Doctors Warn of Superbug Infection in Facelifts

March 17. 2008— -- CHICAGO, March 17 (Reuters) - A dangerous drug-resistantbacterial infection has been showing up in a small number ofpatients who undergo face-lifts, doctors reported on Monday.

When infections do occur at surgical sites following suchprocedures "the facial plastic surgeon should have a highsuspicion" for MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus), as the source, they said.

Dr. Richard Zoumalan of Lennox Hill-Manhattan Eye, Ear, andThroat Hospital in New York and the New York University Schoolof Medicine and Dr. David Rosenberg also of the Lennox Hillcenter said a review of 780 U.S. face-lift patients from 2001to 2007 found five -- 0.6 percent -- with infections atincision sites. Four were confirmed as MRSA, all in 2006.

Of the four, two patients appeared to have been exposed tothe bacteria before surgery -- one who had spent time with herspouse in a cardiac intensive care unit four months earlier,and another who had frequent contact with her brother-in-law, acardiologist, the report said.

As many as 1.5 percent of Americans carry the highlycontagious infection and may spread it to others withoutdeveloping a serious infection themselves. It was blamed for anestimated 19,000 deaths in 2005 in the United States.

It has become the most common cause of all infections atsurgical incision sites, and about 85 percent of cases happenin hospitals where the infection can kill the weak.

"It's not surprising that it has been found in cosmeticsurgery," Rosenberg said in an interview; adding that the studywas the first to confirm it.

He said follow-up research he and Zoumalan have done hasfound no additional cases of MRSA in face-lift surgeries wherethe skin was pre-treated to kill the bacteria.

Since people enter hospitals with the bacteria, he said,"the emphasis has to be on pre-treatment."

The report published in the current issue of the Archivesof Facial Plastic Surgery said doctors who perform face-liftsmay want to start screening patients to track down those whomay be at risk.