Selecting A Cosmetic Surgery Company

Last year, nearly 8.5 million cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures were performed in the United States and Americans spent approximately $9 billion on plastic surgery (surgeon fees only, which does not include hospital stays or anesthesiologists), according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. A small but growing number of those people are opting to take plastic surgery vacations abroad, in order to have procedures performed at cut-rate prices--no pun intended--or to recuperate in an exotic setting. (There are no statistics on how many people have done this). Dozens of third world countries are offering these vacations, such as Honduras, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Thailand. Many American surgeons are horrified at this growing trend, because of the dangers involved with flying after surgery, and worry that patients will not receive proper follow-up care, not to mention the possibility of infection in an inadequate facility. 

Despite the risks, more and more people are paying for surgery in the sun. One of the best-known programs is Surgeon and Safari, where patients travel to South Africa to have cosmetic or orthopedic surgery, and then recuperate while on safari--some jokingly call it the "beauty and beast" tour. The company, started by Lorraine Melvill, had its first patient/customer in 2000 and recently expanded its menu of procedures to include orthopedic surgery (such as hip replacement) as well as cosmetic procedures like rhinoplasties, face-lifts and breast augmentation. 

The rates are a fraction of what the procedures would cost in the States or in Europe; a facelift in South Africa is approximately $4,400 compared with around $9,000 in the States. Guests can recover while on safari or in an upscale Cape Town hotel such as the Mount Nelson. The process begins with an Internet survey that is filled out by the customer, and prospective patients can also travel to London to meet with Surgeon and Safari's network of doctors for a pre-op consultation. 

Anthony, 56, an American business owner and his wife, Lisa, also 56, booked a Surgeon and Safari vacation in July. Both got facelifts and eyelid surgery, and Lisa had breast augmentation; the couple then spent several days exploring Cape Town. "Money wasn't the issue as much as privacy, says Anthony. While the couple could have easily afforded a New York or Beverly Hills surgeon, they opted to travel to South Africa in order to keep the surgery a secret from friends, family and especially co-workers. I have to compete with 40-year-olds, so I wanted to get a facelift so that I would have a refreshed appearance all the time, says Anthony. 

I didn't go the Michael Jackson route and get anything drastic. Anthony says that upon returning to work, people commented that he looked more "intense" and focused, but no one guessed he had gotten surgery. A seasoned world traveler, Anthony says he was not worried about the professionalism of South African doctors or the quality of their hospitals. His main concern was with follow-up care, or dealing with any complications, but what convinced him to go ahead with the surgery is that he and his wife were undergoing routine surgeries. If I were an actor and I had to get a new nose, then I would have done something closer to home, he says. Overall, Anthony says his experience with Surgeon and Safari was first-class all the way. 

For Claudia Lowe, 54, a geographer at Fullerton College in California, price was the top motivating factor for having surgery in South Africa. She and a colleague signed up for Surgeon and Safari, and Lowe spent $11,000 (and six hours in surgery) on a facelift, tummy tuck, thigh liposuction and eyelid surgery in May. Lowe says she dropped two dress sizes and plans to return this summer for a few more touch ups. I can't imagine having the surgery anywhere else, she says. The care you receive in South Africa is just amazing and Lorraine smoothes the entire process. 

The Half Moon Club in Jamaica offers an interesting twist on the concept. In an extension of the suburban trend of Botox parties, the resort hosts Botox weekends with New York City plastic surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc in its on-site hospital, and his rates are the same as they would be in Manhattan. The Club has hosted three of these weekends, and Lorenc also offer surgeries such as eyelifts and liposuction. Lorenc says the resort's hospital, MoBay Hope Medical Center, is state-of-the-art and only three years old.

So how did a beach club get in the business of surgery? Half Moon's general manager, Peter Komposch, says the idea came to him when he was working at the Bermuda Princess five years ago. They wanted to do this but they would have had to build a hospital, he says. We already have one and thought it would boost business." While some surgeons interviewed cattily asked if Dr. Lorenc was so good, why did he have to travel to Jamaica for work, but Lorenc has a different take on the situation. I get to spend a week in Jamaica with my kids, so how bad is that? he says jokingly. 

In all seriousness, Lorenc says he views the Botox weekends as simply an extension of his Manhattan practice, and he often meets the patients in his New York office before operating in Jamaica. I have a lot of patients who are business owners and are always in transit, so they stop over in New York. It doesn't make sense to meet your patient an hour before surgery. In terms of follow-up care, Lorenc often sees his patients in New York, and in case of an emergency, his back up at the hospital is a Mount Sinai-trained doctor.

Lorenc also cautions against calling it a vacation, since patients can't be directly in the sun after a procedure. It's just another venue to recover in, he says. Amy, Lorenc's patient who traveled to Jamaica to have her eyes and chin done in May, says she has no regrets about her surgery. She traveled to New York and met with Dr. Lorenc on a Saturday before her operation, and says she felt more comfortable with him than any of the other doctors she had consulted with. I felt great after my surgery and we still had a real vacation, she says, although when I tell people what I did they think I'm insane. 

Some American plastic surgeons think the entire concept of plastic surgery vacations is insane, not to mention potentially dangerous. It certainly sounds exotic to fly someplace, pay half price for a face-lift and recover by the pool and get a massage, says New York City plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso, a spokesman for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. "But the reality is you can't sit in the sun after major surgery, and flying after surgery increases your chance of deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis is also known as economy class syndrome, where some people have died after blood clots on long-flights, and has a mortality rate of up to one third. In many cases, massages are also forbidden following surgery.