You may recall awhile back the story about the wife of music celebrity Usher Raymond who traveled out of the country for ‘privacy reasons’. While her true reasons are unknown, the facts are she very recently gave birth and attempted to get liposuction while in Brazil.
Most board certified plastic surgeons in the US would have warned her out of undergoing the procedure so early after childbirth and send her away for the time being, but those out of the US, away from bothersome things like “credentials” and “board certifications” have no qualms with taking the money from someone famous. The result of her voyage? Falling into cardiac arrest prior to the procedure due to irresponsible anesthesia administering.
This information became, as you can see, anything but ‘private’, thereby making the reason for her leaving the US absolutely meaningless. The practice of leaving the US to get plastic surgery, whether for privacy concerns or to save some money is sometimes called ‘Medical Tourism’ and it clearly comes with its own risks.
According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, 28 countries on four different continents are part of the medical tourism business. Each year 2 million patients get procedures done in other countries besides their own; and these countries offer everything from dental care to plastic and cosmetic surgery. Even Americans, more than 180,000 in 2008, are going abroad to visit hospitals and clinics in other countries besides the United States.
The reasons for “outsourcing” often come down to the money you
will save. Other reasons include trying to keep your operation under the radar so no one at home will know that you have gotten work done. But there is nothing to be ashamed of when considering plastic surgery. If you want to get rid of that post-pregnancy weight (similar to motives of Usher’s wife), people will understand. You just need to work with your surgeons, because many will ask you to wait for a few to several months after birth so your body can normalize and recover.
While the choice of where you get your medical procedures done is up to you, keep in mind the risk you will be taking if your physician is not a board certified or have excellent credentials and past experience. If you travel out of the US to find a US-trained and board certified plastic surgeon; but keep in mind there may be a reason why they have left the US. Your best bet is to stay local and stick with the names you trust. All of my patients have and I hope their results speak for themselves.
[Original news source courtesy of the Huffington Post and U.S. News & World Report]