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LATEST NEWS
A few snippets of news extracted from a variety
of world-wide publications featuring coverage of South Africa’s
surgical attractions:
WE WANTED NEW BOOBS - AND WE GOT THEM!
Now Magazine, 2 June 2004
- Student Jessica Pritchard, 23, from Bournemouth had a breast
reduction last year, and sold her house to pay for the op in the UK.
(read article)
- Student and part-time dancer Joanna Scaife
travelled to South Africa and saved on cost, for her breast augmentation in April
this year (read article)
'The Guardian', 11 May 2004
Sun, sea, sand ... and surgery
(This article has been edited for length. The original
article can be found here.)
Faced with a choice between NHS waiting lists and expensive
private clinics, says Joanna Moorhead, more and more
Britons are opting to go abroad for treatment - with a
holiday thrown in
We travel for business. We travel for pleasure. And now,
increasingly, we travel for our health as well. The health
tourism industry is still in its infancy and hard figures
are difficult to come by, but last year an estimated 50,000
"medi-tourists" are thought to have travelled overseas from
the UK for an extraordinary range of check-ups, treatments
and operations, to countries as far afield as Thailand,
South Africa, India and Cuba.
"Word is getting around," says Leslie, a medical insurance
broker who matches UK patients with hospitals and surgeons
abroad. "The idea is out there and people are investigating.
This month I had four times as many internet hits on keywords
like 'surgery abroad' as I had the month before."
Paul, who runs a similar business helping to organise surgery
in, among other places, Thailand, Singapore and Istanbul -
agrees. "Virtually every country is thinking it can offer this
kind of service," he says. "Tourist boards are putting out
literature saying, 'Come here for a safari, or a spell at the
beach, or an operation.' If you're going to feel rotten you
might as well feel rotten somewhere sunny, so you can at least
enjoy nice weather as you recuperate."
The main reason cited for looking abroad is NHS waiting lists.
"In this country we are used to a high level of free healthcare,
but the fact is there are long waiting lists for some very nasty
conditions - hip replacements, for example. What you find is
that people are in a lot of pain and they have expectations
of efficiency in the health service. They are appalled when
they are told how long they're going to have to endure their
suffering before they can be fixed.
"They're often older people, so they have a reasonable disposable
income. They've got children who have backpacked round the world
and who have maybe seen at first hand the medical facilities in
places such as Asia and South Africa and can testify to how good
they are."
The real crunch comes when they decide to dip into their savings
and go private, and start phoning around UK private health
providers to see how much a new hip or knee is going to set them
back. "They're horrified at the prices," says Leslie.
"Then someone tells them about a company like ours, or they talk
to someone else who knows someone who has had surgery abroad, and
they realise that prices abroad are cheaper, even taking into
account travel and accommodation for a partner or friend. On
average, I'd say most people are able to save around a third by
going abroad."
For most patients, initial fears about language difficulties and
the logistics of travelling overseas are allayed by linking up
with a company experienced in putting health trips together. Some,
such as Surgical Attractions in South Africa, even offer add-on
"recuperation holidays". "A lot of our clients come here for
cosmetic surgery," says Ingrid Lomas, who runs the company. "They
have liposuction or breast augmentation and combine coming to
Cape Town or Johannesburg for the surgery with the chance to take
a holiday. Typically, they would fly over, have the procedure,
rest for a few days in one of our hotels or guest lodges, and then
have a wineland tour or go on safari.
"As it's cosmetic surgery, the incognito factor is huge. But the
big draw has to be the exchange rate, which makes it very good
value indeed." Some of her clients, says Lomas, are able to have
their surgery and a holiday for less than the cost of the surgery
alone in the UK. "It's a growing phenomenon - I'm getting more
and more calls," she says. "At the moment we've got around 10
people a month travelling here from the UK - I'd say around four
men to every six women."
The majority of patients going overseas for surgery at the moment
are self-financing. Those who have private medical insurance are
usually only able to use their payout at approved hospitals which,
at the moment anyway, are mostly within the UK. For NHS patients,
the opportunities are limited - but they do exist, in some areas
at least. For the last nine months Dominic has been project manager
of a pilot scheme offering certain patients awaiting orthopaedic
surgery the chance to have treatment in Belgium.
