6/13/06

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) has published guidelines for patients who travel abroad for plastic surgery—known as plastic surgery tourism. The guidelines, which were in development for about 1 year, address the thousands of inquiries ISAPS has received from patients, medical professionals, media,  and governmental organizations.

The guidelines suggest that before patients decide to travel outside their country for plastic surgery, they should ask themselves:

•    What is the surgeon’s training?

•    Is the plastic surgeon certified?

•    Is the surgery center or clinic certified?

•    Does their personal health insurance cover them outside their country?

•    Do the key personnel at the surgeon’s office speak their language fluently?

•    What about complications and aftercare?

The guidelines were developed under the direction of Malcolm Paul, MD, a clinical professor of surgery at the Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Institute of the University of California, Irvine.

[www.isaps.org, June 13,2006]