American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and Dr. Paul M. Parker of Parker Center for Plastic Surgery Caution Public about Dangers of “Medical Tourism”
Recently the American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a video warning plastic surgery patients about the potential dangers of traveling abroad for cosmetic procedures. Plastic surgeon Dr. Paul M. Parker of the Parker Center, Paramus N.J. also expressed his concerns with this disturbing trend.
(PRWEB) February 19, 2013 – Medical tourism is a phenomenon that has dramatically increased in the past several years and is expected to continue to grow. Procedures such as cardiac, orthopedic, cancer treatment, cosmetic and bariatric surgeries are all available for a fraction of the cost of having the procedures in the U.S.
With Obamacare, many more individuals are expected to enter the U.S. healthcare system. This will lead to increase stress on the existing system. Patients will have to wait longer for accessibility to doctors, nurses and surgical facilities. It is expected that this will only increase the “medical tourism” business.
“Medical tourism is the complete reverse of the traditional medical model of patients traveling from developing countries to the United States or Western Europe to seek out the best medical care. In this situation you have Americans traveling to these lesser known locations to combine some R&R with their medical procedure, usually at a substantially lower price,” said Dr. Parker, plastic surgeon.
Dr. Parker went on to say that even though the cost of these procedures can be much lower, the patient must consider that the standards of care and accountability that exist in the United States and Canada do not exist in other parts of the world, especially in poorer nations.
Every type of plastic surgery that’s done in the United States can be done and is offered to patients along with travel and hotel packages for convenience. While cosmetic surgery was the first type of surgery offered by these medical tour companies (due to no insurance coverage for elective procedures), the field has grown to offer every type of conceivable treatment and procedure.
“Not only must patients consider the lower standards of care, but they must also consider the variability of the results. This is something I’ve seen in my own practice. I’ve had patients who have gone to Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico and other countries for plastic surgery and are very unhappy with their results. Consequently, they have had to have me perform more expensive corrective surgery,” explained Dr. Parker.
Dr. Parker explained that a patient’s best chance for an optimal outcome is with a good first surgery. Corrective plastic surgery by second or following doctors may improve a poor result but it will never match the quality from a first time, well done procedure.
Dr. Parker relayed a story of a patient who traveled to Central America for breast surgery and had a good result. Consequently she encouraged her mother and her sister to do the same. Their results unfortunately were not as successful. This patient suspects that her family members were victims of a “bait and switch” game.
With any plastic surgery procedure complications can arise, such as infections. If complications develop once the patient has returned home, additional care that would all be traditionally part of your post-operative care here in the U.S. would be necessary. This would add not only additional cost, but stress to patients.
“An excellent safety record, with a high standard of care, accountability, and quality results are all part of the system here in the U.S. Doctors specialize and can be board certified in their chosen area, ensuring patients of their reliability,” Dr. Parker stated.
Patients seeking plastic surgery in New Jersey find the Parker Center for Plastic Surgery offers their patients a safe, caring environment with over 20 years of surgical experience and high quality results. Dr. Parker believes that patient education is a foundation of his cosmetic surgery philosophy and ensures that patients understand their procedure completely.
To back up this philosophy, animated videos are available on the website https://www.parkercenter.net for patients to view privately. Dr. Parker’s has also posted ballpark pricing on the website so patients can openly understand the financial commitment involved.
Dr. Paul M. Parker is the medical director of both the Parker Center for Plastic Surgery and Beaura Spa. Dr. Parker has over 20 years’ experience as a plastic surgeon and has won numerous award including most recently the “Patient’s Choice” award. He is a board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the New jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons among others.
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