What Will Plastic Surgery Tourism Really Cost You?


Female face before plastic surgery operationAn average of almost one million Americans travel abroad to receive medical care and plastic surgery every year. Many are unaware or careless about the dangers that tend to come with the hopes of lower costs. Like all medical procedures, plastic surgeries will have risks and traveling to do so can cost you more than may you have been wishing for. Here’s what traveling for plastic surgery will cost you in the long run.

Health & Safety

Your top priority should be safety – starting with which surgeon you choose. When searching for the surgeon who’s right for you, home or abroad, there are many vital factors to consider. Some of the most important factors should be the qualifications and standards of a surgeon, and the comfort and confidence you have with them, as these vary from office to office and even more so from country to country.

Even though one may have surgery done in a vacation destination, common vacation activities should be avoided when recovering. While spending time relaxing on the beach sounds ideal, it’s not the safest option after a surgical procedure. Strenuous activities are off the menu as well, but simple stretching and continued circulation are a must.

Another factor to consider when traveling are infectious or unfamiliar diseases you will become more susceptible to after surgery. It’s important to think about the medications or immunizations you should, and will need to, take as a precaution before, during, or after the trip.

The most sought-after procedures medical tourists typically go for are tummy tucks and breast augmentations. These are common procedures, but if not managed properly complications may arise. As you can imagine, even more issues may come to fruition when far away from the comfort of your own home and trusted, regular physician.

Time & Money

The majority of those who travel to have medical procedures done tend to do so for the discounted price when compared to those available in the United States. However, the costs may be the same, if not more, in the long-run. An alarming number of incidents have been reported of medical tourist patients who developed post-surgery complications, serious infections, scarring or other long-term damage and have to be treated with revision surgeries after certain procedures.

An insurance provider or legal system may not be able to help you if faced with such burdens. If something like negligence occurs, U.S. laws aren’t going to be of any service if you underwent surgery outside of the country. Meanwhile, your insurance may not cover your surgery, any medications, or other medical needs that can follow if a procedure is done out of their realm either.

Follow-up appointments are also recommended, even required at times, to make sure you are healing properly. These should be scheduled with the surgeon who performed your surgery, as each surgeon has a different style and technique and will know what the best way is to proceed. Traveling back and forth can hurt in more ways than one and take up more time than necessary.

Miscommunication can occur due to language barriers, both in the variance of verbal and nonverbal communication between you and any medical personnel. In these instances, hiring a translator is the best option to assure understanding, but continues to add to the bill.

Unfortunately, if something does go wrong before or after a surgery, more time and more money must be used to fix any unanticipated issues and to properly recover. For an optimal outcome, start with your safety and when weighing your options, don’t take a chance with your health. Proper safety requirements, extensive training, renowned experience, and being based in ethics should be first on your list of requirements for your plastic surgeon.

On your path to find the best option in plastic surgery, consider a top-rated surgeon right here in Indiana. Dr. Barbara Siwy offers her careful practices and is backed by trusted staff at two convenient locations in Carmel and Bloomington. For almost 30 years, she has specialized in breast augmentation, lifts, and reductions, tummy tucks, liposuction, as well as blepharoplasty procedures. Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, the first woman in Indiana to do so, and a member of multiple organizations, including the ASPS and the prestigious American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dr. Siwy is not only well-educated, but her private practice is rooted in Hoosier Hospitality.

Siwy Plastic Surgery