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For a growing number of people, "medical tourism" can be dangerous — even fatal.

Twenty-nine U.S. citizens have died after they had cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2018, according to a Jan. 25 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More alarming is that the deaths have spiked in recent years. Between 2009 and 2018, there were an average of 4.1 deaths per year. Between 2019 and 2022, that average rose to 13 per year — peaking at 17 deaths in 2020.

ASK A DOC: ‘WHAT SHOULD I DO, OR NOT DO, PRIOR TO SURGERY?’

The deaths were linked to "fat or venous thromboembolism," which is when a blood clot forms in a vein, the CDC reported.

Most of the patients had risk factors for the condition, such as obesity, diabetes, tobacco use and multiple surgical procedures being performed at once.

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic has recorded cosmetic surgery-associated deaths among U.S. citizens since 2009. 

The embassy contacted the CDC upon noticing the uptick in deaths — which sparked an investigation.

All but one of the deaths involved women, the report stated. The average age of the patients at the time of death was 40.

TOP PLASTIC SURGERIES: THESE WERE THE MOST IN-DEMAND PROCEDURES IN 2022

For the 24 deaths that occurred between 2019 and 2020, liposuction was performed on all of the patients, usually along with other procedures, including gluteal fat transfer, abdominoplasty and breast augmentation.

Fat embolism was the cause of death in 55% of the cases and pulmonary venous thromboembolism was the determining cause in 35% of the cases, the report said.

Josef Hadeed, M.D., chair of the Patient Safety Committee for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), who was not involved in the CDC investigation, noted that the CDC’s report highlights the dangers associated with destination procedures.

"Too often, patients will travel to other countries as the procedures are cheaper there," Hadeed, who is also a plastic surgeon with practices in Beverly Hills, California, and Miami, Florida, told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

"However, there are a lot of risks associated with traveling to other countries for cosmetic procedures."

He added, "All surgery carries risk, but there are excessive deaths outlined in the report, most of which were presumably avoidable."

When it comes to the price of surgery, Hadeed advised patients that "you get what you pay for. Just because something is cheaper doesn't mean it is better for you."

He also said, "The most important issue in plastic surgery is patient safety."

Jonathan Kaplan, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon who practices at Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery in San Francisco, who was also not involved in the report, said the CDC’s latest findings are "sad but true."

"There are risks with any surgery, but in the U.S., you have a better sense of whether doctors are board-certified in the specialty they’re practicing in," he told Fox News Digital in an email.

"There is also the added risk of going to a facility in a foreign country that has no quality assurance or safety protocols as required by law in the U.S.," Kaplan added.

International travel automatically puts patients at a higher risk for thromboembolic events, where they can develop potentially fatal blood clots, Hadeed said.

Another consideration is that those having surgery outside the U.S. won’t be able to get any assistance from the doctor if any complications arise, Kaplan warned.

BBL NOT ALWAYS A-OK: WHY THE BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST PLASTIC SURGERIES EVER

"Then you’ll have to find a doctor locally who will charge you an exorbitant amount to fix the problem and you’ll end up spending more than what you saved initially," he said.

While all surgeries carry some element of risk, the "Brazilian Butt Lift" (BBL) has been associated with the highest risk of death in plastic surgery, which is corroborated by the report, noted Hadeed. 

"While I cannot specifically comment on what led to the deaths in the Dominican Republic, I can say that using an ultrasound is essential while performing a Brazilian Butt Lift," he told Fox News Digital. 

When the fat is injected into one of the blood vessels within the gluteal muscle, it can enter the bloodstream and make its way to the blood vessels of the lungs, blocking off circulation and leading to immediate death — which constitutes a fat embolism, the doctor said.

ASK A DOC: 'WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE GETTING A BREAST LIFT?'

This can be prevented by using an ultrasound, he noted, which allows the plastic surgeon to visualize the gluteal muscle and ensure that the fat is placed above, and not within, the muscle. 

"This has already become state law in Florida as of 2023," said Hadeed.

