Medical Tourism:

Medical tourism is a growing business in recent years. A surgical procedure combined with a relaxing vacation paints a picturesque dream. Travel agencies offer help in hotel arrangements, plane tickets, and even tickets to theaters and restaurants, in their specially designed ‘surgery packages’ for the medical tourist.

Patients’ running to distant shores for plastic surgery treatments is due to a number of reasons, the main one being undoubtedly the price. Cosmetic surgery may be offered in exotic settings in Thailand, India, South Africa, and closer home, in Colombia, at one-tenth the price in the United States and Western Europe. But what the medical tourist has to remember is the possible risks that such countries can pose to personal health and healing, as well as the credibility of the doctor. While exotic countries have may have a lower cost of healthcare services, what a Westerner has to reflect upon are factors like the climate, food, language and public amenities among others. Tropical locales are notorious for diseases like dengue, malaria and hepatitis which are not prevalent in Western countries.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons [ASPS] points out a necessary reminder that in case of an injury or an issue of malpractice, an American cannot appeal to U.S. health and safety laws as they generally do not extend overseas. The West, while no doubt a costlier option is by far a safer option when it comes to plastic surgery. At the Plastic Surgery Institute of California, we make sure our services meet the standards set out by boards like the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. [ABPS] and the ASPS.

With the wide range of plastic surgery services we provide at some of the best rates in the industry, you don’t need to head to distant shores to look and feel your best. The Plastic Surgery Institute of California located in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, California is the only destination you need to head to.

Taking Care Of Finances:

The ‘knife-style’ of the rich is no longer exclusively for this stratum of society from which its popularity originated. Plastic surgery has entered the living room of the average American man and woman with a host of television and movie celebrities openly flaunting their perfect- to- a- T bodies.

The increase in popularity of this branch of medicine has led to a decrease in the cost of cosmetic surgery procedures. As its exclusivity is no more limited, plastic surgery is so widespread today, that by the year 2020, people are sure to backtrack if you say you haven’t undergone plastic surgery even once, according to Sander Gilman, an Emory University professor and author of two books on plastic surgery. Evidently, going under the knife has ceased to be a pocket pincher.

When charging you for their services, plastic surgeons consider factors like their experience and demand in the field, the time, effort and complexity of the procedure and the geographic location of the facility. Accompanying factors like operating room and anesthesia fees, lab fees, implant costs, etc. are also deciding factors where price is concerned. After zeroing in on the procedure you want to go ahead with, it is advisable to conduct a detailed research into the practices and prices of different cosmetic surgeons in order to get a bird’s eye view of all the options available.

The one drawback that plastic surgery for aesthetic purposes faces is its exclusion from health insurance plans. However, plastic surgery for correcting a disfigurement or deformities does not face any such problem. The significant difference between aesthetic surgery and reconstructive surgery is highlighted when this factor is taken into consideration. Loans for cosmetic surgery, though available in some banks, are treated as ‘unsecured’ personal loans.

At the Plastic Surgery Institute of California, we arrange for financing with major financial institutions at competitive rates. A superior standard and exceptional quality in surgery procedures is what we guarantee you. We take preoperative photographs and include them in your medical record.

Taking Care of You After Surgery:

Plastic surgery sure does have a lot of hype surrounding it. A first consultation usually has doctors answering patient questions like- ‘Will the procedure be completed in twenty minutes?’, ‘Will I have a nurse 24/7?’, ‘Can you make me look like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston?’ besides questions that are a lot more inane. While you may not look like Jennifer Aniston or have a nurse at your beck while you are recuperating from cosmetic surgery, it is not something to get you disappointed. If the surgeon you have selected is as good as his credentials, than chances are he has already discussed the after effects of surgery with you.

Post surgery depression is part of the bargain in most surgery cases. Whether it is a reconstructive surgery like chin augmentation or whether it may be a surgery to enhance your breasts; scars, swellings, blotches, etc. are to be expected and can be dealt with effectively. Sometimes more than one surgical procedure is necessary to correct certain disfigurations.

However, consult your surgeon about improvement chances before going ahead with any further surgeries. Dealing with your immediate environment, exercise, diet, etc. are factors that need to be taken into account as well. For instance, doctors’ advice patients to keep the head elevated after a facelift; while full exercise is suggested to be resumed only 4- 6 weeks after a calf augmentation surgery.

Each individual reacts to pain in a different way. At the Plastic Surgery Institute of California, our doctors evaluate each patient personally and provide accurate diagnosis for any further surgeries you might want. We take that extra step to ensure that our patient’s queries and doubts are properly addressed and their smooth recovery is guaranteed. You can contact us for any queries.

Finding A Good Rhinoplasty Surgeon:

Getting a rhinoplasty or as it is more popularly known, a ‘nose job’, is a decision most patients take when either contemplating a correction of breathing problems and birth defects or for improving their nose structure. The perfect nose may not always be the right kind of nose for you. There are at least five elementary types of noses: Roman, Semitic, Aquiline, Grecian, and Retrousse. And then again there are the nose types which most people’s favorite strata of society- celebrities, are known to possess. For instance, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s wide tipped nose, Kate Beckinsale’s "the scoop" nose, and Owen Wilson’s bulbous tip, to name a few.

While perceptions of beauty differ from culture to culture, going ahead with the decision of having a rhinoplasty done has many factors that have to be taken into consideration. The best candidate for a rhinoplasty is one who wants to improve his or her nose and not perfect it. It is important to remember the fact that complications are infrequent and usually minor even when the procedure is performed by a qualified surgeon. Possible complications that may arise include infection, nosebleed, or a reaction to the anesthesia. It is important to heed closely the guidelines set out for you by your doctor, both pre and post surgery.

