We’ve all heard about ecotourism, adventure tourism, and the staycation, but a new tourism trend is on the rise: plastic surgery tourism. Wellness tourism has existed for quite some time. In the Victorian era it was quite common for the wealthy to take vacations to spa retreats to treat cases of tuberculosis or to calm edgy nerves. Today, wellness tourism is not very different. For those who need an escape from the humdrum of everyday life, a nice spa and massage retreat is just the ticket. However, recently, medical tourism has taken on a whole new dimension with the rise of plastic surgery tourism.
According to Dr. Lina Triana who serves as the general secretary for the International Society for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, tourists are increasingly seeing Colombia as a prime destination to receive plastic surgery. For some vacationers, returning home with a tan is not enough. Some travelers want to return home with the fabulous new look that only plastic surgery can provide. While the desire to come home with a fresh new Botox glow or a new figure is understandable, there are definitely motivations that ought to be questioned.
For instance, some patients travel abroad to cut costs. Patients from Europe, Canada, and the United States have been flocking to Colombia to receive various procedures. In many cases, foreigners travel in order to receive all-inclusive package deals which include accommodations, the cost of the surgery, as well as a live-in housekeeper and chef to help patients recover in style.
Despite the attraction of having a low-cost plastic surgery along with all the perks of a vacation, there are definitely risks to having surgery abroad. Unsuspecting tourists may find that the doctor they have chosen does not meet the high medical standards in place in the United States. Dr. Triana even reports cases where people pose as doctors in order to lure in unsuspecting patients. Given the delicate nature of many plastic surgery procedures, one must be very cautious when selecting a plastic surgeon.
Given the risks of traveling abroad to perform medical procedures, sometimes staying nearer to home to have plastic surgery is a better bet. Finding a skilled and accredited plastic surgeon is always a wise course of action. Dr. Leonard Grossman completed his Fully Accredited Plastic Surgery Residency at Texas A & M. Additionally, he has completed a fellowship in Microsurgery at the Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx as well as completing a Burns and Reconstruction fellowship at Jacobi Hospital. Furthermore, Dr. Grossman is considered one of the most experienced Transumbilical Breast Augmentation surgeons in the world. Given that there is an accredited and experienced plastic surgeon in New York able to perform procedures ranging from liposuction to blepharoplasty, why would anyone choose to take an unnecessary risk by traveling far and wide to complete surgeries that could be performed more safely at home?
