computer, research, doctors, surgery — Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

By Adele Whipps

It sounds like the perfect plan: Go to an exotic location for plastic surgery, and recover in style while surrounded by new and beautiful views. To add to the allure, you’ve probably heard that having surgery outside the U.S.A. means avoiding the higher prices that American surgeons charge.

Unfortunately, the reality rarely matches up with this rosy image. This type of vacation comes with far more risks than your average getaway.

Saving Money, But At What Cost?

According to Healthline, traveling abroad can save the average person 40 to 80 percent of the cost of plastic surgery. This varies depending on the procedure and the country, but even the possibility of saving that much money can sound appealing––especially if you are also getting a vacation out of it.

What people don’t realize is that the money you save by traveling out of the country can easily be offset and then exceeded if you’re not careful. We’ll go deeper into the issue of poorer care and higher rates of complication later, but suffice it to say: the cheaper the clinic, the more cautious you need to be about using their services.

Even if everything runs smoothly during your surgery, the post-op for a procedure performed overseas might not be covered by insurance. And what happens to the cost if you have complications while you’re still out of the U.S.? The facility where the surgery takes place can and often will hold you financially responsible for any additional costs that arise.

Adding to these costs, travel expenses like plane tickets, hotels, and food have the potential to quickly add up. These details tend to be partially or completely overlooked by travelers focused on the procedure itself, rather than all of the money it takes to reach the destination where it’s scheduled to take place.

So, even though it sounds like a great deal when you’re focused on “sticker prices” for common procedures, you need to sit down and really do the math before you commit to this kind of trip.

Research Only Gets You So Far

Planning a trip is hard enough. Planning a trip and surgery requires a lot more effort. Not only are you researching facts about a different country, but extra vigilance needs to be taken when looking for a surgeon. Once you find that surgeon, how are you going to move forward?

There are a multitude of questions that come with a trip like this, and every question leads to an even longer list of sub-questions. Here are some examples to keep in mind:

What qualifications does your surgeon have? Do their credentials appear legitimate?
Are there verified sources that confirm your surgeon’s qualifications? Do their patient reviews seem trustworthy?
How will you get in contact with them? Do you need to video call?
What is the time difference? Will you be waking up at three in the morning to speak with your overseas surgeon before or after the trip?
What does the facility look like? Do you plan on touring the clinic where the surgery will take place?
Are you able to confirm the exact address of the surgical facility?
How will you ensure that the surgical facility is up to code with safety and sanitary procedures?
How are you getting to and from your surgery? Does the facility offer transportation?
Will there be a language barrier?

This list is merely the beginning of a long and detailed planning process. Questions should always be asked before any surgery, but the additional layer of traveling for surgery, and traveling out of the country for it, turns that laundry list into a novella. When you don’t have the ability to visit a building or meet a doctor in person, there is no such thing as being too cautious.

Checking, double-checking, and taking every possible precaution to ensure a safe journey, surgery, and recovery could be the difference between life and death…literally.

Take the tragic case of Keuana Weaver and her friend, who organized a plastic surgery vacation that would ultimately end with her death and serious, lifelong complications for the other woman.

The duo were excited to go to Tijuana, Mexico, for cosmetic procedures that included liposuction and tummy tucks. The cost was much lower than it would have been in the U.S., but the doctor’s credentials were lacking and, it would later turn out, he had been known to botch surgeries before.

Without this knowledge, Weaver and her friend, Kanisha Davis, were unprepared for the reality of the risky procedures they were opting for. Improper applications of anesthetics, little to no oversight during the operation, and unprofessional post-surgical care resulted in Weaver’s death and Davis’ acute renal (kidney) failure. Another woman who had an operation at this clinic around the same time was also left damaged and disabled by the doctor’s malpractice. She endured sepsis so acute that she was “literally hours from death.”

These are not the only stories highlighting just how dangerous––even fatal––medical tourism can be for those who aren’t knowledgeable about the realities of lax regulation, official corruption, and bad licensing requirements and the impact they can have on their experience.

A Long Road To Recovery

The recovery process following an operation is the most important part of any surgery, be it major or minor. This is especially true when you consider the fact that many surgical complications show up after a patient gets home, when they aren’t within immediate reach of a team of staff and specialists. When you’re recovering far from home, the risks are even higher. If you are alone recovering from surgery in another country, how will you take care of yourself? Who will take care of you?

This is where research comes into play again. Never assume that a surgical facility has post-operative accommodations. And if they do, how will you know what they are unless you take the time to ask?

Don’t forget about the risks of traveling after an operation. Travel isn’t recommended immediately after surgery. You put yourself at a higher risk by traveling too soon because long-term travel leads to potential risks like blood clots, infections, or worse. Flying on a plane is especially dangerous at this time, as it exposes you to a petri-dish of bacteria and traps you in an enclosed space with those who may carry them.

If you don’t decide to travel back home right away, that just means you have more time to enjoy your new surroundings, right?

Not likely.

Seeing the sights and taking in a new culture might be possible during a normal vacation, but

depending on the type of surgery, the only place you’ll be seeing is likely the view from your bed. Don’t expect to do any strenuous activities like hiking or swimming, and don’t even plan on walking too much. Sunbathing is also out of the picture because prolonged exposure to sunlight is a bad idea when you have open or healing wounds. Unless your aftercare facility includes a spa, the surgery may not feel like a vacation at all.

While recovery time is dependent on what type of surgery you have, it needs to be taken seriously no matter what. If you can’t properly recover, you put yourself at risk for more medical bills and serious health complications. Maybe even death.

Weigh The Risks

It is possible to have a safe and successful surgery outside of the United States, but before you make a decision, you should consider all the risk factors. To recap, here are a few of the things you need to look into:

Doctor credentials
Facility care and safety
Health Insurance
Post-Operative Care
Travel Safety

Again, these are only the basic factors that need to be considered, and many of them apply to any surgery (even homegrown ones). But traveling for a surgery limits our ability to perform thorough fact-checking and often hinders the efficacy of follow-through, such as contacting someone at the facility who can communicate accurate and detailed information to you in your own language. If you are not 100% certain of a doctor’s qualifications or a surgical facility’s safety and legitimacy, follow your instincts. Saving money is not worth losing your life.

Refer to the links below for more information on traveling for plastic surgery:

https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/cosmetic-medicine/stay-safe-traveling-cosmetic-surgery/

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/why-plastic-surgery-tourism-isnt-necessarily-a-good-deal

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/more-people-are-traveling-abroad-for-plastic-surgery#A-growing-trend

THIS ARTICLE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR PARTNERS AT DAHIYA FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY & LASER CENTER. THEY’RE HERE TO START CONVERSATIONS AND CHANGE PERSPECTIVES ABOUT WOMEN, BEAUTY, AND THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN. THANK YOU TO DR. DAHIYA AND HIS TEAM!

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