I occasionally come across Orange County plastic surgery patients who have had or know someone who has had plastic surgery outside of the United States.

In some instances, the outcome is good.  However, in my opinion, the results are sub-optimal in majority of cases.

This is not to say there are no competent plastic surgeons outside of United States. In fact, there are many outstanding plastic surgeons in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Europe.

The main issue here is the patient going overseas usually does this to lower the cost of surgery. Most outstanding plastic surgeons in other countries charge much higher rates. Therefore, the patient may not be treated by a well-trained plastic surgeon.  Nevertheless, many patients tell me by the time they calculated the cost of travel and stay, the overall cost was similar or even more than United States.

However, the main problem arises when the patient has obtained a poor result and wants a revision. This places a huge burden on the shoulder of the plastic surgeon seeing the patient.  In most cases, it is impossible to achieve the same result if the surgery was done correctly in the beginning.  It is very difficult for patients to understand this concept, and realistic expectations should be encouraged. Unfortunately, in majority of cases the cost of revisional surgery will be higher than the original surgery, if it was done in the United States.

If you decide to travel overseas for plastic surgery, please do your homework! However, in most cases, you will find the price will be similar or even higher, if the surgery is performed by a well-qualified plastic surgeon.

Michael A. Jazayeri, M.D. is a board certified plastic surgeon, with over 10 years of experience.  His office is located in Santa Ana, California. If you like to schedule a complimentary consultation, please call 714-834-0101.