A patient of travel surgery is unhappy with the result. Can they find a US doctor to fix the complications? This is a frequent question. My answer is always the same. Having cosmetic surgery outside of the United States is probably one of the most dangerous and life-threatening activities a person can entertain.
Looking better means usually feeling better about ourselves. Cosmetic surgery has evolved into a very specific art form. However, going under anesthesia show that a skilled plastic surgeon can perform for you requires a commitment to safety first. Surgical facilities and plastic surgeons in America are vetted entirely and thoroughly.
A cosmetic surgeon requires a skill set determination to be present or not by other skillful doctors. In foreign countries, this does not occur. You could get lucky and find a surgeon that’s knowledgeable and skillful but the chances are slim. Furthermore, to undergo general anesthesia in America multiple tests must be performed. These include clearances from other prescribing doctors. For example psychiatrists, neurologists, and cardiologists.
Travel Surgery
Do you believe that these travel surgery facilities in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Columbia are going to check all your lab tests, EKGs, and chest X-rays? Most likely not. Therefore, aside from the lack of qualifications in a commitment to safety, the complication rate is enormous. All types of infections, wound separations, unnecessary scarring, and overall general unsatisfactory results are all potential complications that we see from cosmetic procedures performed outside this country.
The lure of discounted plastic surgery is profound. But the risk for complications is even greater. That is why it is challenging for a patient to find a plastic surgeon in America to care for a person who has a complication from cosmetic surgery outside this country.
What can you possibly be thinking to expect a board-certified plastic surgeon in the United States of America? To care for a patient with a complication from some foreign country performed by a questionable surgeon with very likely minimal sterilization quality in the facility. So, the answer to the question is most likely not.
But even if you return to the operating surgeon in this foreign land, they may not be qualified to take care of your complication even though they may have been the cause. So, the moral is even though American costs are higher it is an insurance policy because we in this nation are dedicated and committed to safety first and the best possible outcomes compared to travel surgery.
And, we care for our patients directly. In short, the savings going out of the country for travel surgery is just not worth it.
THOMAS TREVISANI, MD
BOARD-CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON
MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY
