Having a breast augmentation in Mexico? Good or bad idea?

Having practiced myself in the Bahamas for ten years,I feel that as long as the the person performing the surgery is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, practicing in an accredited facility, I am confident in advising patients that having surgery abroad would be fine.  However, the patient must allow enough time to recover under the surgeon's care for at least a week before returning home and expect to have someone available for any post operative complications.  Price should not be the determining factor, rather the experience and expertise and credentials of the Plastic Surgeon.

There are good surgeons in Mexico who can perform your surgery for less money. However, how about all the other costs?  Hotel accommodations for you and your family travel, meals. And then, what if you have a problem later or even need a minor revision.  Do you really want to go back down to Mexico to deal with it?  Overall, not worth the hassle and in the long run you probably won't save any money.

I can't comment one way or the other about surgery in Mexico. Just make certain that you were being operated upon by a board-certified plastic surgeon who will be available for any postoperative problems.

Some of the things you need to think about regarding having surgery hours away include the availability of the surgeon and his/her nurses if you have complications and general follow up care. This is true whether it is done in Mexico or even out of state. If you do choose to have surgery at a facility located a few hours away, you may want to stay several days to a week afterward to make sure you that everything is followed up post operatively before returning home. After that, you should be able to continue follow up care for several months. This is true for any surgery. I hope that this helps in your decision.

There is no doubt that you can get excellent breast augmentation results in Mexico.  As others have pointed out, the biggest issue is the postoperative care after the surgery.  Most of the time a breast augmentation goes without a hitch, but on the rare occasion there is a complication, you need to be near your plastic surgeon.  If you are not, either traveling to see your plastic surgeon or seeking the services of a local surgeon may end up costing you more in the long run.  Mucha suerte. 

    No plastic surgeon can guarantee 100% perfect surgery with no complications but seeking plastic surgery at a discount would not be something I would recommend.  Find the surgeon you feel is best and try to make this work for you.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Where you go for the procedure is up to you, and the advantage of having it done in Mexico is the significantly lower cost.Is the comprehensive consumer protection apparatus in the United States worth the extra expense?Again, the decision is yours.

Traveling abroad for plastic surgery is fraught with potential problems. I would seek plastic surgery services in the US. Your family members may have been fortunate that they did not have issues. Plastic surgeons in the US have complications but are well-trained to manage the complications. Safety is an issue in other countries. The FDA has made the US one the safest countries for the practice of medicine. Please give give this decision a great amount of thought.Good luck.Earl Stephenson Jr MD DDS FACS

Your concern over the travel to another country for surgery is a personal red flag. Listen to yourself as you know the answer to your question. If all goes without a hitch great. If anything happens that was unforeseen your "cost savings" will be gone. More importantly, I fear for the health of those that travel to unregulated locations for elective surgery. I quickly searched for an article on medical tourism in Mexico an found the following attachment. Please be careful

I would strongly discourage you from traveling outside of the US for cosmetic surgery. Finding a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon assures you that your surgeon has gone through rigorous training and testing.  If a seriouscomplication happens you are left with poor legal rights.  Be smart and find somebody local you can trust.