty with ‘fleur-de-lis’ extension. On returning home, she required admission to an NHS hospital 3 weeks post-operatively due to wound necrosis, dehiscence and cellulitis. Cosmetic tourism is already known to put patients at higher risk of multiple complications. However, the additional concerns surrounding this case are numerous, including; air travel for non-essential purposes, the lack of self-isolation pre-operatively and a covid-19 test far in advance of surgery with disregard for any viral incubation period, particularly with this patient's travel related risk. There was complete disregard for EASAPS guidance banning aesthetic surgery in this global pandemic, exacerbated by the fact this particular week was the peak of Covid-19 cases in Poland. As we recover from this global pandemic and the world begins to normalise, we urge all surgeons undertaking aesthetic procedures to ensure they follow the relative aesthetic association guidelines to ensure both patient and staff safety. Our healthcare systems are currently at breaking point and the future remains unknown, for the greater good of mankind, we as surgeons must ensure our decisions are well informed and evidence based as we will be held accountable for our actions.