What is normal procedure for aftercare of surgery out of state/country?

Question

I am looking at traveling to DR or even to another state for my procedures. I am concerned about follow ups and aftercare once I get home . How is that managed ? Will my insurance cover ( not planning on it but just thinking .......an ER visit ? )

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

What would you achieve by traveling to a foreign country to have surgery when you already know what the problem is going to be after surgery?  What are you going to do for aftercare?  The surgeons that live in your hometown will not be taking care of you.

Joel Patrick Maier, MD · Answer

Better to stay local for your plastic surgery if at all possible. Any complications you have will be additional charge and eliminate any savings you gained from having your procedure abroad. Wound healing problems can last for weeks and months. I have taken care of complications from another surgeon and it was truly an unpleasant experience for both parties.

Don W. Griffin, MD · Answer

Follow-up care after out of country plastic surgery presents many difficult dilemmas for patients and US plastic surgeons. There are several reasons for this. First, the plastic surgeon in the US did not perform the surgery, but is often asked to deal with the complications of another surgeon with no knowledge of how the procedure was done or the experience and expertise (or lack of) of the surgeon. Obtaining valid information on how the procedure was done is often impossible. Secondly, caring for the complications of non US surgeons presents a huge medico-legal exposure to US surgeons. There have been cases where US surgeons caring for  patients who had complications was sued by the patient because the patients had no ability to sue the foreign surgeon. Understandably, this makes US surgeons less than eager to care for these patients.To your other question, insurance is not likely to cover any potential ER or hospital visits for complications of cosmetic surgery done outside the USA. Some insurance companies may cover some conditions, but if they don't, the bill can be fairly expensive.

Robert F. Centeno, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  While there are competent Plastic Surgeons outside the U.S. offering attractively priced vacation packages, there are often hidden considerations that an informed consumer must be aware of.  It is very difficult for the average consumer to accurately the best surgeon for them when travelling.  A lack of knowledge about credentialing bodies and standards that are not uniform is one issue.  Standards of care can vary from country to country as well as regulatory oversight even though standards are well established.  Travel in and of itself is a risk factor for deep venous thrombosis which can be a serious consideration when having more extensive body contouring procedures. Most complications after surgery such as infections, seromas, or healing problems tend to become an issue about two weeks after surgery.  Most package programs do not keep their patients around beyond that point.  This can lead to patients having to deal with complications without a trained Plastic Surgeon to care for them.  You may be tempted to go to the ER or primary care physician so that your insurance will cover the costs of your complication, but that may not be in your best interests.  Specialty training is important when managing complications of cosmetic surgery.  Some insurance companies may also deny coverage for the complication because it stemmed from a cosmetic operation leaving you with a large hospital bill.  All of these costs tend to add up making that great package deal not so attractive.  Consider consulting with a couple of surgeons in your area until you find someone you have a good rapport with.  Check their credentials and their experience delivering the kind of care you are seeking.  Also consider purchasing insurance such as Cosmetassure which covers postop complications up to 30 days after a cosmetic procedure.  The old adage "buyer beware" definitely applies in this case.

Germán Newall, MD, FACS, FICS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Traveling to other countries for plastic surgery can be risky. Please consult with board certified plastic surgeons in the US before leaving the country. You must do thorough research on the surgeon's websites.

Bryson G. Richards, MD · Answer

That is the problem with going out of the country. Follow up can be tricky. Be sure to see some plastic surgeons in the US before deciding to head out of the country.I hope this helps.- Dr. Bryson Richards

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

When insurers cover surgery, they can breakdown the costs of pre-op management, surgery, and post-op management. On average, the surgery portion of payment is 70%, per op care 10%, post-op care 20%. If someone were to call our office requesting post op care, we would charge about 20% of our global fee to take care of another surgeon's patient in this setting. Many patients relate that they can find no one to care for them, and have to rely on emergency rooms, which are often costly beyond expectation, and usually are not covered by insurance, as complications of plastic surgery. Your call. All the best.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

99% chance you will have to pay for any after care. I charge initial $500 for 1st visit plus if surgery correction than additional fees. Follow up visits $250 per visit. Most need 3 to 6 visits, so expect to pay at least $1,000 to local USA Plastic Surgeon. If you are done in USA, I wave all the fees except costs of supplies to render care if and only if you were done by boarded USA PS. As for DR surgery I see at least 3 patients a month with serious issues that end up costing them thousands of $$$s.. The cheap becomes expensive saying comes to mind... There are so many excellent boarded PSs in Ohio why risk issues???

William A. Wallace, MD, FACS · Answer

Why would you travel out of your region? You have an array of excellent plastic surgeons in your community. Should you decide to get your procedure elsewhere, if anything were to go wrong with your procedure that would require the services of a local plastic surgeon, rest assured you will be charged full price for their care, as they did not cause the problem. If you had the procedure done locally anything requiring attention would likely be included in the original price, or at a fraction of the regular cost. So too, if you needed to go to the emergency room, there is the possibility insurance wouldn't cover the visit, as the cosmetic procedure was not considered "medically necessary"

Jason M. Petrungaro, MD, FACS · Answer

I urge you to reconsider your plans.  What you are describing is medical tourism, and it is becoming a real problem here in the United States.  Medical tourism is when you leave the country to go have Plastic Surgery (tummy tuck, etc) because you have found a surgeon who will perform your surgery at a much cheaper rate.Two major problems here:1. You have no idea the level of training of the surgeon who will be performing your surgery, which can easily result in horrible results and more importantly, devastating complications2. You will need to travel home and you will have no guidance or postoperative follow up appointments, which is absolutely essential to you achieving optimal aesthetic resultsNo, your insurance will NOT cover complications, hospitalizations, ER visits, or the fees a Plastic Surgeon in the United States will charge in order to take you on as a patient.  If you have a complication that needs surgery, you are paying out of pocket for that as well.  Plus, you might find it exceedingly difficult to find a Plastic Surgeon that is even willing to see you due to legal ramifications.My advice to you is to find a Plastic Surgeon close to your home.  There are many excellent board certified Plastic Surgeons in Columbus, Ohio.  There really is no reason why you should even need to leave the state of Ohio for your surgery.  Patient safety and surgical expertise is key here.  Don't sacrifice that for a bargain, you very well might regret it!  I hope this sheds some light on things for you.  Best of luck!

What is normal procedure for aftercare of surgery out of state/country?

Answers (13)

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