But it is in the private sector that the effects of health tourism
are likely to be most deeply felt. Leslie says he has already had
UK surgeons contacting him who are prepared to undercut European
colleagues to attract business to their clinics. The insurance
companies too, he says, are watching developments keenly, and the
overall effect of cheaper prices on the continent could well push
bills for private medicine down here in the medium term.
Meanwhile, says Paul, going abroad is likely to become more and
more acceptable. And it won't just be for operations, he says.
People will increasingly think of combining an MOT-type general
health check with a beach holiday, and companies looking after
overstressed execs are already thinking in terms of combining a
health check with a spa or seaside hotel overseas.
Surgery safaris pose no special risk, say SA’s plastic surgeons
Carli Lourens, Trade and Industry Editor
SA IS not the cheap and nasty destination for plastic surgery as portrayed in UK newspaper The Daily Mail last week, says the local plastic surgeons’ association.
South African surgeons are more experienced than their British counterparts and are trained on the British system, said Dr Tom Ford, president of the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Southern Africa. The article could damage a thriving industry in SA, as it challenged SA’s global reputation as a "good and a safe" destination, said Ford.
There is no information available on the number of procedures performed annually by the 100-odd plastic surgeons in the country, but SA has become a popular plastic surgery destination, particularly after it started offering "surgical safaris", where plastic surgery procedures are combined with holidays.
The Daily Mail article warned that thousands of women were "seriously endangering their health" by going on plastic surgery holidays to SA and eastern Europe, where procedures are far cheaper than in the UK.
It said patients "rarely know anything about their cosmetic surgeon’s qualifications or standards of care until it is too late to back out".
Ford said plastic surgery was substantially cheaper in SA, due to the exchange rate.
He also said SA offered surgeons who were more experienced than their UK counterparts. South African surgeons were respected abroad.
The Daily Mail slammed "surgical safaris", which have become a thriving industry in SA; "and some travel agents offer package deals of a holiday with a nose job, for example, thrown in", it says.
"The article was totally unjust and it is a misrepresentation of what SA offers," says Ingrid Lomas, CEO of Surgical Attractions, which offers surgery and holiday packages.
It quoted a London surgeon who said more than 1000 British patients came to SA a year for cosmetic surgery . If anything, said Lomas, these figures were testament to SA’s good reputation in plastic surgery .
Most of SA’s plastic surgeons offer combined packages.
Among the most common procedures are breast augmentation and liposuction. Botox injections to reduce facial wrinkles are rapidly gaining popularity.
Ford said any surgical procedure, including cosmetic surgery , presented potential complications. These could occur after a patient left SA. But he said only about 1% of all plastic surgery operations had complications. "And most of these are very minor."
Global demand for plastic surgery is increasing and if South African surgeons’ reputation remains intact, it could be a continued source of foreign currency earnings for the country.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery said close to 7-million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the US in 2002. There was a 228% rise in the number of procedures in the five years to 2002.
The Daily Mail said demand for cosmetic surgery was booming in the UK, especially among the image conscious 25-35 age group. It said about 75000 British people had plastic surgery annually, about 90% of them women.
'Explore South Africa Magazine', Summer Edition 2003/2004
SURGICAL ATTRACTIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA
When John Keats wrote "A thing of beauty is a joy forever"
Medical Tourism was unheard of. He would therefore have had
no way of knowing that his now famous words would one day
so aptly describe the endless beauty of South Africa: a country
now synonymous with Medical Tourism, made popular by Cosmetic
Surgery, and through which a little of South Africa's beauty
manages to rub off on a large percentage of its medical tourists
annually.
"And there's absolutely no reason why, with the right
maintenance treatments, the beautiful results achieved at
the hands of our brilliant South African surgeons won't continue
to endure for far, far longer than our clients could possibly
imagine", says Ingrid Lomas, CEO of Surgical Attractions,
the South African Medical Tourism company that specialises
in Cosmetic Surgery. "Post operative care, along with
pre operative care and matching our clients to a highly qualified,
registered surgeon most suited to their particular requirements
is of prime importance to us".