While Hadeed said it’s "better" to look for plastic surgeons within the U.S., if patients do decide to travel outside the country, they should carefully research a provider.

It is critical to find a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Hadeed emphasized. 

The surgeon — as well as the entire surgical team, including the anesthesiologists, nurses and surgical techs — should be adequately trained in the specific procedures, the doctor added.

"It is equally important to ensure that the facility in which the procedure is being performed is fully accredited to the same standards that are found in the United States and has the proper safety measures in place," said Hadeed.

"Also remember that longer flights increase the risk of venous thromboembolism, and it is advised to wait several days after travel before undergoing a surgical procedure, which can add to the cost of the travel when you factor in additional days of staying in a hotel," he pointed out.

When asked for his advice on international surgery, Kaplan said simply, "Don’t do it."

"The money you save is not worth it if you have a complication, which is a very real possibility," he said. 

"And remember, complications don’t have to be major — they can be minor, but still a nuisance if you don’t have a doctor locally to take care of it," he went on. "And even the smallest complication will be much more expensive to take care of in the U.S. if your original surgery was outside the country."

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For those who are considering having an elective surgical procedure outside the U.S., the CDC recommends discussing the risks with a doctor here first.

The agency also emphasized the importance of surgeons conducting proper preoperative exams and only performing one procedure for each operation.

The study did have some limitations, the CDC acknowledged.

"No reliable statistics on the number of U.S. citizens who receive cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic each year are available, precluding calculation of the risk for perioperative death," the report stated.

Also, the data only included deaths that were reported to the U.S. Embassy — which means the actual number could be higher.

The mortality count also does not include deaths resulting from post-surgical infections, the CDC noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC requesting comment on the report.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Ebastine provides subjective relief among patients with non-constipated IBS

Ebastine may provide subjective relief among patients with non-constipated IBS suggests a new study published in the Gut.

They evaluated the histamine 1 receptor antagonist ebastine as a potential treatment for patients with non-constipated irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2 study. Non-constipated patients with IBS fulfilling the Rome III criteria were randomly assigned to 20 mg ebastine or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects scored global relief of symptoms (GRS) and abdominal pain intensity (API). A subject was considered a weekly responder for global relief of symptoms if total or obvious relief was reported and a responder for abdominal pain intensity if the weekly average pain score was reduced by at least 30% vs baseline.

The primary endpoints were the proportion of subjects who were weekly responders for at least 6 out of the 12 treatment weeks for both global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity 'GRS+API', composite endpoint) and for global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity separately. Results: 202 participants (32±11 years, 68% female) were randomly allocated to receive ebastine (n=101) or placebo (n=101).

Treatment with ebastine resulted in significantly more responders (12%, 12/92) for global relief of symptoms+abdominal pain intensity compared with placebo (4%, 4/87, p=0.047) while the proportion of responders for global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity separately was higher for ebastine compared with placebo, although not statistically significant (placebo vs ebastine, global relief of symptoms: 7% (6/87) vs 15%.

The study shows that ebastine is superior to placebo and should be further evaluated as a novel treatment for patients with non-constipated IBS.

Reference: Decraecker L, De Looze D, Hirsch DP, De Schepper H, Arts J, Caenepeel P, Bredenoord AJ, Kolkman J, Bellens K, Van Beek K, Pia F, Peetermans W, Vanuytsel T, Denadai-Souza A, Belmans A, Boeckxstaens G. Treatment of non-constipated irritable bowel syndrome with the histamine 1 receptor antagonist ebastine: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Gut. 2024 Jan 8:gutjnl-2023-331634. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331634. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38191268.

Excessive gestational weight gain to cause higher risk of mortality in women

A recent study published in The Lancet revealed that excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with a 9% to 12% increase in all-cause mortality risk in women with BMI in the normal and overweight range respectively.

Weight gain is a common phenomenon during pregnancy, but excessive gain may be a sign of adverse health issues for mothers.

