What are the pros and cons of being an out of town patient?

Question

I'm from New York and the prices of a mommy makeover are extremely high in comparison to Miami. I found a doctor I want to book with but I'm alittle concerned being out of town. I'm hoping a doctor can give me their advice and their experience. If it makes a difference I am a registered med/surg nurse. I ok with the after care and wound care.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

Given that the skill of the surgeon in the level of care is the same the advantage of out-of-town surgery might be the price. The problem is that postoperative management is done at a distance in may be problematic. Nevertheless, many patients choose to have surgery away from home seeking the best skill surgeon at the best price.

Miguel Delgado, MD · Answer

Let's start with the cons: You will need to find a surgeon willing to care for you locally if you have complications, and also follow up visits unless are you going to travel back to see your original surgeon. If you are staying out of town for recovery, add in the cost of hotel and meals,  will someone be with you to care for you after surgery? Once you are ready to travel home you will need to be careful about lifting heavy luggage. Flying too soon after surgery increase chances of blood clots.As for the pros: You can save money...maybe!Good luck!

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

I appreciate your cost concerns, but be careful.  I have seen numerous patients who ventured out of state and out of country, and the initial low costs, vastly increased when complications occurred. The advantage of sticking close to home is your surgeon is near by to care for any problems.I do operate on many patients coming to New Youk, but I insist that they remain close for at least 2 weeks, after mommy makeover.I also contact a colleague from their city, who is board certified, to be available if problems occur.If you do go out of town, be sure there is someone available when you return, just in case!

William Andrade, MD · Answer

If you are a med/surg RN you will have seen your share of postoperative complications, and you will know that this can happen even if surgery is performed by an experienced physician.  If you are far away from home and there is a complication it may make your aftercare difficult.  Also, it is harder to have proper followup appointments.  These potential and real hassles will need to be weighed against the cost savings.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the thoughtful question.  Generally speaking,  mommy makeover procedures can be quite extensive, involving significant physical and emotional recovery periods.  As you know, based on your profession, complications may occur. Therefore, best to have the procedure performed relatively close to where you live.  My best suggestion: continue to save up and find a good board certified plastic surgeon in your area to help you.  Careful selection of your plastic surgeon, careful communication of your goals, careful execution, and appropriate time for rest/recovery will all be important.  You may find the following words of advice I give to my patients prior to proceeding  with mommy makeover surgery helpful to you:
 1. Make sure you are doing the procedure for the right reasons (for yourself)  and that you have realistic expectations.  Be aware that an improvement in the “problem area” may not translate to an overall improvement in your life  situation.  You are bound to be disappointed with results of the procedure if your motivation for doing the surgery is not internally driven.
2. Time your surgery carefully; generally, it is not a good idea to have surgery done during or immediately after a stressful period in life (for example divorce or death of a loved one). The additional stress of surgery will undoubtedly be  more challenging to deal with if a patient's emotional reserves our already exhausted. Remember, that an improvement in your physical appearance will not translate to an improvement in your life situation.
3. If possible speak to patients who have undergone similar procedures and query them about the toughest times of their recovery period. Any practical hints previous patients can provide may be very helpful.
4. Make sure you are aware of potential complications that may arise how to reach your surgeon if necessary.
5. Make sure you have a strong and patient support system (several people if possible) in place who have time/patience to take care of you. Arrange for professional nursing if any doubt exists regarding the availability and/or stamina  of your caretakers.
6. Be patient with the healing process, understanding that it will take several weeks to months to feel “normal” again. It may also take many months/year to see the end results of your surgery.
7. Be prepared to distract your mind with things of interest such as books, magazines, and movies.
8. Expect less of yourself; do not go back to work, school or chores too early and let others take care of you (for a change).
9. Pick your surgeon carefully (a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon) and trust in his/her advice. Keep in close communication with your surgeon and do not hesitate to communicate questions/concerns and the  emotional swings that you may experience.
10. Resume all medications that you were using preoperatively when cleared by your plastic surgeon and stop the use of narcotics and sedatives as soon as feasible after surgery.
11. Keep in mind the end results as you go through the tougher emotional times after your surgery. I hope this, and the attached link ( dedicated to mommy makeover surgery concerns), helps.Best wishes.

Robert Savage, MD (retired) · Answer

Pros of out of town surgery can be if your priority is cost(while important,cost should never be priority #1 that should be safety and performance)is it may be cheaper.In NYC you are blessed with many extremely skilled surgeons but Manhatten is not a cheap place for anything.Cons are inconvenience and travel responsibilities and teeing up someone convenient to help you recover and get you home safely.The other major problem is if you have a complication who and how will it be handled.It is awkward and expensive to return eg to Fla and your local doctors, for better or worse, are not likely to welcome you with open arms when asked to clean up someone else's mess.Mommy makeovers can be longer procedures with some risk of DVT and PE which can increase with air travelTrue personal experience: I had a nurse as a patient who had a facelift in Costa Rica because she read they had high quality.I cared for her on the rebound after her major hematoma and skin slough for an additional 6 months when she got home until finally healed.So everybody has to balance safety and skill with cost and convenience

What are the pros and cons of being an out of town patient?

Answers (6)

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