Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.      
How it works
  • Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
  • This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
  • Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
  • Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.

If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.

Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary

I always said I wouldn't spend thousands of...

I always said I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on expensive cream or skin regiments but that when I turned 50 I would get a facelift. I started thinking about it when I turned 49 as everyone was always asking if I was *tired* and I wasn't tired.... It was time... I started researching and found that Costa Rica had wonderful doctors and the price was 75% less than anywhere else in the world. I booked it after researching many doctors. My flight was only 700 CDN including tax, and I stayed at the Chetica Recovery Ranch.
First, I sent pictures to the doctor and he came back with a tentative plan. Once I got to Costa Rica (where Reuben picked me up at the airport), I was taken for blood work, heart Echocardiogram, etc. Once all was found to be ok, I went to see my Doctor, Dr Chavarria. He spoke fluent English so there were no issues. We changed what I ended up having done to be:
Facelift
Cantoplasty
Brow lift
Neck lift
Liposuction on neck, inner thighs, hips
The first 3 days were tough, though not much pain, very uncomfortable. The nurse and people at Chetica Ranch were WONDERFUL!!! I had a hospital bed in my room which made sleeping easier though it didn't come much. I hear this is normal. Meals (healthy nutritious) were brought to my room 3 times a day and my pills were monitored so make sure I took everything I needed.
2nd day of surgery I ended up with a small complication of a hemotoma on my neck which Reuben rushed me back to the clinic to have removed. It was painful but not unmanageable. I had some stitches taken out on the 7 day mark, and the rest on the 10 day mark. After that I was good to go!
I stayed at the Ranch until Thurs Aug 1 when a friend came and meet me in Costa Rica. We stayed at the Radisson and I was able to go on a coffee tour, butterfly gardens, La Paz waterfall etc. I also shopped for a couple of hours. You just have to ignore the looks. I arrived home in Calgary on Aug 4. The flight was long but I have been having lymphnode massages everyday and that really helped. I even had one in the hotel the night before the flight. There is a massage theoropist at the ranch which is not included but the cost is only $35 for an hour and she (Magda) is WONDERFUL! Not all doctors prescribe massage. Mine did and it really helps. I'm trying to find someone to give me a massage here but it's tough. I am really tired and still bruised but am getting better each day.

Provider Review

Dr Chavarria
Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will comment more at 3month mark... once all is settled.