According to a study of pregnant women with low-risk pregnancy complications in Singapore, approximately 60% of them either gained too little or too much weight during pregnancy. Exceeding the recommended weight gain was associated with a higher risk of caesarean section (C-section) deliveries and the birth of larger babies – rendering this an increasingly alarming issue to be studied.

The impact of such weight gain is usually associated with greater postpartum weight retention, and pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, as well as a higher chance of requiring a C-section. However, its long-term implications have hitherto remained unknown.

Professor Cuilin Zhang from the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), and Director of the Global Center for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) at NUS Medicine and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and the US National Institutes of Health have investigated the association between weight gain during pregnancy, and mortality rate, with a follow-up period of over 50 years.

Excessive weight gain for women with a pre-pregnancy BMI in the underweight and normal range led to an 84% and 20% increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease respectively. At the same time, women with a BMI in the overweight range held a 77% increased risk of mortality from diabetes.

Considering current knowledge and the phenomenon of weight gain during pregnancy, the lack of studies and information on this renders the novel findings critical. The findings from this large well-characterised study, with more than 50 years of follow-up data, provide important evidence on the significance of women’s health for reproduction and their overall long-term health, wellbeing, and longevity.

“Promoting women’s health and achieving healthy longevity should start early in women’s lives. In particular, women’s health at their reproductive age and during pregnancy, are critical time windows that have long-term health impacts over their lifespan, as well as intergenerational impact on the offspring and the family,” said Prof Zhang, the principal investigator and last author of the study.

Reference: Stefanie N Hinkle, Prof Sunni L Mumford, Prof Katherine L Grantz, Prof Pauline Mendola, Gestational weight change in a diverse pregnancy cohort and mortality over 50 years: a prospective observational cohort study

They evaluated the histamine 1 receptor antagonist ebastine as a potential treatment for patients with non-constipated irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2 study. Non-constipated patients with IBS fulfilling the Rome III criteria were randomly assigned to 20 mg ebastine or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects scored global relief of symptoms (GRS) and abdominal pain intensity (API). A subject was considered a weekly responder for global relief of symptoms if total or obvious relief was reported and a responder for abdominal pain intensity if the weekly average pain score was reduced by at least 30% vs baseline.

The primary endpoints were the proportion of subjects who were weekly responders for at least 6 out of the 12 treatment weeks for both global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity 'GRS+API', composite endpoint) and for global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity separately. Results: 202 participants (32±11 years, 68% female) were randomly allocated to receive ebastine (n=101) or placebo (n=101).

Treatment with ebastine resulted in significantly more responders (12%, 12/92) for global relief of symptoms+abdominal pain intensity compared with placebo (4%, 4/87, p=0.047) while the proportion of responders for global relief of symptoms and abdominal pain intensity separately was higher for ebastine compared with placebo, although not statistically significant (placebo vs ebastine, global relief of symptoms: 7% (6/87) vs 15%.

The study shows that ebastine is superior to placebo and should be further evaluated as a novel treatment for patients with non-constipated IBS.

Reference: Decraecker L, De Looze D, Hirsch DP, De Schepper H, Arts J, Caenepeel P, Bredenoord AJ, Kolkman J, Bellens K, Van Beek K, Pia F, Peetermans W, Vanuytsel T, Denadai-Souza A, Belmans A, Boeckxstaens G. Treatment of non-constipated irritable bowel syndrome with the histamine 1 receptor antagonist ebastine: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Gut. 2024 Jan 8:gutjnl-2023-331634. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331634. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38191268.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) impacts 1.6 million people in the U.S. — and a new artificial intelligence-generated drug could help alleviate symptoms.

Insilico Medicine, an AI-driven biotech company based in Hong Kong and in New York City, recently announced that its new AI-designed IBD drug — ISM5411 — has entered Phase I clinical trials.

This is Insilico’s fifth AI-designed drug to enter the pipeline. 

