HI all,

Since this is my first post, I'dd like to thank everyone for thier postings. It sure helps a newbie like me out. I'm almost at goal and after much research I have decided to have my plastic surgery outside the US.

I like the idea of Costa Rica because it has alot of recovery retreats. Mexico sounds good because the border cities are so close to the US if there is a problem I know Im never to far from home.

Brazil - well Brazil is known for Plastic surgery period. And the Dominican Republic has by far the best prices but by far the worst rep.

I have been researching like crazy and so far have found the best info on another board related to plastic surgery outside the US @ www.plasticsurgeryjourneys.com This board is alot like this one as its purpose is to share your own personal experience and before and after pictures.

ANyone have PS outside the US? Would you do it again? DO you have pics?

Thanks for reading and I look forward to the responses.

I will keep you updated on what I decide.

=)

I hope you have a great sugery & recover quickly. What if there is a problem though & you have to pay to return for follow up? I know with my lipo & eyes I had to see my surgeons a few times months after surgery.

With your eyes? Why? I didn't have to see my doc again for my lids after I had the stitches out.

I've seen him since for restalyne. I had him put just a touch in my lips last October and it still hasn't gone away!

Muffinbirdie was going to go to a doctor in TJ. I'm waiting to hear about her experience. Her doc was recommended by Dr Otiz whose judgement I trust.

Kare, I just had a tummy tuck and body liposculpture in Reynosa, Mexico by Dr. Castellanos. I am too depressed today to go into details on my experience (there are several threads and posts here) But I will get in touch with you next week, when I fell better. Sorry but the Hurricane victims have a hold of my heart and I am not feeling well. I'm totally heartbroken with all the devastation.

Kare- My doctor wanted to see me a month out & 3 months out - to follow up on the healing process. At 3 months out I had a small revision in office on my left eye for free. Nothing was wrong - I just wanted the lid slightly higher. I saw him again about another 3 months after that- That is when we took the after shots. I think any PS- should have follow up months later. Your body actually will continue to change & heal for up to year after. So I like follow up.

If the original surgeon can't do the follow up , I think its important for a local qualified Doctor to do so.

Hi I'm new here but a long-term banded person. I've also recently had a TT in Lyon France. I also had my upper eyelids done at the same time. The results are very good and I'm very happy. The surgeon who did is Eric Weill and he is very experienced at performing reconstructive surgery on previously obese patients and in particular banded patients.

If you want to know more about the surgeon or the surgery, please ask.

Janet from UK

I remember reading about your experience Estela. It sounded like a good one. I was especially impressed about the aftercare. I think one of the main reasons I would like a doctor in TJ, if possible, is because of any possible necessary follow-up. I agree it's good to have the option of follow up if there's anything that needs to be taken care of.

Honestly, I love my surgeon here in California and would probably use him for any facial necessities--and for anything else if money weren't an issue, but with the price being 1/2 to 1/3 the cost out of the states the only way I'd be able to afford a TT & lipo is

to do it that way. More and more people are becoming "medical tourists." I wonder what they are all doing about follow up?

