Booking your Cosmetic Surgery Treatments Overseas

Medical tourism or health tourism is the practice of traveling abroad for specialized medical treatments. Why would you book your cosmetic surgery treatment overseas? There are many reasons, not the least among them costs. To give some examples, a breast augmentation in the United States can cost anywhere from $4000 to $10,000 or more. Abroad, the same procedure can cost $2500 or less, with no loss in quality. Rhinoplasty in the U.S. or Europe can cost upwards of $16,000. In countries like Thailand or Vietnam its costs only about $3000.
But aside from cost, there’s the fact that the impersonal care your average patient receives at a western medical facility can’t rival the personalized treatment from nurses and medical staff that you get at many of the foreign hospitals that cater to medical tourists. And, especially for those seeking cosmetic surgery, having a surgical procedure performed abroad affords the patient anonymity and privacy. They can recover discreetly, away from home while relaxing at an exotic location. As far as they’re acquaintances back home know, you were just overseas on vacation.

The Country

It’s important to do a good bit of research before you book your cosmetic surgery trip. Different countries are renowned for different medical specialties, and some have better or more renowned medical facilities than others, depending on what kind of procedure you’re hoping to get. Countries that are known for their high-quality cosmetic surgery facilities and experts include Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela and the Philippines, among other Asian and South American countries.

Hospital

Choosing the hospital for your cosmetic surgery procedure is important. It should be a hospital that you feel comfortable with. Do some research and make sure that the medical facility you book your trip to is internationally accredited (look for JIC and ISO accreditation, which are the medical industry standards for international health facility excellence, with JIC being the international branch of the same group that certifies medical facilities in the U.S.). Go online and make sure the hospital you chose has a history of successful procedures and top-notch medical equipment and staff who all speak English fluently.

Tell Your General Practitioner

Even though you’ll be having your cosmetic surgery abroad, you should keep your doctor at home informed. They will be crucial in your post-op recovery period after you come back from your trip, so speaking openly with them is important.

Documents to Keep in Order

Make sure to have copies of the following items before you leave: your passport, visa, debit and credit cards, traveler’s checks, medical records and driver’s license. Keep a set of these at home and another set of copies with you at all times. You should also have the following contact information readily available: emergency contact info of friends and family, your doctor’s contact info, contact info for the U.S. embassy in whatever country you go to, your employer’s contact info and that of your insurance providers and your bank and credit card companies.


by RYAN FRANK