Although their unquestionably high standard of surgeons and
surgery is the main cause of South Africa's medical tourism
growing in leaps and bounds over the past few years, it isn't
the only reason medical tourists are flooding into the country.
They also come for all the other undeniably appealing South
African attractions, like the spectacular climate, the huge
diversity of beautiful recuperation and rejuvenation holiday
destinations and of course, for the exceptional exchange rate,
courtesy of the weak South African Rand when compared to most
other currencies in the world. A situation that not only affords
South Africa's medical tourists the opportunity to enjoy surgical
procedures at a greatly reduced cost, as opposed to what is
on offer in their own countries, but also allows them to partake
of a fantastic and highly affordable holiday at the same time.
"Apart from the obvious advantages that the exchange
rate offers our clients we feel we owe it to them to not only
make sure they are provided with South Africa's leading surgeons,
clinics, hospitals and medical technology but also a choice
of the finest recuperation accommodation and rejuvenation
holiday destinations at the best price", adds Lomas of
Surgical Attractions.
And, in order to be in a position to offer their clients
the most comprehensive Medical Tourism service in Southern
Africa, Surgical Attractions has forged an association with
both Rennies Inbound Travel South Africa and Africa Travel
Centre UK.
"Rennies Travel has been taking care of overseas visitors
for virtually as long as the first tourists showed an interest
in our country, says Belinda Lamb, International Marketing
Manager of Rennies Inbound. "That's why our association
with Surgical Attractions is proving so exciting. It allows
us to offer the same expertise and know how that we have perfected
over the years to a whole new breed of tourist who leaves
looking amazing after the benefits of surgery and a hassle
free stay with us."
Quality tourist assistance 24/7, courtesy of Rennies Inbound,
ensures total peace of mind for Surgical Attractions' clients.
"And for those whose first language isn't English, we
can even offer tour guides who do speak their language",
adds Belinda.
Frances Geoghegan, Managing Director of Africa Travel Centre
is equally enthusiastic regarding what the association offers
Surgical Attractions' clients. "ATC is recognized as
a tried and trusted tour operator with over 20 years experience
in organising the most upmarket and cost efficient packaged
tours to Southern Africa, 10 years of which have been in partnership
with Rennies Inbound", says Frances. "The combination
of Surgical Attractions, Rennies and ourselves is now proving
to be an unrivalled force in South Africa's Medical Tourism,
because together we offer clients from most parts of the globe,
everything they could possibly hope for in surgery, recuperation,
holiday and flight packages. Priced to best suit their individual
pockets".
And what a feast of choice there is in Rejuvenation Holiday
Accommodation. There's Wine and Golf Estates, Country and
Coastal Retreats, Luxury Train Journeys and Bush Safaris,
featuring the big five, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and
Buffalo along with the widest variety of bird life - species
too numerous to mention.
But in preparation for a South African Rejuvenation Holiday
of a lifetime, first there's the recuperation phase of one's
'Private Journey of Personal Renewal' to be enjoyed, not endured!
Thanks to a choice of leading hotels and guest lodges in Johannesburg
and Cape Town who go out of their way to pamper Surgical Attractions'
clients.
Surgical Attractions also highly value the role of the beauty
therapist in pre and post operative care and maintenance,
encouraging their clients to arrive a couple of days early
to acclimatise and prepare their bodies for surgery, and also
to avail themselves of post operative beauty treatments to
ensure a better rate of recovery.
"Practically all the luxury establishments where our
clients are accommodated boast beauty salons of note and we
are happy to arrange visits by highly qualified therapists
to the smaller establishments' says Lomas. "All our clients
are encouraged to visit a beauty salon regularly to help prolong
the life of their wonderful new appearance on their return
home - and those clients returning to the UK are urged to
visit a BABTAC (British Association of Beauty Therapy and
Cosmetology) registered salon".
Another great draw-card when it comes to visiting South Africa
for surgery, particularly cosmetic surgery, is the incognito
factor. You can travel to these sunny shores, on the pretext
of going 'on holiday', and return home a couple of weeks later
looking like a millions dollars and extolling all the benefits
of the country's many beautiful attractions without breathing
a word about your little flirtation with surgery!
