It is very tempting for some Americans to seek low cost deeply discounted cosmetic surgery outside of America. In my opinion this is a grave mistake for several reasons. The qualifications and vetting mechanism outside of America are not consistently reliable. The skill set, ethics, and a commitment to care for the patient in some countries is completely absent. America has one of the most stringent vetting mechanisms for surgeons and doctors in the world.
You can rely upon a surgeon’s capabilities if he has hospital privileges for that procedure in your location. When you have your cosmetic surgery outside this country and then return with complications it’s a challenge to find a surgeon to care for you.
Traveling for Out-of-Country Cosmetic Surgery?
Cheap surgery and discounted surgery have consequences Both abroad and in America. Board certified plastic surgeon in America will care for their own complications but not necessarily for a foreign doctors where the quality of care can be suspect. Therefore, Americans who seek cosmetic surgery outside this country and the return with complications usually end up in the emergency room. This is not always the ideal situation.
My suggestion is to save your money. Find a board-certified plastic surgeon that you trust no matter where he is in the country and seek your service there. I do not recommend traveling outside of America for cosmetic surgery.
THOMAS TREVISANI, MD
BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON
MEMBER AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY
