If you’re thinking about having plastic surgery, you will see that it can be significantly cheaper to go abroad for your treatment.
Countries such as Bulgaria and Turkey are popular destinations for people looking to save money on surgery but a quick search on Google will show you cheap options in Lithuania, the Czech Republic.
For as little as £2,799 you can have a facelift in eastern Europe, whilst here in the UK prices typically start around £8,000, though a facelift here at Manchester Plastic Surgery will likely be in the region of £10,000.
So, why the difference?
Safety and regulation
The UK is known to have some of the most stringent rules around safety and regulation. It costs more to have surgery in the UK because there can be no shortcuts when it comes to the training of surgeons or the standards of care.
This means you can go ahead with surgery in the UK safe in the knowledge that you will be well cared for; that your surgery will be carried out by an experienced surgical team who know how to get the best results for you, and who will take good care of you at every step.
Our lead surgeon Mr James Murphy was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Plastic Surgery (FRCS (Plast)) in 2002. He is a full member of the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) and the United Kingdom Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (UKAAPS).
Mr Murphy is supported by a team of qualified, experienced, and caring surgeons, anaesthetists and nursing staff who are all dedicated to ensuring you have a positive transformational journey.
Support in recovery
One of the biggest drawbacks to having surgery abroad is the challenge of getting good follow-up treatment. If your recovery goes well, you will either have to travel back to the overseas clinic to attend face-to-face consultations, or you will have to attend online appointments.
Travelling for in-person appointments can be a challenge while you’re recovering. The best way to recover from surgery is to get plenty of rest and relaxation.
But if you have to be up and about to do an overseas trip, your recovery can be compromised.
You may find that, because of this, your initial post-operative appointments are put back by a few weeks to allow you more time to recover, but this is not ideal as your surgeon needs to be able to pick up on potential problems at the earliest possible stage.
Of course, many clinics offer online appointments as an alternative. Depending on the type of surgery in question, these can work acceptably well after the initial recovery stage and when you are out of the timeframe when complications such as infection can occur, they are not always an optimal solution.
There’s nothing like seeing a patient face-to-face to see the recovery process and to understand first-hand how the patient is faring.
Another issue to consider is how you would seek redress, should the unthinkable happen and you’re left with results you’re not happy with. Systems and processes for remedial surgery will vary from country to country and from clinic to clinic, so anyone considering surgery abroad will need to do additional research.
The NHS spends millions each year on fixing medical issues that arise as a result of botched surgery abroad, but it will not fix a poorly carried out procedure which leaves you with results you’re not happy with.
Ultimately, we would not recommend that you look for a cheap plastic surgery solution. Whilst cost is always a factor, the most important considerations should be the training and experience of your surgical team, and your confidence in their ability to get great results for you, and take good care of you.
Your health and wellbeing are invaluable.