More fly off for bargain facelift holidays – then seek repairs back home
David Rose
LONDON, England
(The Times),
November 19, 2007:
Baby-boomers who combine an exotic holiday with a facelift, breast augmentation or tummy tuck may be putting themselves at risk, leading plastic surgeons have said.
Cheap “facelift holidays” to countries as far afield as South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia are becoming increasingly popular but British plastic surgeons are having to repair more cases of botched cosmetic work as a result, a survey suggests.
Half the surgeons who took part in a survey have seen at least “a little more” repair work than last year, while a third have seen “much more” repair work as increasing numbers of Britons opt for cheap surgery abroad.
Of thirty-six surgeons questioned, five had seen nine or more patients in the past year alone with problems resulting from cheap packages offering cosmetic surgery abroad, and fifteen had seen at least three to five cases, the survey by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons found.
Budget airline flights have made Eastern Europe a popular destination for the British, but package holidays combining beach or safari breaks with surgery are also commonly advertised.
But more than half (53 per cent) of the respondents to the survey reported having seen dissatisfied patients from Poland, followed by 44 per cent having seen patients with problems from South Africa and 36 per cent from Belgium.
Other countries with poor reputations for surgery included Hungary, Turkey, Croatia, Cyprus and Egypt.
In addition, almost all surgeons (92 per cent) said that they were concerned by the lack of aftercare provided with treatment abroad. Other worries were language barriers and lower standards of quality in some countries.
Douglas McGeorge, the president of the association and a consultant plastic surgeon, said: “My experience with patients has shown that counselling is inadequate — the individuals have no idea of the standards of care in the country they are visiting and no knowledge of the abilities or experience of the surgeon.
“Follow-up is difficult. Complications do occur and are usually left to the British system to treat.”
Some of the cases seen by association members included severe wound infections, tissue loss and a facelift patient who had not even had her stitches removed before returning to Britain, where she then had to pay to have it done.
But operators of cosmetic surgery holidays said yesterday that it was “arrogant” for surgeons to think that surgery abroad was less safe than in Britain. John Babbage, co-founder of Europa International, a company in Prague, said that providing consumers took a few basic precautions, having surgery abroad was perfectly safe.
However, he suggested that hot, tropical climates were not ideal destinations for surgery.
“This survey is anecdotal. There is a perception that parts of Europe and elsewhere are more ‘backward’ than the UK, but that is largely an unjustified prejudice. In many countries cosmetic surgery is more tightly regulated and advanced than it is here.
“Some people will be disappointed with the results of plastic surgery due to unrealistic expectations,” he said, “while in the last six months we have dealt with five clients who were unhappy with the work by British surgeons, so it works both ways.”
But people should be wary of long-haul package deals and of confusing their recovery time with a holiday, Mr Babbage added.
“Having surgery in winter can lower the risk of infection, while even with reputed destinations such as Beverly Hills, there are risks of embolism and bleeding on a long-haul flight home.
“Those who wish to enjoy the beach will find that they can’t because, in particular with facial work, there is a real danger of serious and disfiguring pigmentation damage from the strong sun,” he added.
Nigel Mercer, president-elect of the association and a consultant plastic surgeon, said: “This survey has shown how important it is for patients to thoroughly research every aspect of the procedure they are considering — the risks and benefits, the surgeon and their own expectations.
“Patients should be careful not to base choices on discount prices and other marketing tactics. They need to make the best choice for their individual needs.”
Paying the price for vanity
— There is a lack of official data on the risks posed by medical tourism. However, in the six months to November last year at least 50 people were seen at NHS plastic surgery units in the Thames area with complications after having cosmetic work abroad. Most were emergencies requiring inpatient treatment
— Last year more than 50,000 Britons went abroad for surgery, including a variety of cosmetic procedures
— In addition, about 90,000 cosmetic surgery operations were carried out in Britain, including 6,156 breast enlargements, 3,219 breast reductions, 3,986 liposuction operations and 2,743 tummy tucks
— Surgery, even in Britain, is not without risks. Last year Denise Hendry, the wife of the former Scotland football captain, Colin Hendry, accepted more than £100,000 in compensation after suffering complications during liposuction in 2002. She had a two-month stay in intensive care after sustaining nine punctures to her bowel and colon during a procedure. Last month she suffered complications and was forced to return for another hospital stay
Source: Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery;
© Copyright 2007 Times Newspapers Ltd.