These fibs have of course resulted in many visitors arriving
in the country assuming that they too will be able to soak
up a few weeks of South African sunshine and return home looking
ten years younger! However, the truth of the matter is, although
everyone stands to look great after a holiday in South Africa,
you're bound to look just that little more wonderful, and
a lot younger, if you avail yourself of the undisputed skills
of South Africa's leading surgeons. And, what's more, provided
you look after your new appearance, as the sentiment in Keats'
poem suggests, your beauty like the beauty of South Africa
will be a joy forever.
(BUSINESS DAY, December 2003)
TAKE A BUTTOCKS TO BOTOX HOLIDAY
South Africans have been thrilled and
flabbergasted by the miracles plastic surgeons perform in
the M-Net series Extreme Makeover. No wonder, then, that this
is a multibillion-dollar industry. By offering surgical skills
combined with a holiday in sunny SA, this country is getting
its fair share of the market. Carli Lourens investigates.
 |
 |
 |
| From this… |
…via surgeons, a bit
of pain and quite a lot of cash… |
…to this
|
M-Net's reality TV
show Extreme Makeover gives one an idea of all that can
be achieved with plastic surgery
Pictures: M-NET, EXTREME MAKEOVER and NIP/TUCK |
There are no figures available to prove SA's apparent
medical tourism fame, but the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons of South Africa says the industry is still booming,
three years after the country started combining these pain-and-pleasure
packages.
And all indications are that this industry is raking in much
needed hard currency for the country.
Most of SA's 120 or so plastic surgeons offer it all
– buttocks to botox (removal of facial wrinkles), with
the holiday of your choice.
Patients can have virtually anything they are able to dream
up – a nose job with a South Coast jaunt or a boob job
with a Cathedral Peak stay.
Further good news for SA is that the demand for plastic surgery
is rising rapidly as these operations become more commonplace.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says that
close to 7-million surgical procedures were performed in the
US last year. The association says there was a 228% increase
in the number of procedures in the five years to 2002.
Dr Tom Ford, president of the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons of Southern Africa, says that British women in particular
have been coming to SA for these procedures for many years
– a result of SA's colonial ties. With lots of change
in their purses after the procedure, the ladies can't
resist spending more time in sunny SA while their bruises
fade. Hence, the emergence of the rejuvenation holiday.
Word of mouth has ensured that the industry keeps growing.
However, SA's favourable exchange rate and natural beauty
alone are not enough to sustain the industry. The success
of this sector hinges on the surgical skills of plastic surgeons
in the country.
Ford suggests that the relatively small number of plastic
surgeons relative to a large number of patients has meant
that these doctors have gained substantial experience compared
to their European counterparts, for example.
He says the most common procedures are still breast augmentation
followed by Liposuction, while botox is rapidly gaining popularity.
Ford says most of South African plastic surgeons' patients
still originate from Europe, and mainly the UK.
The high price of airfares from the US makes it prohibitively
expensive for many Americans.
Ingrid Lomas, head of Surgical Attractions, agrees that the
high price of flights in general is an inhibiting factor when
it comes to further growth in the industry.
She says the strong rand has certainly had an adverse effect
on the industry. “But people are still coming here,”
she says. “It is still good value for money.”
Surgical Attractions offers cosmetic surgery procedures combined
with a wide array of rejuvenation options, including stays
at SA's top bush lodges, such as Singita and Thornybush.
The company has a partnership with Rennies Travel. “We
did this because we want to be as professional as possible,”
says Lomas.
Despite the lack of statistical information, there is firm
proof of this country's popularity and expertise in this
industry, which must mean that it is a significant exporter
and hard-currency earner for SA.
The Toronto Star
November 8, 2003
NIP AND TUCK ENHANCEMENTS TO YOUR HOLIDAY
By Marlene Arpe
Here a nip. There a tuck. And over there, by the pool, a
fetching waiter serving a frozen magarita to be leisurely
enjoyed while the swelling from the surgery goes down and
you wait for the stitches to come out.
Say, for the sake of silly argument, that I were to decide
I hated my boobs so much I'd let a doctor cut me open and
shove wobbly foreign objects under my skin, there would be
worse ways to get over the surgery than through a bit of luxurious
vacationing in a temperate climate. (Or how about a nose job
and a safari - the rhinoceros/rhinoplasty special, natch.)