Hi Kare, well, for me it wasn't that of a difficult decision to make, I had a trusted surgeon, at a price I could afford, his office is located 15 minutes from my mom's house (she lives in McAllen, Tx) and I contaced a local ps for aftercare in my area, should I need one. I went to a couple of plastic surgeons here in Fl but to get a tt alone, was about $7000-8000. So I could never afford to have that done here. (I had lipo (in Fl) of my outer thighs done two years ago, and I paid $3200, so it was very pricey.) This time around I had the tt, lipo of my whole body. ($6000 total, including hospital (three days) and all aftercare) Inner & outer thighs, my back, (all, and I mean all the bra overhang is gone), my arms, the sides of my breasts, the little fat pad between your arm and beast area (what I called my little chicken wing), my waist, well just everywhere. It is awesome to not have pads and pads of fat on my body. And my jeans look just fabuloso ON***SIZE 10..., no fat roll, no belly, hooray!!! It was a total nightmare to go through with this kind of major surgery, but well worth it, and I'm still not quite there. It was my two month anniversary yesterday for my ps and I am already so pleased with it. I haven't been excercising lately, my moods have been really down and Oh, well, I won;t go into that. But I can honestly say that I would have no reservations about going back and getting some more ps, and two months ago, I was promising I would never ever do this again... How quickly we forget.. This is something that you cannot do alone, you must have someone to take care of you, do not think you will be able to handle this alone. I had my mom and step-dad taking care of me, and they were a true blessing.. They not only took care of me but of my little ones. My girls say they are now experienced nurses cause they took care of me too... Oh, I have to tell you this its so funny, the other night I was getting out of the shower and the door wasn't fully closed, my four year old little girl walked in there and I quickly put my towel over my naked body, and she said " Don't worry about me seeing you naked, did you forget I'm a nurse???" It was so cute, and she is very animated, so she uses her hands and body to talk, she is just great, so funny.. Well anyways, back to the ps. The hospital I was at was a private hospital (has ICU) that is located just 5/10 min from the US border and that made me feel reassured that if anything went wrong, my family could transport me to McAllen. The staff at the hospital was very professional and caring. The hospital itself was super clean and believe me I'm a clean freak, so it was up to my standards. Everytime I called the nurses they came into my room and addressed my questions or whatever I needed. I think they were glad to see me go, I'm a bit needy and always wanted them. At one point when they took off my bandages the day after surgery, I looked down and saw my huge scar and lost it, I started getting nausceated (sp?), dizzy and sobbing, I felt as if I was going to pass out and the nurse quickly brought in the doctor on call. He stayed with me until I calmed down and took all my vitals and made sure I was okay before he left. I really appreciate that kind of care. The ps came to see me twice a day and stayed and answered all my questions and was truly caring of my physical and emotional well being. So as you can see my experience was really good. The tt itself doesn't hurt, this was what I was most afraid of, I had a c-section before and it was so painful, but the tt is nothing like that, because they just cut into your skin and fat, they don't actually cut through all the insides, well anyways, it didn't hurt even though it is a big scar. The stomach muscles would hurt bad at times, but what really hurt was all the lipo, OMG--- sorry to be rambling, but I want to tell you as much as possible as i can, also you don't realize how much we use our stomach muscles, to lift ourselves out of bed, get up from a chair, after surgery you have to be really careful and walk all bent over, then your back aches from walking all scrounged over. You also have to lay like that in bed, and once your in bed, you can't really turn yourself over by yourself, you need help and it tough. I had to take a bed that was closer to the ground (so it was easier to get in and out of) and at night I would get really sore laying on what ever side I was on, and tough luck, everyone was asleep, I'd grab the sheets and gently pull myself up and turn myself over, it was quite a chore. I had to have my scars cleaned daily and had to get myself into the darn full body girdle, had to have my arms bandaged (cause of the lipo, to help the skin shrink up) and oh, it was awful. And the worst part of all was the drain thingy, that think was gross, it drained and drained and drained. I had to keep it in for 11 days, it was horrible.. Well, can't think of what else to add, but I guess by now your wondering if they messed with my brain cause I can't stop rambling?? Well, that was my experience, I stayed in Tx for two full weeks, and when I got back home I was able to return to my desk job even though I still wasn't recovered. My mom came back with me and stayed another two weeks, so that made my life so much easier... She is an Angel.

Wow Estela,

That was a pretty enlightening description! I think that oughta be copied and given to every patient undergoing this kind of procedure!

I know from my eyelid surgery when the PS talked about "drains" and "strings" I didn't really get it until I had them. I've heard lipo is pretty rough--and I don't think I've known anyone who had as many places done at once as you did. Although I'd love to have my arms done, I think after I've lost 30# a TT & thigh lipo should be enough. But we'll see. I'm surprised to hear a TT didn't hurt as much as a C-section. I had two of those (the first incredibly grueling because I was going to have a homebirth and had my Water broken for three days until I finally agreed to let them try to induce me--for 14 hours!--before I gave in & let them cut. Then I got stuck in ICU because my heart became irregular and I couldn't see my new son for 12 hours. The most frustrating part about it was it was too excruciating to even cry--or scream at them to let me out to see my baby! So far that has been the worst experience of my life.) C-section pain for me wasn't all that bad for me. Soon as I got out of ICU I insisted on going home. By that time they were glad to get rid of me & I'd realized what a namby-pamby I'd married when he didn't stand up to the doctors for me. When I had the next C-section (both my kids were 10 month pregnancies--it's comfy in there!) I made my (ex) husband give me $40 before he left for the night so I could grab my baby, call a cab & get out of there if I needed to.)

Anyway...I digress. Sorry.

Thanks for all the PS info!