11 Jul “Shopping” for Cheap Plastic Surgery

I am continually amazed at potential patients who will call my office to ask about prices for various cosmetic procedures.  They will go to another surgeon who offers what they want at a cheaper rate, often only $50 to $100 cheaper.  They will spend more time researching which car is best for them and which dealer to buy it from, than they will researching their cosmetic surgery and the surgeon who will perform it.  And many of the doctors in this area are not even Board Certified Plastic Surgeons.

There was a recent report from WABC-TV out of New York, which reported on a plastic surgeon from the Dominican Republic, who would come to New York, visit the various spas and beauty salons, and talk to potential patients.  He would even go so far as to draw on their stomachs, breasts, etc. what he could correct for them, if they would only fly down to his clinic in the Dominican Republic for surgery.  He has a very flashy website.  I was impressed with it.  He sounds very legitimate and far cheaper, even with airfare and hotel stays, than surgery that could be had in the US.  However, he has had multiple deaths in his clinic.  A woman with three young children went there for a tummy tuck and liposuction, and came home for her own burial.  This doctor’s name is Dr. Hector Cabral.  Our U.S. Attorney General sent him home for practicing medicine without a license, but could do nothing about the botched surgery in his home country.

Don’t let money and costs be your only deciding factor.  My philosophy has always been that I will treat someone the same as I would a family member.  If I can cut corners for a family member to lessen their costs, I will.  But I won’t cut corners on safety, on you or my own family.

Look for a plastic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Look for this board!  No other!  Look for these exact words!  Many sound a lot like it!  They want you to mistake their board for the “upper crust” of board-certification.

And if you ever have questions, call my office.  Ask other health care people.  Ask the nurses who work in the Surgery Centers – they know all the doctors.

It’s your body!  It’s the only one you get!  Treat it right!  Don’t look for “cheap” fixes!  And if you are just “looking into” surgery, give me a call.  Let’s sit and talk.  Hopefully, you will learn quite a lot about what interests you.