We’ve all probably heard about medical tourism and how many people have benefited from it. The exchange rate makes it a very desirable option. In fact, even with travel and accommodations, it may cost considerably less to get some medical and dental procedures done abroad rather than in the United States. Some practices abroad even offer travel packages for their international patients, which gives patients a sense of being on vacation while also getting a necessary of elective procedure performed at a discount.

While this is all well and good, the team here at our New York plastic surgery office does want to also note there are some disadvantages to traveling abroad for plastic surgery. We encourage you to seriously weight the pros and the cons of medical tourism before making any kind of decision about it.

One thing to consider is that it may be hard to gauge the quality of the surgeon and the quality of the surgeon’s practice without being able to meet in person prior to the surgery. Many patients find it important to meet with their surgeon beforehand in order to discuss the surgery and what it will entail before committing to the surgery. The same goes for checking out the practice and surgical facilities. With medical tourism, this is not always possible. It may also be hard to check the quality of the surgeon’s work since there are different boards and organizations in other countries that you may not be aware of.

Another disadvantage comes with the issue of revision work and postoperative. If the surgery doesn’t go as planned the first time around or there is a complication or concern down the road, it’s important to check with the surgeon again. With plastic surgery abroad, the cost of travel for post operative or revision care may mount drastically.

On the not of some disadvantages after surgery, if the surgeon performs bad work that leads to a health issue, filing a medical malpractice suit abroad may lead to some legal complexities may not have foreseen or considered. With differing laws between countries, this could open the possibility for lengthy and expensive litigation.

If you would like more information about your options for aesthetic enhancement (such as New York tummy tuck and breast augmentation) or would like to discuss other types of plastic surgery matters, please contact our practice. We have offices conveniently located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, as well as an office in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.