Medical tourism or travel out of the country for cosmetic surgery may be risky business. The allure of cheap surgical prices coupled with travel to remote locations can prove to have disastrous consequences.
.United States has standards and practices in place to ensure that patients can find qualified board-certified plastic surgeons by checking with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as appropriate certified facilities and hospitals.
.In most cases, consultations are handled via the internet with minimal or no preoperative in-person evaluation. Patients often times send photos of themselves for the physician to review.
.There is often a language barrier between the patient and the physician.
.Traveling post-operatively can present medical complications. According to the ASPS, infection is the #1 complication of traveling patients along with such problems as increased swelling, blood clots and higher pulmonary emboli rates.
.There is no FDA mechanism in place to approve medical devices overseas.
.Many of the surgical centers outside the United States are privately owned and may not be subject to any type of certification ensuring treatment safety.
