risks of plastic surgery abroad

Like so many fields today, plastic surgery is constantly changing, from new developments and technologies to the trends which seem to shift from one week to the next. But one growing trend has become quite concerning: the rising number of patients returning home to the US with complications from plastic surgery they had overseas. It may seem tempting on the surface to use a vacation in South America, Asia, or the Caribbean to undergo and recovery from an inexpensive cosmetic surgery. However, there are serious risks to consider, and I have been receiving more and more calls from patients whose procedure abroad has left them with expensive, unsightly, or dangerous complications. If you’re weighing the option of traveling to another country for plastic surgery (also called plastic surgery tourism), here are a few points to consider.

• Not all countries are as strict with medical regulations as the United States is. In the US, patients know to look for a board-certified plastic surgeon, because this certification requires an extensive amount of specialized education, skill, and experience. When you’re planning a surgery in another country, you won’t be as knowledgeable about the qualifications you’re looking for or about how rigorously those qualifications are upheld. This applies to not only the surgeon but the facility where your procedure will take place, the anesthesiologist, and the surgical nurses.
• Travel carries inherent risks for surgical patients. Long flights or drives alone can make you more prone to potentially serious blood clots, like deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, and this risk is amplified after surgery like a tummy tuck. This is especially true when you still have some soreness from your procedure, making it more difficult and less likely for you to stand and walk around periodically throughout your flight.
• One of the primary reasons patients seek plastic surgery overseas is because the procedure is cheaper in some other countries, but other expenses like travel costs, weeks of hotel accommodations, and extra medical care or even more surgery due to complications could add up and make your surgery just as expensive (or even more expensive) than if you had chosen to have your procedure in the US.
• Follow-up exams are a vital part of the surgical recovery process to make sure you’re healing properly, and you’ll typically have these exams periodically for several months after your procedure. As a result, many patients don’t get all the follow-up visits they need after surgery abroad, which opens the door to more serious complications.
• Every country is different regarding how much legal liability physicians have, and in some cases, you may have little if any legal recourse if your surgeon makes a mistake.
• Communicating effectively with your doctor is vital. Even if you have a fairly strong grasp of the language your cosmetic surgeon speaks (or the surgeon has a fairly strong grasp of English), your conversations with the doctor will involve medical jargon, so it would be easy for you or the surgeon to misunderstand each other, which can end with complications or disappointing results.
• While you’re planning your procedure from the US, you won’t be able to visit the doctor in person or see the medical facilities beforehand, which means you may be misled about the conditions of the facility or you may not be as comfortable with the surgeon as you thought you would be.
• Many patients have the idea that they will use their surgical recovery time in another county as a vacation. Unfortunately, few realize that many of the typical vacation activities (swimming, sunbathing, going on hikes or tours, or indulging in decadent foods and cocktails) are off-limits while you’re recovering from surgery.

Choosing a plastic surgery procedure and a trusted surgeon are always difficult choices, but when you’re unfamiliar with the country and environment where your operation will be performed, it can open the door for a host unintended consequences, and this has been the case for several of my recent patients. To discuss how I can help you address your cosmetic concerns right here in Atlanta, or if you want to resolve your complications from an overseas procedure, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott.