The Other Side of Cosmetic Surgery

The other side of light... (Credit: cristianesousa)

Getting nips and tucks in another country for cheaper rates is sure to make you feel happy, but there is another side to it. Susanna Peterson spent a week in Hospital back home after a nose job in South Africa. Surgery trips to Thailand, India, Malaysia and South Africa are increasingly popular among New Zealanders. But low-cost procedures abroad are adding a new financial burden to the New Zealand health sector.

Tristan de Chalain, president of the NZ Foundation for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, said foundation members are dealing with about one patient every couple of months who needs treatment following complications after surgery abroad.

Having plastic surgery abroad is necessarily not a bad thing, but people need to do their groundwork well. Prospective patients should ask plenty of questions; get before and after photos, before deciding to proceed with an operation.