It is advisable to opt for a board certified surgeon when planning a rhinoplasty. Certified surgeons are usually the most experienced surgeons available for the procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. A doctor certified by this board is guaranteed to possess at least five years of surgical training and a minimum of two years plastic surgery experience.

We, at the Plastic Surgery Institute of California are members of the ASPS and our doctors have years of expertise and experience attached to their excellent credentials. Along with rhinoplasty we also offer surgeries like rhytidectomy or face lift, cheek and chin augmentation, otoplasty, blepharoplasty and lip augmentation.

Questions You Should Ask Before Your Surgery:

A plastic surgeon is the person in whose hands you are going to commend your body. The dream to look and feel better is what you have. The ability to sculpt this dream into reality is what your surgeon should be capable of. In order for this to be possible, a number of vital questions have to be answered before going ahead with the process that leads up to the desired surgery.

The most important question is the one that concerns your decision to go ahead with plastic surgery. Do you require it? You have to be sure of what type of surgery you exactly want. Do you want to go for enhancing or reconstructing your Face? Then maybe you need to go for a Cheek, Chin or Lip Augmentation, or a Facelift, or a rhinoplasty, or Ear Correction. If enhancing your Breasts is what you want, then there are Breast Augmentations, Lifts, Reductions or Reconstructions which you can opt for. Then again there are also Thigh & Buttock Lifts, Buttock and Calf Augmentations, Liposuction, Pectoral Implants (for men), Tummy Tucks, etc. which are the surgery options available if you want to re- shape other parts of your Body. Your surgeon is only going to help you with what is the best type of surgery to go for, if you do require it.

Get your homework done.
With the ‘before surgery’ and ‘after surgery’ photographs most clinics and organizations display in their advertisements, plastic surgery looks very appealing at the best of times. But it is important to be aware of the risks, complications, and other precautions that come along with a surgery. How comfortable you are with the clinic and cosmetic surgeon you have selected depends a lot on how well you do your homework.

A surgeon’s skills are as good as his credentials and experience.
While you may have been referred a surgeon by a friend, aquaintance or even your own physician, it is important that you run a check before utilising his services just to be safe. Its that seeemingly insignificant step towards getting better results. Ask for his and his clinic’s certification as well. Members of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, for instance, are trained particularly in plastic surgery. The Plastic Surgery Institute of California is one such facility that is affiliated with this association.

Techniques and processes which will be applied in your surgery.
An understanding of what you will undergo under the knife will help a long way, both emotionally and physically in softening the cut and soothing it later. It’s your body, and you have to be able to understand what was done to it to appreciate the new you and take care of yourself better.

We have a team of qualified and experienced surgeons at Beverly Hills & Los Angeles, California who are able to guide you with detailed advice on procedures like Rhinoplasty, Breast Augmentations and Reductions, Tummy Tucks and nose and face lifts with ease.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Proves Saving Lives:

The latest statistics on obesity in the United States have come up with colossal results. Obesity is held to be responsible for 300,000 deaths every year. 58 Million overweight; 40 Million obese; 3 Million morbidly obese. A Gastric Bypass Procedure (GBP) is a surgery procedure used in particular to treat the last condition- morbid obesity which is the severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue as well as the health problems (comorbidities) it causes.

This is a surgery which more and more obese people are turning towards, as besides improving the physical appearance and stamina of an individual, it also helps in reducing a number of health problems like diabetes and heart problems that particularly plague overweight people. In a GBP, the stomach size is reduced by about 90%. This helps a patient in maintaining a reduced intake of food as there is enough food to make him feel full. The stomach stays full for a longer period as it takes less time to empty out.

This procedure has proved to be a boon to many individuals suffering from obesity. Studies have shown that 90% of patients with type II non- insulin dependent diabetes mellitus are expected to be off medication. Patients with medical conditions like arthritis, fatigue, asthma, sleep apnea, etc. are found to have radically improved. Being overweight is no longer an option one has to contend with for life anymore, with such a life saving procedure like the GBP. Longevity is just another wonderful side effect which has patients running to embrace this alternative.

The growing popularity of Gastric Bypass Surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity, had plastic surgeons riding a wave of popularity with body contouring procedures like buttock lifts, thigh lifts, tummy tucks etc. in the past few years. At the Plastic Surgery Institute of California we make sure that your weight losing goals are considered and worked upon to help you nurture your new and improved self.

Cutting Edge Plastic Surgery Services:

A vital function of leading plastic surgery clinics and surgeons worldwide is their ability to make use of the latest and safest technologies in order to sustain their reputation amongst their existing clients as well as potential ones. It helps to know that your surgeon can assist you with the latest procedures and techniques and that he has access to the latest developments in the field of cosmetic surgery. After all, if your surgeon’s up- to- date, you are the one who will have a guaranteed glow.

Patient surveys, innovations and emerging trends, demographics, differing laws and stances on cosmetic surgery, religious beliefs, geographical differences, etc. are some of the factors which cosmetic surgeons have to take into consideration on a regular basis. Such studies, along with avoiding misinformation, also allow doctors to provide a personalized service to their patients.

For instance, a recent story published in the New York Post spoke about a research out of Iran which suggested that people who undergo cosmetic rhinoplasty may suffer from more than just less-than-attractive noses. The Iranian researchers concluded that “because of the Islamic mode of dressing for women practiced in Iran, which only leaves their faces exposed, rhinoplasty has seemingly become the most favorite plastic surgery procedure in Iran in recent years.”

Free consultations too go a long way in establishing trust between the potential patient and the surgeon. At the Plastic Surgery Institute of California located at Beverly Hills & Los Angeles, cutting edge plastic surgery services are paid attention to and provided to our patients, which enables them to evaluate their needs and assist in their decisions. Every effort is made to pay attention to detail where our patients are concerned.