The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Why Travel for Cosmetic Surgery - Friday, July 25, 2008

As I discussed in a previous blog, many Europeans are taking their cosmetic tourism vacations in the United States to take advantage of the high level of skill practiced by cosmetic surgeons in this country. But if you are already in the United States, should you consider traveling for your cosmetic surgery procedure?

Good Reasons to Hit the Road

There are many good reasons to travel for your cosmetic surgery procedure:

Quality is the number one reason to travel. Remember that you only have one body, and you have to make sure that if you put that body in anyone's hands, you have to be absolutely sure that the cosmetic surgeon is one you can trust to do everything possible to get it back in better shape than ever.

Procedures vary among cosmetic surgeons. If a cosmetic procedure you want is not offered by a cosmetic surgeon near you, don't settle for another one that "is just as good" from a local surgeon. There are no exact equivalent procedures, and you need to get the one that is right for you.

Privacy is another good reason to travel for cosmetic surgery. If you are self-conscious about your procedure, it may be best to go somewhere you're not likely to run into other members of your social circle before you're absolutely ready.

Recovery is a critical step in any cosmetic surgery procedure. If you stay at home during your recovery period, you may be inclined to try and get back into your normal routine as soon as possible. If you travel, it's easy to block out an appropriate amount of time for your recovery and avoid rushing yourself back to work or other demanding tasks.

Bad Reasons to Travel for Cosmetic Surgery

However, some people try to encourage travel for cosmetic surgery for very different reasons, some of which are ill-advised.

Great Vacation Destination for the Whole Family is probably not a good reason to travel. First, if you travel with your children, you are unlikely to get to rest and properly recuperate. Second, after your surgery, you are unlikely to want to get out and enjoy many of the pleasures offered by the vacation spot, so what is the point?

Reputation alone is never a good reason to travel for cosmetic surgery. Some doctors have great reputations but are not necessarily the best doctor for you. And some of them can prove to be not all they are cracked up to be, as recent cases involving some celebrity cosmetic surgeons show.

Price alone is not a good reason to travel. It is not always true that you get what you paid for, and sometimes you are paying extra for a doctor's location in downtown Chicago, but don't go shopping for a bargain when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Find the right surgeon performing the right procedure and then plan how to afford it.

It's also important to keep in mind that you don't want to travel too far for your surgery. You need to visit with the surgeon in person before deciding to go ahead with the procedure, which can become an expense in itself if the surgeon is too far away. Also, airline travel can be very stressful, and you may not want to subject yourself to it too soon after surgery. Finally, the doctor should be close enough that visiting him or her for follow-up care (not to mention subsequent procedures) will not be a burden, leading you to neglect it.

At just one hour from downtown Chicago and providing the highest level of cosmetic surgical care, we invite anyone in Chicago considering cosmetic surgery to consult with the surgeons at The Centre, P.C.'s Chesterton, Indiana office.