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Plastic Surgeon Dr. Paula Moynahan Announces Bacteria Alert From Surgeries Performed in Dominican Republic

“There is currently a serious threat for people who chose to have plastic surgery procedures performed in the Dominican Republic,” stated renowned surgeon Dr. Paula Moynahan. A double-board certified plastic surgeon, a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Moynahan announced that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons received an alert from the Centers for Disease Control (CDS) stating that they are investigating cases of surgical-site infections following plastic surgery performed in the Dominican Republic. “All local area health-care providers should be aware of this bacteria, as well as individuals who had recent surgical procedures in the Dominican Republic,” stated Dr. Moynahan. 

The CDC advisory Dr. Moynahan received is aimed at all professionals working in the fields of plastic surgery, dermatology, primary care, family, emergency and internal medicine, general surgery, infectious disease, laboratory medicine, and infection control. “As a physician who has worked in the Connecticut and New York medical arenas for decades,” commented Dr. Moynahan, “I feel obligated to reiterate the CDC’s alert to as many local area practitioners and residents as possible. These cases have been identified specifically in the northeast region of the United States. It is imperative that all health-care professionals and recent plastic surgery recipients outside the U.S. be aware of the seriousness of this bacterial infection.” 

With offices on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, formerly in Waterbury, Dr. Moynahan is the founder and director of the Institute of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery in Middlebury and at 800 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. She reported that the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, and the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) at the CDC issued the urgent alert for plastic surgeons and all health-care providers to be aware of “rapidly growing Mycobacterium infections from plastic surgery cases that were recently performed in the Dominican Republic.” 

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Dr. Moynahan stated that the CDC reported 15 cases have been identified in five states which prompted numerous state and local health departments across the northeast United States to issue advisories for health-care providers to be aware of the condition. “It is important that health-care providers notify their local health departments if they should identify or suspect such a case,” stated Dr. Moynahan. “Unfortunately, the popularity of medical tourism to destinations outside the U.S. does not alert people to the many dangers of undergoing surgery in a foreign country. It fails to inform travelers to the severe lack of surgical safety measures, and if a post-surgery problem should arise, there is no surgeon available to address resulting medical problems.” 

Both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and Dr. Moynahan emphasized that, “These surgical-site infections represent a serious public health problem that can affect patients who chose to undergo low-cost plastic surgery procedures outside the U.S., in this case, the Dominican Republic.” ASPS Patient Safety Committee Chair C. Bob Basu, MD, MPH, commented, “Medical tourism may attract patients with ‘cheap deals’, unfortunately these deals may compromise, or worse, completely ignore, recognized quality and safety standards. 

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This current threat of Mycobacterium infections underscores why it is vital for patients to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon who is an ASPS member. Our members, such as Dr. Paula Moynahan, only perform procedures in fully-accredited facilities that ensure the highest standards for infection control and patient safety.”

Dr. Paula Moynahan is a graduate of the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She completed her residency in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and serves as Attending Staff Member in Plastic Surgery at that hospital plus St. Mary’s and Waterbury Hospitals in Waterbury. Her professional memberships include the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the Connecticut Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and she is a past president of the New Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.

Dr. Moynahan is included in Castle Connolly “Top Doctors in America”, Guide to America’s Top Surgeons, America’s Registry of Outstanding Professions and Strathmore’s “Who’s Who”. She was an invited speaker at the 2008 International Masters Course on Aging Skin conference held in Paris, France. In 2005 she was named one of the Top Irish Americans of the Year, the Best and Brightest in America. In 2007 she received the Boys’ Town of Italy “Humanitarian of the Year Award”, and the Momentum Award from Ceslie: The Women’s Network.

To learn more about Dr. Moynahan and her services offered at her 687 Straits Turnpike office in Middlebury call 203-754-4125, and for her Manhattan office at 800 Fifth Avenue, call 212-535-0800. More information can also be obtained at http://paulamoynahanmd.com.

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