What do you think about having gynecomastia surgery In Mexico? (Photos)

Plastic surgery tourism is a very suboptimal approach and cannot be recommended for a number of obvious reasons.  I can personally say I've had at least a dozen unhappy patients consult in my office over the years with poor results or significant complications from plastic surgeries performed in other countries. Many other US board certified plastic surgeons can tell you similar stories.  A complication or unsatisfactory result that need to be redone by a surgeon here will cost you much more, if it is even fixable.  Unless you live in Mexico, or plan to stay there for your full recovery, don't consider having your plastic surgery done there.

Having surgery in another country almost always ends up costing more. You need to consider the travel costs and follow up care. If you have a complication are you going to travel back to Mexico? Mexico does not have the same high standards of medical care that the United States has. Your best bet is to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia, and learn what options are available to  you. You might want to consider financing part of your surgery with Care Credit or another finance company and get it done right. Good luck.

amann. I recommend that you consider all options before traveling abroad for your cosmetic surgery. I practice in NYC, and I have seen far too many serious and harmful complications resulting from surgery in the Caribbean or over seas. Issues like serious wound infections, tissue loss and questionable operative techniques result in complications that are expensive and hard to fix. Please balance the risks and your personal safety against the perceived advantage of cheaper cosmetic surgery, because in the long run, it can cost you a lot more, both monetarily and in personal harm. Good Luck!

If you are trying to save money by having surgery in a different country, make sure that you are considering all of the possible issues that could arise. 1. There is an initial cost of travel that needs to be added to the cost of the surgery. 2. If you have to travel for follow up visits, you will need to pay for those travel costs.3. If you plan to try and have a surgeon in the US see you for follow up visits or treat complications, you need to expect to pay more than you would if your surgery was performed in the US. And it might be difficult to find any local plastic surgeon to agree to see you if you have a complication. 4. If your results are not as good as you expect, a local surgeon in the US may charge more to correct a problem as revision procedures are often more complicated than the original procedure. 5. If your results are not as good as you expect, you need to consider the cost of travel back to your international surgeon to correct or revise the results. In almost all cases, the costs of medical tourism end up being higher than using a local surgeon if you end up having a complication. Everyone expects to have ideal results without problems, but I think that it would be short sided to not consider the chance that you may have a complication or less than ideal results. 

This applies to many types of surgery but especially gynecomastia excision: close follow up with your surgeon is essential. If your surgeon is thousands of miles away, you're rolling the dice and best of luck.There are excellent resident teaching programs in  your area and you might see if they can help you.Hope this helps. Leland Deane MD FACS

Hello, and thank you for your question. (Keep in mind that an in-person consultation is necessary for the best advice.) First, it isn't wise to choose a plastic surgeon based on their surgical fees. Second, it is always better to choose a (relatively close) plastic surgeon who can follow you short-term and long-term. This is especially important if you develop a complication or are unhappy with your procedure. 
If you decide to pursue surgery it’s very important that you find a surgeon whom you are comfortable with and trust and who evaluates you in-person and tailors an individualized treatment plan for you and your aesthetic goals. Best of luck!
Matthew A. DelMauro, M.D.

I am currently taking care of a young woman who had a rhinoplasty done in Mexico. She came to me because she was very upset with her results and she lives near me. She strongly wishes she had not gone out of the country for her surgery as her surgeon now ignores all of her calls. This is only one of many bad stories I have heard from people who had their surgery abroad. Please be very careful about your choice.

I would not recommend having surgery done abroad.  While the surgery itself may be less expensive you need to factor in travel, accommodations, and more importantly good follow up care.   Should you require follow up care when you return home, you will have a hard time finding a doctor willing to treat you.  I would recommend talking to your primary care physician and asking for a referral to an endocrinologist, to rule out any medical conditions.  Good luck.

If your condition is only three years in duration, I wonder whether you have been worked up by an endocrinologist to rule out medical causation.  Secondly, this is a procedure that is never covered by insurance in the absence of a documented, changing tumor.  Mexico may be less expensive but the standards are different and you will not have access to followup care.  Good luck.

If you were contemplating having your gall bladder removed, would you consider doing it locally or abroad?  All surgery is major surgery, and it would be best to have relatively easy access to your surgeon in the event of adverse events or even regular post-operative issues.  Ultimately the risk is yours to take.