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

If approved, it would be the first medication to treat IBD by blocking prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD), a protein that regulates the body’s gut barrier protection genes, according to Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine.

"ISM5411 is a potentially first-in-class candidate for the treatment of IBD – this means that it is designed to treat the disease in an entirely new way," Zhavoronkov told Fox News Digital in an interview.

IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, causes debilitating symptoms that include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and rectal bleeding, according to Mayo Clinic.

"This condition is on the rise across the industrialized world, but currently there are no cures and few treatments," said Zhavoronkov.

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Many current drugs for IBD are anti-inflammatory and rely on immunosuppression to work.

"This carries its own set of risks, as suppressing the immune system can give rise to chronic infection and tumor diseases," Zhavoronkov said.

Other biologic drugs for IBD are administered by IV or self-injection. 

"We knew there was a significant need in this space, and we wanted to find a new way to treat IBD that focused on healing and rebuilding the intestinal lining to lead to long-term improvement of the condition rather than just treating the symptoms," said Zhavoronkov.

IBD patients produce significantly more of the PDH protein than those without the condition. 

Insilico’s research and development team used Chemistry42, the company’s generative AI chemistry engine, to design a molecule to block the PDH and produce genes that protect the gut barrier. 

FIRST AI-GENERATED DRUG ENTERS HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS, TARGETING CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE PATIENTS

"You can think of Chemistry42 as a ChatGPT for new molecules," said Zhavoronkov. 

"But instead of providing text commands and having an AI model generate a new essay or poem based on existing data, our platform draws from biological and chemical data to design an entirely new molecule using our instructions."

"Our AI platform designed a number of possible molecules to meet our criteria, and ranked them, and our R&D team synthesized and tested a number of these before selecting ISM5411 as the most promising candidate," said Zhavoronkov.

An oral medication, ISM5411, is described as "intestinal restrictive," which means it only works on the gut without impacting other parts of the body, he noted.

"Very importantly, it promotes mucosal repair," said Zhavoronkov. 

"In other words, we designed this drug to help restore the normal functioning of the gut."

Previous research has shown that mucosal repair is effective in reducing hospitalization and improving long-term prognosis for IBD patients. 

Insilico’s IBD drug has officially begun trials in 76 healthy volunteers in Australia to evaluate its safety and tolerability in gradually increasing doses, Zhavoronkov said.

After completing the Phase 1a trial, Insilico plans to launch an international multi-center clinical trial in the U.S., China and other locations, with three treatment groups and one placebo group. 

"Our clinical team is working hard to design and execute the clinical trials in order to develop it further so we can begin helping patients in need," said Zhavoronkov.

"As we continue to advance this drug, we also look forward to connecting with companies with relevant experience and resources who are interested in co-developing this asset with our team."

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ISM5411 is one of more than 30 drugs that have been designed by Insilico’s AI platform, including many for cancer — as well as fibrosis, central nervous system diseases and COVID-19. 

The company’s lead drug, the first AI-discovered and AI-generated drug to reach Phase II trials with patients, is for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung condition with an extremely poor prognosis.

Dr. Supriya Rao, a Massachusetts-based gastroenterologist, was not involved in Insilico's drug development but offered her input on ISM5411.

"I think it’s very promising," Rao told Fox News Digital. "Obviously, there will be hurdles to jump through, and data is very novel at this stage of development."

"Longer-term safety and efficacy would be concerns, but we’ve only just begun to embark on a journey of AI and health care," she added.

All treatments have their pros and cons, Rao noted, particularly with "very individualized diseases" like IBD.

BE WELL: IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH WITH 5 TOP TIPS FROM A NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST

"Could this speed up the recovery process and offer a more targeted treatment plan with minimal side effects? The possibility is exciting," she said. "Our goal as health care professionals is always to achieve better patient outcomes."

AI expert and emergency medicine physician Dr. Harvey Castro from Dallas, Texas, who was also not involved in the development of ISM5411, noted that while promising, these types of AI-generated drugs can carry inherent risks. 

