The popularity of medical tourism has exploded in the past decade, with thousands of people traveling the globe to have plastic surgery procedures. In most people’s minds, it’s an ideal situation. They’ll pay less for their plastic surgery, recover during a relaxing vacation, and return home with a whole new look. However, there are several downsides to medical tourism that need to be considered:
- Unaccredited hospitals and doctors are everywhere: Some facilities in foreign countries are looking to prey upon unsuspecting tourists and will advertise themselves as legitimate healthcare facilities. But in reality, they’re staffed with unlicensed and inexperienced practitioners who use sub-par or outdated equipment. They just want your money, and won’t deliver the services or the high-quality results they promise. In the United States, it’s easy to verify that your surgeon is board-certified and working in a safe operating room.
- Post-surgery air travel can be dangerous: Traveling by plane after plastic surgery greatly increases your chances of developing blood clots. Clots can cause strokes, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolisms—all of which can be fatal. You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you’ll have to fly so soon after surgery.
- Long-term follow up care isn’t possible: Just as important as the surgery itself is the care you receive after surgery. You want to be able to visit the same doctor who performed your surgery to ensure you are healing properly and there are no complications. If you’re back in the U.S. and something seems wrong, you’ll have to rely on a doctor who won’t know any of the details of your surgery, which will only make it more difficult to remedy the problem.
- You may not save as much as you think: Remember, it’s not just the cost of the surgery you should consider, but the extra costs associated with medical tourism like the plane ticket for you and possibly a travel companion, the hotel, and your meals. Granted, sometimes those costs added together may still be cheaper than a surgery performed at home. But what if there are complications and you’re not cleared to leave? What if you need to stay at your hotel for another week? It won’t take much for your bargain surgery to get very expensive.
- It’s better to recover at home: Recovering in an exotic location seems exciting, but when you’re healing and managing pain, you’re going to want to be at home in comfortable and familiar surroundings.
- Every culture has its own beauty standards: Something else to consider is that every country and culture has its own standards and perceptions of beauty. These standards may influence the aesthetic vision of your surgeon and may result in a look that you are not happy with, even if there are no complications.
When it comes to plastic surgery, there’s no reason to consider medical tourism—you’ve got the world’s best surgeons right here at home. If you’re concerned about costs, talk to your surgeon about any flexible payment options he or she may offer. You’ll find that most surgeons are ready to work with you to make plastic surgery more affordable.
Northeastern Plastic Surgery understands your desire for a beautiful, youthful looking body and facial appearance. We use the latest plastic surgery techniques to perform a variety of surgical procedures. Dr. Fodero and the staff are very friendly, helpful, and available to answer any questions you may have about the procedures we offer. We strive to ensure that your experience with us is positive. Please contact us today to learn more about the services we offer.
