
Growing in popularity within the cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery industry is the idea of medical or cosmetic tourism. Cosmetic tourism seeks to entice on two fronts: firstly, purveyors of cosmetic tourism packages will attempt to draw you in with the promise of cost-effective cosmetic surgery, citing prices as much as 50% less than those you might encounter here at home; and secondly, such packages are coupled with a vacation-style stay in a foreign country, merging the reality of post-operative care with the waxing and waning of crystalline ocean waters along foreign shores.
You can sunbathe in the Dominican Republic, enjoy a caipirinha in Rio de Janeiro, navigate a Costa Rican rainforest, and even hunt for game on an African safari. The options are truly as vast and far-reaching as the stretching of the horizon.
There is, however, a reality to cosmetic surgery tourism that remains largely hidden among the many cosmetic tourism agency websites now littering the internet, a reality that, though supremely obvious, many do not want to believe: cosmetic surgery is not a vacation.
Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery is a Serious Commitment
Our issue with cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery tourism packages is the idea that its proponents attempt to sell prospective clients. Perhaps Associate Professor Rodney Cooter, President of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), said it best in offering advice to his countrymen in saying, “These are serious operations. A facelift might sound dainty, but it’s a four- to five-hour procedure. Cosmetic surgery packages sold as holidays downplay the importance of the post-operative period. Any kind of major surgery, cosmetic or otherwise, requires a high level of post-operative care. That means rest and healing time to reduce the risk of complications. It’s not about sunbathing, drinking cocktails, swimming and snorkelling before jetting home.”
The most common issues in approaching cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures as a “hiccup” in an otherwise picturesque vacation are the following: recovery becomes hindered by cutting it short to fully maximize one’s time in a foreign country, post-operative care – which sometimes occurs weeks after surgery – with a performing plastic surgeon usually proves impossible because of the vast space between home and a foreign country, and the work is usually subpar compared to the work found at home. Where plastic surgery in America is largely transparent because of a great supply of transparency and certain standards set forth by governing bodies, language barriers and lax regulation abroad can greatly affect the quality of your cosmetic surgery.
Quality Plastic Surgery Right Here in South Florida
While we do not deny that there are skilled plastic surgeons populating local medical communities around the world, we are not proponents of cosmetic tourism in that you don’t have to cross the oceans for a service available to you right here at home. South Florida is home to numerous cosmetic surgery centers, each of which will cater to your every cosmetic surgery need while fully considering your aesthetic goals and safety. And if you’re troubled by the inherent cost in choosing to undergo cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, please remember that there is a very distinct correlation between quality and price, and often, choosing to cut corners will end up costing you more than you ever dreamed. Furthermore, with programs like CareCredit available to qualifying patients, cosmetic surgery procedures may prove more cost-effective than you may think.
So please, if considering cosmetic surgery, remember that it is not a vacation, and contact your local cosmetic surgery center for further information regarding your desired procedure.