Plastic Surgery Travelers: How to Insure the Best Outcome
Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Costs/Prices Comments (1)
Due to the tremendous costs of plastic surgery savings – often 50 percent less than the U.S. — some people travel to foreign nations for a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure and a mini vacation.
To help protect the traveler’s general health, U.S. plastic surgeons and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), an 1,800 member organization of plastic surgeons in 84 nations, have come up with a few guidelines.
The idea is to help patients have a good surgical outcome, protect their general health and give plastic surgeons in the home nation a helping hand if any unexpected complications crop up.
(Look at this post just on breast augmentation complications!)
- Include your personal physician in on your plans for foreign surgery.
- Check the level of the foreign surgeon’s training.
- Make sure the certification is in plastic surgery.
- Ask if your health insurance covers you in foreign lands. Most do not, but you can find short-term International Medical Coverage.
- Have you arranged for aftercare? Depending on the procedure, you may need a little or a lot. Usually, a week should cover the medical needs resulting from cosmetic plastic surgery.
- Before you leave, make sure you know who will handle complications after you return home. If something goes wrong, at least one U.S. and one Australian provider of plastic surgery vacations will fly you back to the nation where you had surgery, pay for your revision and fly you back to your home.
- Before leaving, make sure you have spoken on the phone with the foreign doctor and his staff. Usually, the foreign doctor holds a telephone consult, using pictures of the feature you want enhanced.
- Ask for references. Follow through and contact patients who have been seen by the foreign surgeon you intend to use. Speak with them about how their procedure turned out. Also inquire about the foreign aftercare and the surgeon’s post-operative follow-up care.
- Don’t plan on fun in the sun. Most of your trip should be devoted to healing, not frolicking on the beach.
What nation would you like to visit for plastic surgery?
admin @ February 2, 2009
Great article! Thank you for putting it together. Potential patients will be better served going with a service like The Patients Advantage (www.ThePatientsAdvantage.com). It’s a great way to find the best surgeons and it does not cost anything. I found them when searching for plastic surgeons. Check them out.