A recent survey by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows a rise in the number Australians who have gone abroad for plastic surgery only to come back to have it fixed. Traveling abroad for plastic surgery has become popular in recent years as it is often cheaper, more relaxing and low key. However the ASPS is pushing for cosmetic tourists to be careful and fully research their trips abroad for plastic surgery as Australian plastic surgeons have seen a 38% increase in cases where complications in surgery have occurred abroad. “Cosmetic surgery is no holiday. These are serious operations. A facelift might sound dainty, but it's a four to five hour procedure. Cosmetic surgery packages sold as holidays downplay the importance of the post-operative period,” says ASPS President, Associate Professor Rodney Cooter. Many cosmetic tourists have the opportunity to combine their treatment with exotic destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia and China where treatments can cost half the price. The tempting surroundings can often distract from important post-operative healing process which is vital for patients. “It's not about sunbathing, drinking cocktails, swimming and snorkeling before jetting home,” adds Cooter. Complications after plastic surgery are not uncommon such as infection, bleeding, scarring however it is the irreversible complications which are cause of concern to surgeons who are finding that 73% of their cases could not be fully corrected. “Our plastic surgeons see the damage that can result when post-operative care has not been adequate. For example, one of our surgeons recently treated a facelift patient who was left permanently disfigured after a procedure in Bangkok through skin loss following a complication,” said Cooter. Cooter adds that the problem is not isolated abroad and that under qualified surgeons can be found anywhere. When cosmetic surgery first became popular many GPs began to operate calling themselves cosmetic surgeons. “Someone with a general practitioner's degree can do surgery, but to become a specialist surgeon it's up to eight years on top of your medical degree,” says Cooter. Many so called “surgeons” are under qualified and lack the experience needed to deal with server complications thus Cooter urges cosmetic tourists to ask questions such as “what happens if complications occur” and “who will help”? Despite the warnings “It's not about turning it into a horror story,” Cooter says. “I would urge people to ask these questions and if you're not getting adequate answers then you should be wary about proceeding.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/KfN1a Tags: Australia, Cosmetic Surgery, Surgery, Tourism Section: Oceana, Travel
