Why Brazil has become a cosmetic surgery hub?
Women from the US, Europe and other rich countries where there is high medical costs are flocking to have their Plastic Surgery in Brazil, like a tummy tuck, a liposuction or breast work, done for less in places like Brazil.
Plastic surgeons in Brazil report a 20% increase in foreign patients last year over 2005. The popular cable television program Entertainment Tonight has followed women on the so-called “beauty and the beach” trail to Brazil.
Price is the biggest incentive for prospective foreign patients. Depending partly on the often fluctuating exchange rate, total expenditures in Brazil usually run from one-third to one-half of what the same procedure would cost in the United States, say insiders.
Brazil stands out from cut-throat competition of Third World crowd because it can keep a straight face as it offers First World quality at a reasonably lower rate. Over 600,000 aesthetic operations were performed in 2006. Brazil has been a recognized international leader in the area of plastic surgery for decades.
Full-service operators try to eliminate some of the worry by helping prospective patients perform due diligence on physicians and hospitals, an often difficult task given language barriers and an unfamiliar bureaucracy.