"The primary concern is the uncertainty surrounding their long-term effects, as AI-designed drugs are a relatively new medical frontier," Castro told Fox News Digital. 

"There's also the challenge of ensuring that the AI algorithms are trained on comprehensive and unbiased data sets, as misinterpretations or gaps in data could lead to ineffective or harmful drugs."

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Castro noted that existing regulatory frameworks may not adequately address the nuances of AI-driven drug development.

"Public awareness is key," he said. 

"As these drugs move from research labs to clinical settings, the public needs to understand the potential and the limitations," Castro went on.

"Educating patients and health care providers about how AI-generated drugs are developed and their potential impact on treatment paradigms is vital."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Barbadians now have access to testing for genetic eye diseases, as it is readily available on the island for the first time.

Dr Charles Pierce is the pioneer behind bringing the testing to the island, after realising the need for more accurate diagnosis in eye diseases among the population.

“There has always been this gap in terms of diagnosis of inherited eye disease. Sometimes you can say “this looks like something, but we’ve never had a genetic confirmation. That is something I want to move forward,” Pierce said.

Pierce has more than 15 years’ experience in the field, having worked in Barbados and the United Kingdom (UK).

Having studied Ophthalmology in the UK, zoning in on diseases affecting the back of the eye, his curiosity was piqued as to what genes are responsible for causing inherited diseases in the Caribbean. There has not been a test on the island, to allow families to know their status as it relates to inherited diseases.

“We are moving into an era of personalized medicine where we can look forward to treat inherited  eye diseases but only if we know the genetic cause. Without this information,  we’re never going to have treatments tailored for people in the Caribbean,” Pierce said.

“In a lot of countries, diagnosis is based on testing patients to identify the gene causing the problem. I wanted to bring that to Barbados.”

Testing for genetic eye diseases in Barbados will allow for a more accurate understanding of the genetic abnormalities and how prevalent they are across the island. Through a simple swab of the mouth, the saliva collected can be analysed for testing.

“The hope is that more people will be able to get a definitive diagnosis. We can hopefully build a library of the different genetic abnormalities that are in our population,  leading  to more research and insight to treatments in the future,” Pierce said.

Persons with an inherited eye disease can experience night blindness and changes to central vision. Currently, patients with low vision manage their disease through habit changes such as wearing of shades, magnification and enlargement of fonts on smart devices.

(PR)

The post Barbados to benefit from new testing for genetic eye diseases appeared first on Barbados Today.

Diaz, who is a member of the Board of Reef Check, spoke of the quick and timely attention received by doctors Maritza Santana and Rafael de los Santos, assisted by nursing assistants Damaso Marte and Noelia Batista, along with the remote advice of his doctor Pedro Ivan Peralta.

“The care in the emergency was excellent. The personnel on the morning of January 24 took the correct steps,” Marcos Díaz indicated. The hospital’s director, Carolina Burgos, said that the center’s medical team frequently receives patients with stings and other injuries that arise in coastal areas.

Last Tuesday, January 24, after leaving the waters of La Boya, the athlete, Marcos Diaz, explained that he stepped on something with his right foot, which caused him severe pain. Initially, he thought it was a cut, but he quickly identified the spine pricks of the stonefish, a poisonous marine species known for its camouflage and lethal poison.

Knowing the risks, with urgency and the help of the surfing community in the area, the athlete acted quickly, submerging his foot in hot water to neutralize the poison. Díaz highlighted the immediate collaboration of the community, his friends, and the intervention of the health center doctors, which he defined as fundamental to addressing the situation efficiently and preserving the life of the outstanding Dominican swimmer. The stonefish, of rocky and camouflaged appearance, is recognized for its venomous spines capable of injecting a potent poison.

According to the organisation, the medical professionals can broaden their knowledge and equip themselves with the requisite skills to professionally deliver high-quality […]

The post PANCAP provides training opportunities for tuberculosis, HIV medical professionals via free webinars appeared first on Kaieteur News.