Jun 2, 2008 2:57 pm US/Eastern
Beware Bargain Shopping For Plastic Surgery
Safety, Research More Important Than Price
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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When shopping for cosmetic surgery, people should do research and consider safety over price.
AP
Price shopping for a house is one thing, but what about bargain hunting
for surgery? CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez offers tips on how to do just that,
while making sure that safety comes first.
Plastic surgery patient Heather Schnorf went shopping for a plastic
surgeon, and a good price.
"I had my eyelids falling, literally, a half an inch into my eyes,"
Schnorf said. "He talked me into having my eyes done for a price that
seemed, to me, very attractive. And I fell for it."
The trouble is, her surgeon was not board certified, and he botched the
surgery.
"My right eye did not look like my left eye," Schnorf said.
Then Heather found Dr. Kenneth Rose, who was able to repair the damage.
Rose says that for those looking to compare prices for cosmetic surgery,
it is vital to make sure the price includes everything.
"There's surgeon fees. There's also the anesthesia fee. There's a
facility fee," Rose said. "And if you're getting, for example, breast
implants, then there's an implant fee."
Another important consideration is traveling to have surgery, whether in
the United States or abroad, because even the best surgeons sometimes
have complications.
"Your doctor's in LA and you're in New York, so either you have to go
back to LA, and you may be very sick and you can't, or you have to find
another doctor here," Rose said. "So, you're not really saving
anything."
Complications can include infections, like a set of leaking implants.
Other times, poor technique can force patients to undergo corrective
surgery.
However, there are ways for cosmetic surgery patients to protect
themselves. Making sure that the surgeon and anesthesiologist are board
certified is a smart place to start, as well as inquiring about whether
the surgery will be conducted in a certified operating room.
Patients should also ask to see samples of their doctor's work in past
procedures, and to speak with one or more of the doctor's patients.
For those patients that find finances to be their main obstacle, saving
until they can afford the surgery is the best option. There are also
numerous companies that will let patients finance their surgery, but
caution should be shown because finance charges can be expensive.
Or, of course, people could just be happy with the way they look.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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