Overseas Cosmetic Surgery Risks: Doctors Warn of Severe Side Effects

As demand for overseas cosmetic surgery surges, driven by low prices, concerns are mounting over the potential for severe side effects in locations with inadequate safety regulations and limited medical expertise. It is reported that over three million people travel abroad for cosmetic procedures each year.

The primary reason individuals opt for medical tourism abroad is the significantly lower cost compared to their home countries. For instance, hair transplant surgery in Turkey can cost between $4,000 and $5,000, a mere fraction – less than one-tenth – of the $20,000 to $30,000 typically charged in the United States, according to Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a board-certified plastic surgeon in California.

According to Dr. Nazarian, a major risk associated with overseas cosmetic surgery is the absence of robust safety regulations in popular medical tourism hubs like Mexico and Turkey. Reports indicate that non-medical personnel are performing procedures like hair transplants amidst the surge in demand. While US medical school graduates are licensed as 'physicians and surgeons,' allowing them to legally perform cosmetic procedures even if they are not specialists in a particular field, the situation abroad can be more precarious.

It was also emphasized that 20% of surgical results depend on post-operative care.