Author: Laura Gater
Last year, 88 percent of females and 12 percent of males worldwide elected to undergo plastic surgery, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). For most people, it was an attempt to keep or regain their youthful looks, to eliminate wrinkles and sagging caused by aging.
Five countries account for 47 percent of all plastic surgery procedures worldwide. These countries are the USA (16.35 percent), Mexico (9.64 percent), Brazil (9 percent), Canada (6 percent) and Argentina (5.96 percent).
Today, many people are combining their plastic surgery experience with a holiday abroad, where they can take their entire family for a holiday while the patient recuperates from surgery.
Plastic surgery procedures performed in a medical spa provide the patient with a high level of medical care and rest. Patients don’t worry about having to hide their surgery bruises and pain from family and friends at home. Instead, they can relax and be waited on.
The high cost of plastic surgery in some countries such as Europe and the U.S. has caused people to look at options elsewhere, such as Asia, where the cost of plastic surgery is much lower. The savings in surgical costs alone can be used to visit a medical spa and enjoy a holiday. Many patients also choose to take their spouse and children along to a medical spa, where the family can enjoy a holiday while one parent (usually mom) is recuperating from surgery. Due to the lower costs of plastic surgery in Asia, everyday people can enjoy the pampering and benefits of plastic surgery that are often only given to VIPs.
“I think the increase in popularity of medical holidays has several reasons. First would be cost, as it is normally more cost effective for people from many countries, such as Europe, America, Australia and certain countries in Asia to go overseas. Second would be privacy, as there are outer signs that indicate having undergone a procedure, and many people do not wish others to know, staying in a place where you do not know any people as opposed to staying at home where people will notice. Third would be the holiday aspect, recovering in a beautiful exotic place rather then staying in your bedroom at home. Everything is taken care of, you do not have to worry about grocery shopping, cleaning or doing other household chores. You can focus 100 percent on getting better and recovering. Fourth would be the quality of healthcare, as this is on par with any country in Europe or America,” explains Marloes Giezenaar MBA, managing director of Beautiful Holidays, Penang, Malaysia.
Medical spas employ at least one physician and medical assistants and have dedicated surgical facilities or contract with a nearby private hospital. The surgical procedures at many medical spas are based upon international medical standards. The physicians and surgeons at Beautiful Holidays have been trained in the UK or US. Staff is on hand 24 hours a day to assist patients.
“When we first started, many people were attracted to the price. We can see now that more people come for privacy and recovery in a beautiful surrounding,” says Giezenaar. “Beautiful Holidays arranges everything apart from flights. Our clients only have to focus on recovering and enjoying the island. We take them everywhere by car ourselves and make all appointments for them. Aftercare is important, as many clients have questions after they go home, and we answer these via email or phone. People do not want others to know they have had plastic or cosmetic surgery, which remains something of a taboo for normal people. Local doctors are more expensive for most people. Many clients told us there had to be a choice of the wife/mother going for a procedure or the family holiday. Many women feel guilty choosing themselves, and with Beautiful Holidays you can combine the two, a family holiday and the procedure.”
“Forty percent of our procedures [at Beautiful Holidays] are breast augmentations,” states Giezenaar.
General and local anesthesia are available at Beautiful Holidays, depending on the surgeon’s and patient’s preference and also on the type of procedure performed.
Botox applications have been the most sought-after non-surgical procedure for the last three years. It is interesting to note that among men, Botox procedures more than doubled from 2001 to 2003.
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is the most common plastic surgery procedure performed worldwide, followed by breast augmentation, lipoplasty (liposuction and liposculpture), rhinoplasty (nose surgery), breast reduction, facelift and abdominoplasty.
“New technology enables us to retain our youthful looks and help us stay vibrant, energetic and therefore enjoy a better quality of life as we are getting ‘up there in age’! Those who do opt for surgery will see quicker healing and less down time due to pre-and post operative spa treatments and pre- and post-operative care,” says Hannelore R. Leavy, Founder & Executive Director of The International Medical Spa Association. “People prefer the nurturing, relaxed atmosphere of a spa over the physician’s clinical offices and clinics. They also prefer the complete attention that the doctor and staff devote to their clients and patients. A medical spa is not a doctor’s office where you are ‘whisked in and whisked out.’”
Plastic surgery is like any other type of surgery – surgeons must be knowledgeable about their skills and their patients. Whether the surgery is performed in a clinic, hospital or medical spa, precautions must be exercised. Most spas realize that their reputation is at stake and so they strive to make their medical experience as safe and comfortable as possible for their patients.
“We can see an increase from when we started in 2002 to date and we expect this to continue to rise,” says Giezenaar. “Our industry is a lot of word of mouth. You get a client who has a great experience and they will talk to friends about it. The friends will most likely come to you if they are interested in surgery. This is not a fast money making industry. It takes time to build a reputation.”
The aging world population is looking for ways to remain youthful and energetic. For many people, their looks help them feel better and look younger.
“The medical spa industry has the wonderful opportunity to counteract melanoma, obesity and other illnesses related to modern living,” says Leavy.
References Available. © Copyright, PeopleMenders.com Inc., 2007. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Laura's writing specialties are medical, health and business topics.
Just a few of her published writings: Medical Imaging, 24x7, Podiatry Management, Strategic Healthcare Marketing, Advance for Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals, Podiatry Management, RT (Respiratory Therapy),Corrections Forum, Radiologic Technology, For the Record, Plastic Surgery Products, Orthodontic Products, Chiropractic Products, Podiatric Products, and The American Journal of Managed Care (supplement on NSAIDs).
Laura is also the temporary medical producer for several websites, writing news briefs. She has also done healthcare research and reports, provided public relations for several non-profit organizations and taught freelance writing classes.
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