Health

Utahan dies after weight loss surgery in Mexico that left them with antibiotic-resistant bacteria 


Utah resident dies after weight loss surgery in Mexico that left them with antibiotic-resistant bacteria

  • An unidentified Utah resident died after undergoing weight loss surgery in Tijuana, Mexico
  • The patient was infected with P. aeruginosa, a bacterium that spreads in hospital settings due to poor hygiene and is antibiotic-resistant 
  • Health officials say seven other Utahns contracted the same infection, but they all recovered
  • Seven of the eight patients, including the one who died, had surgery performed by Dr Mario Almanza
  • Dr Almanza has been linked to dozens of similar cases since August 2018

A Utah resident has died after contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacteria from weight loss surgery in Mexico.

The patient – whose name, age and sex have not been revealed – traveled to Tijuana for a procedure, according to a release from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH). 

When they returned, they tested positive for an antibiotic-resistant form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a rare and aggressive bacteria.  

Seven other Utahns were infected with the same bacteria after having weight loss surgery in Tijuana, but this patient is the first to die, the UDOH says.

A Utah resident has died after contracting P. aeruginosa, a bacterium that spreads in hospital settings due to poor hygiene and is antibiotic-resistant, following weight loss surgery in Tijuana (file image of weight loss surgery)

A Utah resident has died after contracting P. aeruginosa, a bacterium that spreads in hospital settings due to poor hygiene and is antibiotic-resistant, following weight loss surgery in Tijuana (file image of weight loss surgery)

According to the health department, seven of the eight patients – including the one who died – had surgeon Dr Mario Almanza, perform their operations. 

‘Five of these patients reported they had been referred to Dr Almanza through an online referral service known as Weight Loss Agents,’ the UDOH release stated.

Dr Almanza’s website declares him to be the ‘leading bariatric weight-loss surgeon in the world’.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists him as the physician for dozens of cases where patients have had weight loss surgery and returned with P. aeruginosa. 

Last year, a $100 million class-action lawsuit was filed against him by former patients who said they suffered life-threatening complications following weight-loss surgery, reported the White Mountain Independent

In January, the CDC updated its travel alert to Level 2 from ‘practice usual precautions’ to ‘practice enhanced precautions’. 

That same month, the UDOH advised residents to not travel to Mexico for any kind of weight loss procedures. 

‘We cannot provide any assurances of patient safety or quality of care to individuals who are considering undergoing such procedures in Tijuana,’ said Dr Allyn Nakashima, manager of the UDOH Healthcare-Associated Infections/Antimicrobial Resistant Program, in a statement.  

The patient, and six others who contracted the same infection, had surgery performed by Dr Mario Almanza (pictured)

The patient, and six others who contracted the same infection, had surgery performed by Dr Mario Almanza (pictured) 

‘I cannot stress enough the safest course of action is not to travel to Mexico for these procedures. Using an internationally accredited facility is not a guarantee that your medical care will be free of complications.’  

Pseudomonas are a type of bacteria that can cause infections with P. aeruginosa being the most common.

The bacterium usually develops in healthcare settings and spreads due to poor hygiene such as people not washing their hands or not medical equipment that is not properly cleaned

Symptoms include fever, redness pus or drainage from the surgical incision sit and swelling at the surgical incision site.

The CDC says that around 51,500 P. aeruginosa infections associated with healthcare occur in the US each year.

About 13 percent of the infections are resistant to several drugs and are responsible for approximately 400 deaths every year.

Several cases occurred following weight loss-surgery between August and December 2018 with at least six having it performed at Grand View Hospital.

The remainder had surgeries at other hospitals and clinics in the Mexican city that were not identified.

Mexican authorities temporarily closed the hospital to investigate, according to the CDC, but it has since reopened.



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