Medical Malpractice

The human body may be a beautiful piece of machinery, but it does have its imperfections. For some, those imperfections are as slight as a mole on the back, but for others it can be a detriment to their everyday life.

Whether we like to believe it or not, we live in a society that puts a great deal of emphasis on beauty, and for some, getting a job can depend as much on their talent as their looks.

Cosmetic surgery is an incredibly popular practice, with 11 million procedures being done in the United States in 2006 alone. In other words, three percent of the American population had cosmetic surgery that year.

With such an influx of individuals going for cosmetic surgery, doctors are often swamped with patients who are looking to improve on their bodies. As well, the costs of cosmetic surgery can run into the several thousands of dollars. Since cosmetic surgery is considered to be an elective procedure, as in it is the patient's choice, it is not covered by insurance, which can be a strain on the finances of many people.

Thankfully, other options do exist and all it takes is quick trip over the border or across the ocean.

An increasingly-popular industry, medical tourism, is offering solutions to individuals who want to eliminate the wait times and high costs often associated with cosmetic surgeries. Nowadays, many cosmetic-surgery hopefuls are traveling to India, Thailand, Costa Rica, Hungary, South Africa and Mexico in the hopes of improving on themselves at a fraction of the cost they would pay in America. For example, a full face lift in the United States costs $20,000, while in South Africa the cost will run you only $1,250. Many individuals are able to pay half the cost, which includes staying in a hospital, hotel and airfare to the country of their choice. The low cost is due to favorable exchange rates, lower salaries of the doctors and fewer medical lawsuits, which has a huge effect by giving lower malpractice-insurance costs.

There is a stigma that getting this type of surgery overseas means you will be in less-than-First-World conditions, however this could not be further from the case and most cosmetic surgery hospitals have state of the art equipment and internationally certified doctors and nurses.

While there are tragic stories of people who do not do their research and have surgery performed on them by non-professionals. The vast majority of those who take part in medical tourism find the experience to be everything they thought it would be and more. To prevent your story from becoming tragic, it is important you do your research and ensure you are going to a professional who knows what they are doing. There have been many stories of patients who went to other countries for surgeries, only to be disfigured by shoddy work. Of course, it is important to remember that the same can happen in the United States by going to an unlicensed professional. Always, always do your homework.

Here is a quick list of the dos and don'ts for cosmetic surgery abroad:

• Do go where you know you will get excellent treatment - research the medical standards of the facility, as well as the doctor's background and talk to their previous patients.
• Do Plan Ahead - get your passport quickly so you do not have to fight the tourist season.
• Do not only rely on the internet - it is important you call the places you plan on visiting to find out about their surgery and past patients views of the hospital.
• Do ask a surgeon about his training - find out if they are trained or practiced in North America and how many years they have doing cosmetic surgery.
• Do not cut costs - ever, ever go with the lowest bidder. It is more important you pay a bit extra to ensure you get the results you are looking for.
• Do get everything in writing - you need to have all the information about the costs, procedures, consultations and number of nights in the hospital with you. You should also give the contact numbers to family so they can reach you.
• Do not take chances - do things right and always put your own safety first.