Combining cosmetic surgery with vacation time is becoming
increasingly popular.
Clinics in Asia, Africa and Europe are wooing would-be face-lift
candidates with promises of excellent surgical skills as well
as the chance to see a new country.
There is also usually a promise of lower prices for the procedures.
Surgical Attractions in South Africa is a "medical tourism
company," pairing clients with surgeons and offering
combo deals, apparently with great success, as 90 percent
of their clients come from abroad.
On their Web Site (www.surgicalattractions.com)
there are plenty of ideas - ranging from safaris through day
trips to wine estate tours - to make the whole under-the-knife
experience a bit more pleasant.
I made an inquiry as to how much a breast enhancement and
wine estate tour would set me back and Ingrid Lomas of Surgical
Attractions immediately came through with detailed information.
A breast augmentation (including prosthesis), performed in
Cape Town, followed by a wine estate tour (including wine
tastings) would come to approximately $3,781 Cdn.
This is without air fare. On top of that, there's the food
and lodging while recuperating (six nights, seven days), ranging
from $545 (guest lodge) to $1,140 (luxury boutique hotel).
For those who are serious about checking out Surgical Attractions,
there is a long, detailed questionnaire to be filled out when
contacting the outfit.
And you don't have to feel lost and alone:
"Through our companion/care service we arrange to meet
our clients at the airport and transport them to their accommodation,
to their medical appointments, to their hospital/clinic for
their procedure, back to their accommodation following the
procedure and to the airport on their return," Lomas
says.
In comparison, if you're looking for Toronto breast enhancement,
the price range is approximately $5,600 (saline implants)
to $7,400 (cohesive gel implants).
A central American doctor, who shall remain nameless, also
got my question about breast augmentation and answered promptly.
With a quote for breast reduction! He also, curiously, ended
his e-mail to this only child: "Please send my best to
your sister and her husband, and thank them dearly for your
referral to my persona."
LOERIE 40 PLUS MAGAZINE
October, 2003
COSMETIC SURGERY NOT ONLY FOR THE RICH
By Carla van der Spuy
Once the domain of the rich and famous, cosmetic or "plastic"
surgery has become increasingly popular among ordinary people.
It is not deemed a luxury any more but in our society, which
places a large emphasis on looks, many consider it a necessity.
Dr Dirk Lazarus, a plastic surgeon from Cape Town explains
that cosmetic surgery is a multi-faceted surgical discipline."It
is a medical speciality practiced by highly trained doctors."
He interestingly notes that men are increasingly opting for
plastic surgery. In fact, depending on the procedure men make
up between 15 and 40 percent of his patients! 'People feel
better when they look better,' he simply says.
South Africa has become known for cosmetic surgery and safaris
aimed at overseas visitors. One of the reasons besides the
excellent reputation of our surgeons, is the affordability
due to South Africa's attractive exchange rate. Surgical Attractions
is one such medical tourism company specialising in Cosmetic
Surgery.
Leading surgeons are not 'chosen off their website' but clients
are rather encouraged not only to email their medical history
and their GP's contact details to the company, but also a
detailed account of their personal desires and aspirations
for the outcome of their surgery. These personal requirements
are thereafter matched to the most suitable surgeon for the
clients' needs.
Another feature of Surgical Attractions is the great emphasis
they place on post-operative care. To this end they have structured
an association with one of South Africa's biggest travel companies
that can recommend the best lodges and hotels in the country.
Medical tourists are also in a position to explore South Africa
and have choice of bush safaris, wineland tours, golf estate
getaways and country and coastal escapes.
Surgical Attractions' website is www.surgicalattractions.com
and their e-mail address is info@surgicalattractions.com
VITALITY
NON-SURGICAL COSMETIC PROCEDURES ARE
BETTER THAN SURGICAL PROCEDURES. OR ARE THEY?
By Ingrid Lomas, CEO of Surgical Attractions
May/June 2003
Are you literally teetering on the knife’s edge?
Looking in the mirror every day and wondering if you should
take the bull by the horns and go ahead and have that Surgical
Face Lift you’ve been thinking about for some time? Or perhaps
go for Non-Surgical Procedures instead? Which would be better?
