Plastic Surgery South of the Border
http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1651661
(Feb. 18) -- Cosmetic surgery is very, very popular these days. But the cost is going up, like everything else in medicine. Eyewitness News discovered
that lots of Southern Nevadans are making the trip south of the border to have cosmetic surgery at a huge savings.
Cosmetic surgery patients are hopping a short flight from Las Vegas to San Diego. Then, from a modest best western motel, they catch a shuttle
conveniently making several runs a day to doctors' offices in Tijuana.
The border between San Ysidro and Tijuana is the busiest land border in the world. Tens of thousands of vehicles pass through here every day. And
increasingly, one of the reasons that Americans come is for cheap plastic surgery.
Las Vegas resident Lynn Bishop had a face and neck lift done in Tijuana, rather than pay $10,000 or $11,000 in the U.S.
Bishop says, "For basically half that price, I went to Mexico where the doctors do not have to pay the high insurance premiums and I had this surgery
done that I'm very happy with."
Lynn's plastic surgeon is Alejandro Quiroz , who told me that cost is not the only reason he sees so many Americans.
Dr. Quiroz says, "I don't think these patients come here to get a bargain. I don't think you can put faces in somebody else's hands that you're not
sure it's going to come all right."
Patients can save thousands of dollars in Tijuana. Costs vary widely, but the price in the southwestern United States is often double that charged in
Tijuana. Dr Quiroz, who is licensed in both Mexico and the U.S., says bad doctors exist everywhere. He says patients need to check credentials and get
a bonafide recommendation from another patient.
Inside the doctor's office, it's pristine and beautiful. But outside, on the streets of Tijuana, it's impossible to escape the reality that you're in
a foreign country. If the worst happened, something went wrong, would you be comfortable being hospitalized here?
Bishop responds, "I didn't give it that much thought. I know that they have hospitals there. I know that Dr. Quiroz is a very competent surgeon. But I
can't speak for the rest of the country."
Dr. Quiroz says, "I've had surgery here, foot surgery. My wife has had surgery here, my children. I would not if I had any hesitation as to the
quality of the facilities here."
Plastic surgeon Juan Carlos Fuentes is a partner of Quiroz. He, too, sees lots of Americans and he says skeptics may be surprised.
Dr. Fuentes says, "They may think the training's not the same -- we have the same kind of training. The equipment is not the same -- we have the same
kind of equipment. I think it's just the perception."
Dr. Quiroz adds, "I have a lot of friends in Beverly Hills, and we all came from the same mother practice, training facilities. Never the less, I
always tell them -- I'm Mexican, so I feel here at home. I think it's a great privilege to be in the situation I am.
Back in Las Vegas, plastic surgeon William Zamboni questions why anyone would leave our town for cosmetic work.
Dr. Zamboni says, "It's an individual choice. I just think that they should be diligent, no matter what region it's in. And ensure that the surgeon is
a plastic surgeon and board certified."
It's also important to keep in mind that if you're injured by a surgeon south of the border, you'll have to deal with the Mexican legal system.
Attorneys in the U.S. would not be able help.
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