Medical Tourism - Leaving the American Medical System is Like Gambling In Vegas With Your Life on The Pass Line

It is interesting that International Societies have started to crack down on unscupulous surgeons performing surgery for discount prices. Below you will find such an article. Let me first tell you a great anecdotal story of a flight attendant that met a plastic surgeon in Costa Rica who convinced her to have surgery. This woman had a pulmonary embolism ( a complication that can happen here as well ) but she was in a country that was not a world leader in healthcare and needed to be medivac'd by ambulance jet back to United States where she nearly died in an Intensive Care Unit at one of the finest hospitals in the country.

Now...

What is the moral of this story?

It is pretty obvious...

Back in the days when I was the chief at the famous Bellevue Hospital we had poor souls arrive half dead at JFK airport with a note that read "take me to Bellevue" and their charts in a neat folder...

The moral...

Their is no such thing as a bargain when it comes to your health... People die in surgery and plastic surgery is not exclusive. When you choose a plastic surgeon this is where you have control over this variable... people be careful...

You wouldn't gamble your life in Vegas... why would you do it in South America?

Guidelines for Plastic Surgery Tourists, Techniques and risks
New York:

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), representing nearly1,500 of the world's leading board certified aesthetic plastic surgeons in 73 countries has launched its new website with the publication of the first ever comprehensive international guidelines for consumers traveling for plastic surgery procedures - commonly referred to as Plastic Surgery Tourism. http://www.isaps.org/www.isaps.org
The ISAPS guidelines, in development for nearly one year, reflect a growing consumer trend and were created to address the thousands of inquiries ISAPS has received from consumers, medical professionals, media and governmental organizations.
Dr. Joao Carlos Sampaio Goes of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the current President of ISAPS, championed these breakthrough guidelines as well as the new ISAPS website. "Consumers around the world have looked to ISAPS for over 30 years for the most accurate and reliable information about qualified plastic surgeons and advice about up-to-the-minute procedures. Now, for the first time, there is a worldwide standard for consumers to reference when traveling for aesthetic plastic surgery."
The Guidelines were developed under the direction of American plastic surgeon, Dr. Malcolm Paul, Clinical Professor of Surgery, Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Institute, University of California, Irvine. "These easy-to-understand recommendations are the absolute first stop before anyone should consider traveling from home for plastic surgery," noted Dr. Paul

The key guidelines for plastic surgery travelers, Techniques and risks
What is the surgeon's training?
A gynecologist performing a breast augmentation or a dermatologist doing a face lift are not an appropriate choices.
Is the plastic surgeon certified?
The ISAPS website lists the names and addresses of nearly 1,500 certified plastic surgeons in 73 countries.
Is the surgery center or clinic certified?
Ask for certification information and who the certifying body is.
Does your personal health insurance cover you outside your country?
Most health insurance providers do not cover individuals for surgery performed outside their own country. Consider obtaining extra coverage.
What about aftercare?
Patients should stay in the area where the surgery was performed for at least one week, depending on the procedure. Find out in advance where you will stay and if this facility is prepared to care for your post operative needs.
What about complications?
What doctor will care for you at home if you have complications and who will pay for secondary or revision procedures?
Do the key personnel at the surgeon's office speak your language fluently?
If you cannot be understood fully, be prepared for complications.
With whom are you communicating?
You should be talking directly with the doctor's staff and the doctor. A travel agent should only make travel and accommodations arrangements.
Is the surgeon a member of recognized national and international societies?
ISAPS membership is by invitation only and is granted only after extensive screening.
Have you checked for references?
Ask for names and contact information of patients who have recently had a similar procedure and contact them about their experience with the surgeon, their staff, aftercare facilities and post-operative follow up.
Commenting on the new ISAPS website, ISAPS president-elect Dr. Bryan C. Mendelson of Melbourne Australia, remarked, "Information that was once only available to a few is now readily accessible to consumers in virtually every country. The ISAPS guidelines for plastic surgery travelers provide consumers with vital and perhaps even life-saving yardsticks to gage if the doctor they choose for their plastic surgery is appropriately trained and certified for the procedure they are considering."