Plastic Surgery Abroad Is an Operation, Not a Vacation
Broad incentives but big pitfalls in traveling for cosmetic care
Americans unhappy with what they see in the mirror are looking past borders—and oceans—to save money on face-lifts, breast augmentations, and other elective procedures not covered by insurance. The Internet is littered with companies offering cosmetic surgery vacation deals to exotic locales like Costa Rica, the Philippines, Mexico, and Brazil. But experts caution that so-called cosmetic surgery tourism can wind up costing patients more—both in health and money—than they expect.
Many overseas surgery practices use specialized travel agencies to package their cosmetic procedures with vacations. A typical offer includes your pick of operations—say, liposuction and a tummy tuck, for as little as half the U.S. cost—plus tour itineraries, tony resort stays, and pampering at posh spas during recovery.
But shopping around for the lowest fee or the best destination is not the way to choose a cosmetic surgeon. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has vetted and certified about 1,500 surgeons in 73 countries who meet U.S. standards; isaps.org has a surgeon-finder tool. Surgeons who aren't on that list may be good, but their credentials, training, and prior disciplinary record can be hard to verify, says John Canady, incoming president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
A long list of unknowns didn't stop Felicia Pappas, a Woodbridge, Va., medical assistant, from traveling to Bolivia in February for breast augmentation, liposuction, and a tummy tuck. She found her surgeon through a friend, never researched the doctor's qualifications, and had no communication with her until the day of the first surgery.
The operations went horribly wrong. An infection killed nipple tissue, and she required a blood transfusion. Back home, Pappas, 42, had trouble finding a doctor to perform corrective surgery and now regularly needs to have fluid removed by needle from her stomach.
Partly for legal reasons, U.S. doctors may be reluctant to correct complications incurred abroad, says isaps President Foad Nahai. Revision surgery for botched cases can end up costing far more than the original procedure. And U.S. malpractice laws don't apply in other countries. To hedge against unforeseen problems, Nahai says, "make sure there are doctors and facilities nearby that are equipped to manage any unexpected complications."
If you've done your homework and are confident you've found a skilled surgeon, treat the trip for what it is—surgery, not a holiday. While relaxing poolside with a piña colada may sound conducive to recovery, vacation activities like swimming, sunbathing, or drinking can slow down the healing process and contribute to infection or bleeding. Guidelines from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons suggest that patients wait up to 10 days, depending on the procedure, before flying. Even then, the post-op process can last weeks. "It's in the patient's best interest to have the same doctor who performed that surgery evaluate the patient's progress," says Canady. "That's simply not feasible when done abroad."
Still recuperating, Pappas blames her surgeon—and herself: "I should have been more educated, and I put too much faith in a doctor I didn't know enough about."
Reader Comments
Plastic Surgery Abroad - New Look Holiday
Why pay inflated prices in the UK when you can have cosmetic surgery costs dramatically reduced and get a free holiday as well? It’s possible in SLOVAKIA.
It’s true, you can get savings of up to 70% on your cosmetic surgery costs, you stay in EU and all beauty breaks are totally gratis. You also get world-class treatment comparable with any available in the UK The facilities our surgeons work in provide the most modern and advanced equipment and procedures available. As cosmetic surgery procedures allow you to recover quickly, you can have treatments done and then go and enjoy the holiday.
More info
http://www.newlookholiday.co.uk/
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Thiers a amazing surgery that changes eye color and is called newcoloriris
Total savings are absolutely linked to appropriate aftercare!
Looks like everyone posting here has some interest in Medical Tourism as an agent themselves, etc so I will add my perceptions that actually come from BEING a patient myself in a foreign land!
I am very proud to have been one of the only Medical Concierge companies mentioned in Jeff Schult's book, Beauty from Afar! We spoke of the importance of patient aftercare and continuum of care more than 3 years ago when he was researching the book and came to our Conference and Reunion in Florida.
Those looking at "savings" must absolutely look at the whole system that the hospital and or doctor AND especially Medical Tourism company (if you are using one) has set up to SERVICE THE PATIENT!
Quick example: I had a peer (ultimately, she was NOT my client/patient but had inquired about our services months back while researching her trip to Brazil for reconstructive plastics) call me, out of the blue, desperate because she was about 2 weeks post op from her plastic surgery with a surgeon she picked herself in Sao Paulo... that had ALL the bells and whistles behind her name (ISAPS, SBCP, Etc!) and she thought she was going to die. She was needing very specific post op care that was NOT being given or facilitated by the surgeon OR the hospital. There was no system of aftercare or nursing to her hotel as she was recovering. She had developed a seroma, an infection and necrosis... and THEN, the surgeon didn't know how to medically manage this particular patient with these particular symptoms (she was post op bariatrics with healing issues as it was) and refused certain treatments just because they weren't "standard protocol" post op plastics! This patient ended up spending 2 months longer in Brazil than she had planned and close to US$100K (more than double her original budget estimate) due to this simple lack of post op care structure AND association with a surgeon who did NOT have the experience with THIS kind of patient (post op WLS) and a track record to prove it!
I just presented at the Consumer Health World Conference in Las Vegas, NV regarding the "Patient Experience" and tried to illustrate exactly this, succinctly, to not only consumers but the insurance companies and others looking at sending patients abroad looking for "savings." How quickly savings and satisfaction are lost if the entire system is not adequately prepared, experienced and dedicated to patient satisfaction and care.
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