Pitfalls of Cheap Healthcare Abroad

Price of Beauty: What to Avoid when Receiving Cheap Healthcare Abroad 
 

A Face Lift for $220 a Month: Plastic Surgery Financing Makes Beauty More Accessible

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Surgery, 11.9 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in the US in 2004, both invasive and non invasive.  These women – and increasingly men- come from virtually all social backgrounds and ethnicities. While most pay for their surgery from savings, others make use of financing schemes to cover the cost of just about every nip and tuck procedure there is, from complete face lifts to laser hair removal.  Such easily available plastic surgery financing plans have meant that the ranks of the surgically enhanced now include stay at home mommies and college students who might otherwise not have considered the possibility of going under the knife for vanity alone.  Thousands of Americans, who prefer not to have yet another interest payment to make every month, cross the borders to Mexico where such “personal renovation” work can be done for a fraction of the American cost.  While the cost is cheap, unfortunately standards at some foreign healthcare facilities are quite variable. 

Beauty is Cheap at a Foreign Healthcare Facility But….

There are many success stories of plastic surgery performed overseas, but disasters do occur, sometimes with permanent consequences.  Facilities can be far from sterile, and doctors may not have as much experience as they advertise.  While hospitals like Bangkok’s Bumrungrad have made a name for themselves, they have many imitators who offer similar prices with not so similar standards of treatment and care.  Ask questions before you head overseas for any kind of cosmetic procedure.   

“Cheap” is Fine but Consider the Quality of Healthcare Too

• Ask friends or colleagues who have been abroad to refer a hospital or doctor. 
• Or go online and fish around before settling on a facility. 
• Beware of “plastic surgery marketers” – non medical people who co-own shady clinics in Mexico and ship people across for packages that include 8-10 procedures, at under $8000. 
• Ask a potential doctor or clinic for a list of references.  The best hospitals and clinics have no problem supplying you with testimonials from satisfied clients. 
• Don’t take a lengthy list at face value.  Call them and confirm if their experience with the doctor and the facility was satisfactory. 
• Cross check doctors credentials and verify if the doctor will be hands on while performing the procedure or if he’ll merely supervise.  Ultimately the cost of a botched operation can be too much to bear.  Even something as seemingly simple as laser hair removal needs to be performed by a qualified cosmetic surgeon.  While the lasers themselves can be used skillfully by technicians, any burning or scarring that may result can only be treated by a qualified surgeon.
• No matter how cheap the cost of the procedure is, be wary of someone who promises miracles.  Laser hair removal, for instance isn’t as successful on blondes as on dark haired people, and a doctor who tells you he’ll “work around” that problem might not be the one you want to choose.
• If possible, visit the facility before your scheduled procedure to assess its standards.  If not, at least plan on arriving a couple of days before the operation so you can discuss the entire procedure and the results you expect with your chosen doctor.