The Risks of Traveling Abroad For Cheaper Plastic Surgery

Medical Tourism refers to traveling to another country for medical care. Thousands of people leave the US to another country for cosmetic procedures simply based on the fact that they cost less.

The risks of medical tourism depend the country where the surgery will be performed and the procedures. Some of the initial issues identified have been:

Communication – Receiving health care at a facility where there is a language barrier increases the chances of misunderstanding anything from pre-op discussions, to the procedure itself, as well post operation treatment and care.

Medications – May be counterfeit or of a lower quality.

Antibiotics resistance – This is a global problem. Resistant bacteria maybe more common in other countries than in the United States.

Flying – Traveling right before or soon after surgery can increase the risk of blood clots.

The major issue with traveling abroad for a procedure is the continuation of care once back in the United States especially if a complication arises. Many surgeons are hesitant to take on patients who have complications of a surgery abroad or from another surgeon, since they are unaware of the patients medical history as well as how the previous surgeon performed the procedure.

We at Atlantic Surgical Associates understand that this can be scary for a patient and possibly life threatening. Dr. Boris Volshteyn, our board certified plastic surgeon, is on call to assist anyone undergoing a situation such as this.

If you are someone or know someone who needs immediate medical attention due to a post operative complication, please call 732- 641-3350 ASAP.