Utah woman contracts superbug after weight loss surgery in Mexico

Friday, January 25, 2019
Woman contracts superbug after weight loss surgery in Mexico
Woman contracts superbug after weight loss surgery in Mexico. Ali Gorman reports during Action News at 5 p.m. on January 25, 2019.

The CDC has been warning Americans about the dangers of "medical tourism"- going out of the country for surgery.

A Utah woman is the latest to share her story. She suffered a severe infection that could have killed her.

Mindy Blohm went to Mexico in October for weight loss surgery in order to save money. The procedure would have cost about $37,000 dollars here in the US, but only $4,000 dollars at Grand View Hospital in Tijuana.

However, she ended up paying a much greater cost.

She returned to Utah after surgery with a high fever. At the hospital, she says doctors told her she had an infected wound and a superbug resistant to many antibiotics.

"The pain was so intense," she recalled.

The Utah health department says an investigation was launched by the CDC and Mexican health officials. It found the hospital wasn't cleaning and disinfecting surgical tools.

Mindy says her wound is finally healing, but she's now left with $50,000 dollars in medical bills.

The agency she went through refers questions only the hospital in Tijuana.

Mindy warns others to learn from her experience.

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