American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a paper in April of this current year 2005 which strongly criticized the idea of travelling abroad for surgery. Plastic surgery abroad may not be a wise choice, but it’s easy to say that without research or analysis. ASPS is likely to be merely sharing information with the goal of weighing risks and cost associated with medical tourism. Here is an excerpt of the background paper, discover more.
Cosmetic surgery tourism is becoming more popular due to its low cost. Companies offer various vacation packages which include cosmetic surgeries. The internet is a great place to find them. Most of them offer private hospital services and boast “highly trained” or “credentialed medical staff.” As cosmetic surgeries abroad are less expensive than in the United States because they’re not covered by health insurance.
ASPS doesn’t support cosmetic procedures that are driven solely by the price. They are working to decrease the cost of medical procedures. The goal of the society is to create less invasive and cheaper techniques. Central America and South America cosmetic surgeons, as well as those in Asia and Central America cannot compete on price with these counterparts.
ASPS is also worried about potential risks and hazards for the health of general public, including unsatisfactory outcomes or unexpected ones. Society members warn that sometimes it’s difficult to gauge the degree of qualification and training of doctors working outside of the United States. Cosmetic surgery tourists could be taking unwarranted risks when choosing non-qualified doctors and surgical centers.
Jeff Schult in Beauty from Afar says ” A prepared patient will not find himself in this kind of situation. You must also be ready to stop the procedure if you are in doubt.
Consult your doctor first before you go for cosmetic surgery abroad. Also, it is important to do extensive research as well as get feedback directly from patients who have undergone treatment abroad. You can find the Internet profile of your surgeon by searching for the websites. Majority of medical tourism firms provide their customers with an online surgeon page which can be accessed via phone, email or chat. You should look for clinics offering high-quality equipment and facilities. The patient can then be assured of the results.