Why You Should Avoid Destination Rhinoplasty
Every year, thousands of Americans travel to foreign locations such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic to save money on their plastic surgery procedures. This trend is especially popular among those seeking rhinoplasties (a.k.a, nose reshaping or nose jobs).
Rhinoplasties are one of the more complex and most costly plastic surgery procedures available. The steep price explains why so many patients consider traveling to an exotic location for the procedure. Add the potential for a few days of recovery time on a tropical beach and the prospect of traveling abroad for a rhinoplasty seems even more appealing.
As board-certified plastic surgeons, we wanted to share why destination rhinoplasties, or any destination surgery for that matter, should be avoided at all costs.
- Inadequate Facilities: Facilities in foreign locations may not be required to follow the same standards for cleanliness, safety, and quality of care as the hospitals in the U.S. This increases your risk of infection or complications. Plus, U.S. facilities are far more likely than foreign hospitals to have state-of-the-art equipment, medications, and anesthesia on hand. Finally, U.S. hospitals are required to carry insurance in case of the rare surgical error. A foreign facility may not carry insurance and therefore may be unwilling to fix any errors.
- Less-skilled Surgeons: The anatomy of the nose is complex. It takes years of training to understand how to properly perform surgical alterations. If you are seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon in the U.S., then you can be confident that doctor is highly skilled and trained in the latest techniques. Surgical standards may be less rigorous in foreign countries. Plus, a poor nose job doesn’t just impact your appearance; it can also affect your breathing and quality of sleep.
- Unique Risks: There are certain complications that arise more often for patients who have plastic surgery abroad, including hematoma (pooling of blood beneath the skin), infection, botched surgery, and even death. It is also important to note that traveling by airplane after surgery increases your risk for pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thrombosis.
- No Follow-Up Care: 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.
- Unexpected Costs: Sure, the rhinoplasty itself may be less expensive than at home. Even after factoring plane tickets, hotel accommodations, and meals, you may still come out ahead. But what if you do experience complications while on foreign soil and you’re not cleared to leave? What will an extra week in a foreign country do to your budget? Will you be missing work? Will that impact your next paycheck? It won’t take much for your “bargain surgery” to get very costly.
- Differing 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 having a rhinoplasty, there’s no reason to travel anywhere—you already have the home-field advantage. Remember, you’re making an investment in yourself. If you’ve decided to get a rhinoplasty, then it’s worth it to spend the money on a quality surgeon who will provide outstanding care.
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.
