Why a UTI Can Affect Your Plastic Surgery Outcome

This study, published in early 2026 in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, examines one important question: Does having a urinary tract infection (UTI) at the time of plastic surgery make your recovery more dangerous? The short answer is yes—significantly so.

What Is a UTI?

A UTI (urinary tract infection) is a bacterial infection of the bladder or urinary system. Many people have had one; it can cause burning with urination, frequency, or sometimes no noticeable symptoms at all.

While a UTI may seem minor and unrelated to a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, this research shows it can have serious consequences when surgery is performed while the infection is still active.

What the Researchers Found

Researchers reviewed data from over 319,000 elective plastic surgery patients from hospitals across the United States between 2012 and 2023. Of those, only 117 patients (less than 1 in 2,000) had a documented UTI at the time of their surgery. Even though this group was small, the differences in outcomes were dramatic.

Patients who had a UTI at the time of surgery experienced:

Nearly 6 times the risk of a wound infection, even after accounting for other health conditions
Hospital stays nearly 10 times longer, averaging 12 days, compared to just over a day for patients without a UTI
A much higher risk of returning to the operating room: 11% versus 4%
A significantly higher risk of death within 30 days: 4.3% versus 0.1%
A much higher chance of being discharged to a rehab facility rather than going home—only 83% of UTI patients went home, compared to 99% of those without a UTI

Why Does a Bladder Infection Affect a Surgical Wound?

Even though a UTI is far from your incision site, it triggers inflammation throughout your entire body. This whole-body inflammatory response can impair healing, weaken your immune system’s ability to fight off new bacteria at the wound site, and stress organs that are already working hard during surgical recovery.

Patients who tend to get UTIs also often have other health conditions—such as diabetes, heart failure, or kidney problems—that independently make surgery riskier.

What This Means for You as a Patient

The key takeaway is straightforward: Elective plastic surgery should be postponed if you have an active UTI. Because most plastic surgery procedures are scheduled in advance, there is time to screen for and treat any infection beforehand. A short course of antibiotics to clear a UTI is a simple step that could prevent a serious complication.

If you are planning a procedure, your surgeon may ask you about urinary symptoms or, if you are considered higher risk (due to diabetes, use of a urinary catheter, advanced age, or a history of frequent UTIs), they may order a simple urine test before your surgery date.

Take-Home Message

I will admit that I formerly considered a urinary tract infection a nuisance and not overly important when considering candidacy for surgery. I will admit that I was wrong. A good surgeon must be open-minded and willing to accept changes as medical data is published.

That being said, the connection between UTIs and surgical complications is a correlation, not necessarily a causation. The causative factor has not been identified and may be a result of the condition that led to the UTI.

A UTI might seem like a minor inconvenience, but this study shows it can dramatically increase the risk of wound infections, a longer hospital stay, and other serious complications after plastic surgery. The good news: It is entirely preventable. Treating the infection before your procedure is one of the simplest ways to protect your safety and ensure the best possible outcome from your surgery.