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UK plastic surgeons warn against ‘cheap’ cosmetic surgery abroad21 November, 2007 Tourists who mix holidaying with cosmetic surgery, especially in Asian and African countries, have been warned of possible risks. The warning comes from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons as more and more Britons are traveling to countries such as South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia for “cheap facelift holidays.” A survey of the members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, which is a not-for-profit organization based at the Royal College of Surgeons, says that its members are disturbed by the amount of “botched” work they are coming across. The survey found that 14% of members had seen 9 or more patients in 2006 alone with problems as a result of cheap cosmetic surgery done abroad. About 45% of the surgeons said they had seen at least 3 to 5 cases. The other finding the survey threw up was that half of the surgeons had performed “at least a little more” repair work than the previous year. Nearly one-third of the surgeons had to carry out “much more” repair work. The survey has been published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery. According to the association, the main areas for concern included lower quality standards, aftercare, and the inability of many clients to communicate what they want due to language differences. Dr Douglas McGeorge, plastic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said, “My experience with patients has shown that counseling 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.” The survey revealed that 53% of surgeons came across dissatisfied patients treated in Poland, 44% saw dissatisfied patients from South Africa, and 36% had seen problematic cases originating in Belgium. Other countries with poor reputation for surgery included Hungary, Turkey, Croatia, Cyprus, and Egypt. Plastic surgeons in Britain reported severe wound infections and tissue loss in those patients who have had cosmetic surgery abroad. In one case, stitches had not been removed from a patient who had undergone facelift. Proliferation of budget airlines has made Eastern Europe a popular destination for the Britons, with package holidays combining beach/safari breaks with cosmetic surgery to boot. However, operators of cosmetic-surgery holidays reacted to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons’ findings, saying that it was “arrogant” on the part of the surgeons to think that surgery abroad was less safe than in the United Kingdom. In a statement, John Babbage, co-founder of Europa International, a company based in Prague, Czechoslovakia, said that tour operators took basic precautions and that getting cosmetic surgery done abroad was “perfectly safe.” However, he suggested that hot, tropical climates were not suitable destinations for surgery.
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