Well the recent troubles with Ushers wife going to Brazil and having a cardiac arrest make this a very topical topic. Many people travel to places other than their home towns to have procedures. Here in Hawaii I have spoken to many patients who come to my office after travel for cosmetic procdures. Some go to Korea, Thailand and other parts of Asia. Recently a woman told me she was going to Mexico to have the procedure we discussed at half the cost.
Basically there are good plastic surgeons all over the world which is not the problem. You can find good surgeons in Mexico or in any of the other countries I mention no doubt. The problem is when there is some difficulty. Not only are you miles away from family or any support, but the money you would have saved now is lost and most likely has become so much more than the original cost quoted locally.
What comes to mind was doctor and her husband who went to Brazil to have the LASIk procedure done to correct some vision problem. She and her husband both had the procedure at a substantially reduced cost, than they would have in the States. Yet she had a problem after surgery which she had to travel to London eventually to correct. As london indeed had the only expert in her problem. Although she saved money with the initial surgery it cost her over 8 times more and she is still receiving treatment.
This story has been repeated many times in my practice a girl who traveled to Thailand who had some rubber unknown sack used as a breast implant which I took out for example. She wasted her money. Even when people have quality plastic surgery done away from home if they have a problem they have to fly back to the place which cost additional money. It can work but dont think you will save in long run , the numbers do not work out.
I have patients fly in to see me as well. Yet we require them to stay till everything is ok. Even then we tell them that if they are from Japan for example we may have a doctor they can see there, but it may require a plane trip back to Hawaii. Its not that I condemn the practice, but I want to make sure they are appraised of the risk and know that in long run saving money will not be one of the benefits.
Well these are some of my thoughts Summary: You can fly far away to have plastic surgery and it may be good idea if you find the right surgeon. Yet do not think you will save money and you best be able to be prepared if something goes wrong to pay extra. The only reason I can see to take this risk is that you are traveling for special expertise. You pay for that, so going for cheap is not a good reason.
Doctor808
Low cost plastic surgery abroad are really seen as an opportunity in this time of recession. Though there are consequences that a patient must face and that is the repeat operations or some corrections and the likes. But aren’t those consequences also possible if you do it in the US? The only advantage maybe is the distance. But still, if you do the revisions, corrections, etc., wouldn’t it be more expensive in the US?
Just curious..:)
Thank you so much for your comments. The issue of revision is a big one because anyone who takes the risk of cosmetic surgery may have to undergo a revision. In the united states and in Hawaii where I am at most plastic surgeons will perform required revisions at minimal cost. On the other hand the cost of traveling for a revision , hotel etc can be more than the surgery itself.
Lets look at breast augmentation. I have heard of prices in thailand at 2500 us dollars. Ok add to that plan fair round trip ( if things go well) and you up to say 3600 plus at least 5 nights in a hotel so you will easily spend $4000. In the US or Japan breast augmentation with average surgeon will be around 6000. So you save 2000.00 in this example. My prices are higher but I have 20 years of breast augmentation exp. and have a great reputation for this. So you save 2000 but what do you do about follow up? Do you fly back every six months ..? We watch our patients frequently for the first few months so we can guide them in implant exercises etc. We have a very low revision rate because we can usually do something to correct a problem non-surgically if recognized early. Yet if not recognized early they will usually end up with a surgical correction down the road. So how do you get such detailed care from a surgeon who you have to ride 12 -15 hours on a plane to see. Answer is you dont.
The other issue is quality control. I have seen great work from Thailand, in fact I had dental work done their for 30 % off the cost here in Hawaii. Yet i knew I had the means to pay here if something went wrong or had a complication, so I took the risk. Additionally I have the knowledge and connections to know who is good and who is not. Complications can happen with the best practioner but I know how to minamize my risk. Most people who fly say to Thailand for cheap breast augmentation cannot afford or try to save money here. Most do not know how to evaluate a plastic surgeon. One case I revised here had a plastic bag in her breast with industrial grade silicone and she though she had a great plastic surgeon ( if he was ). So unless you truly who is legitimate etc. know and have the means to pay for local care if needed its not worth it. You may not be lucky. You may not save any money and in the end spend more. Yet if you can afford the risk maybe its worth it. Thats a big maybe.
I hope I shared my opinion with you in a clear manner. The debate continues.
doctor808