There is no way for any of us not involved in the situation to know what was done, what wasn’t done, or why these people got sick. Given that this was not an isolated incident, and that three people became sick it seems likely that this facility had a breakdown on sterility.
All surgery carries some risk and it is important to know not only that your surgeon is qualified to do the procedure but also that the place it is being done is a legitimate facility. Accreditation of the facility is one good sign that the facility has been inspected by a nationally recognized group that focuses on patient safety. My facility, for instance, is AAAASF accredited and infection prevention and sterilization are important aspects of what we do. While having a procedure done in a hospital or credentialed facility certainly does not guarantee safety, it goes a long way to preventing these types of disasters. Outpatient centers can and do provide every level of safety of hospitals if done properly.
This center had three Strep infections within a period of 2 months. This is a high rate and of course the question is why? What sterilizers were being used? What infection prevention measures were being used? Was this awake liposuction in a non-sterile procedure room or in a true operating room? So many questions will need to be answered. I see videos on you-tube of surgeons doing liposuction without gowns or even the most basic sterility procedures. It is scary!
I see advertisements for office based procedures being done all of the time with the promise of a procedure done under local anesthesia while awake. My question is, is it being done in a true OR or just some office room? How much liposuction is being done? There are many questions that need to be asked. I believe that many of these doctors doing procedures in these non-accredited facilities are poorly trained in cosmetic surgery or are simply using poor judgement. Find out what their credentials are and educate yourself.