Medical Tourism: Not the Vacation it Seems

Traveling for plastic surgery has become common in today’s world, but is traveling abroad for plastic surgery really a good idea? Dr. Dan Del Vecchio and Dr. Richard Zienowicz share their experience and thoughts on medical tourism in this addition of PSC Talk.

By The Plastic Surgery Channel

The Internet has opened a whole new world for patients seeking plastic surgery procedures. Not only can they research the procedures and surgeon qualifications, they can price shop, too! Often traveling abroad looks enticing to patients because the locations offer a beautiful backdrop and the prices are low. The thought of a vacation along with surgery seems to distract the patient from really researching the doctor and the clinic where the surgery is to be performed.

Being in the Northeast, both surgeons have had experience treating complications that have occurred in patients who traveled abroad to have plastic surgery; most commonly to the Caribbean Islands and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Zienowicz is quick to remind us that problems can happen in our own backyard as well. Carefully checking surgeon experience, qualifications and board certification is crucial to avoiding complications.

Dr. Del Vecchio points out that recovering from a surgery is really no vacation. Why would being in a tropical location make that process any easier?

A lower surgical price can be as alluring as the exotic location, but patients forget to factor in the cost of travel and accommodations. By the time those expenses are added in, often the patient could stay at home and use a board certified plastic surgeon for about the same cost.

Because most plastic surgery procedures are totally elective, it is extra important to focus on patient safety. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!