Americans head to Mexico for plastic surgery

When he arrives at their bed-and-breakfast, Guerra is sitting at the kitchen table. "I was always scared to go to Mexico," says Guerra, rattling off the botched jobs she's heard of. But Imelda Baldini, who provides the shelter for Air Lift Inc., dotes over Guerra in her home. The mother of four grown children, she giggles over her own fussiness. "My children are gone," explains Ms. Baldini, who serves her patients food in bed when they don't feel well. "I think about if I went to another country for surgery, I would want a parent there."

"She's better than a mom," says Guerra.

As it is for other types of medical tourism, to places as far away as India and Thailand, price is the driving factor in going abroad for care. Jose Guerrerosantos, who is doing Guerra's surgery, says that a "tummy tuck" that costs $4,000 in Mexico would be $15,000 in the US. At least three Americans a month receive his care, he says.

Tour operators like Air Lift Inc. make the process much easier. Beverly McCarter has been running the company since 2001, and says since then some 600 Americans have traveled to Guadalajara for the firm's services. Her company works exclusively with Dr. Guerrosantos, a widely respected doctor who trained in the US. The public hospital bears his name, and he does reconstructive surgery for free there.

He says Guadalajara is a beauty-conscious town. At the public hospital, patients can receive cosmetic surgery for a reduced fee. And of six surgeries he does a week, five are for aesthetic purposes.

Ms. McCarter says her tour differs from other plastic surgery operators because they don't market this as a holiday. "You see some of the companies on the web, and photos of women with Margaritas in their hands," she says, scoffing. "This is serious."

Risks involved

Leaving the US for health needs is not new, but as US medical costs soar and insurance remains out of reach for many, and elective care like face lifts become less taboo, organizations like ISAPS are moving to issue guidelines on medical tourism and warn patients of risks.

Although ISAPS has members in many countries and does not endorse or condone medical tourism, Mr. Staffieri urges patients to consider the risks.

In some cases tour operators are not legitimate and connect patients with unqualified doctors.

In other cases, he says, patients run into problems if follow-up care is needed.

His organization is currently carrying out a survey to get a better glimpse of who is going where, and for what. "Save money on soap power," Staffieri says, "not on a new face."

Still, the trend is not expected to let up any time soon. Guerra says a handful of friends back in Houston are curiously waiting in the wings – to see how she comes home, and whether they'll be the next to "book" a surgery.

It's no vacation. "I wasn't planning on sitting by a pool," she says. "But this is better."

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