On the one hand …… but … and then again ……
If you’re like the majority of women throughout
the world your decision as to which route to take, and your
opinion of which option will be the most cost effective and
rewarding, probably changes from day to day.
However you’ll be pleased to know that this
indecision is entirely normal and healthy. In fact you should
definitely not go ahead with either a surgical or non-surgical
procedure until you have found out exactly what is involved
in terms of how the procedures are conducted, the recovery
time, the potential risks, the costs involved (long term and
short term) and what will be most suited to you personally.
Only when you are in possession of all the facts
will you be in a position to make the right decision and feel
completely happy with that decision.
The first very important step is to find the
right surgeon with whom you can discuss your personal desires
and aspirations regarding the look you wish to achieve.
The reason being that there are many factors
to take into consideration when deciding what course of action
will suit you best. To this end only a highly experienced
cosmetic surgeon is qualified to listen to your hopes and
concerns, answer all your questions and be in a position to
objectively assess everything about you. Like for instance
your age, the shape of your face, your bone structure, the
colour and texture of your skin, your hair type and the position
of your hairline etc - before making a considered and realistic
recommendation.
Your discussions with your cosmetic surgeon
can of course last quite a while (in some cases even months)
before you’re completely in possession of all the facts and
answers relating to all the questions you may have concerning
your particular needs.
Some people make quicker decisions than others
of course but under no circumstances should you ever feel
pressurised into making a decision before you are ready to
do so.
Fortunately however you will find that all reputable
surgeons are of the same belief and will encourage you to
ask as many questions as you like in order to make sure that
you are completely happy with the informed decision you eventually
make.
You will also be able, by the end of the discussions,
to confidently answer that other burning question that formed
the basis of this article. What’s best, a surgical procedure
or a non-surgical procedure?
And the answer you will ultimately arrive at,
with the help of your newfound knowledge on the subject, is
that you can’t possibly compare apples with pears.
Both types of procedures have their individual
merits and place when it comes to beauty enhancement and in
the hands of the right surgeons can be used individually or
as a combination to produce a stunningly beautiful effect
on the recipient.
(This article was written by Ingrid Lomas CEO
of Surgical Attractions – a South African based Medical Tourism
Company. For more information visit Surgical Attractions’
web site at www.surgicalattractions.com
email info@surgicalattractions
or call +27 11 880 5122)
VITALITY
Surgical Attractions
BEAUTY THERAPISTS TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE
IN COSMETIC SURGERY
March/April 2003
Surgical Attractions, a South African based
company that arranges cosmetic surgery procedures in South
Africa for UK residents, has come up with a concept whereby
UK based beauty therapists can play a bigger role in cosmetic
surgery post operatively.
“More and more UK residents are choosing to
have their cosmetic surgery procedures in South Africa for
a variety of reasons”, says Surgical Attractions’ Ingrid Lomas.
“Due to the extremely favourable SA/UK exchange rate UK residents
can enjoy the highest standard of cosmetic surgery by world-renowned
surgeons in state-of-the-art medical facilities for far less
than the cost of having the same surgery performed in the
UK”.
Package the surgery with equally affordable
luxury recuperation venues and holiday destinations at a variety
of superb locations, including leading Safari Lodges, and
its no wonder that UK residents are flocking to sunny South
Africa for their cosmetic surgery. Not to mention the added
perk of returning home without a hint of having had surgery
- and wowing friends and family with their absolutely gorgeous
post ‘holiday’ looks!
Surgical Attractions however don’t believe their
clients should become complacent after a cosmetic surgery
procedure. “Once our wonderful surgeons have performed their
side of the operation by restoring our clients to their former
glory, or according to some patients making them look better
than ever before, we encourage them to maintain their new
look”, says Ingrid. “By urging them to visit their local beauty
salon in the UK regularly for post-operative maintenance treatments”.
Surgical Attractions believe that the very necessary
post-operative role of the beauty therapist has been largely
underplayed in the past and that clients should be made aware
that regular facial and body treatments can preserve the very
positive effects of cosmetic surgery for far longer than they
could imagine.
To this end Surgical Attractions not only intend
educating their clients, while they are in their care, about
the great benefits of post-operative beauty therapy but would
also like to be able to refer each client to their nearest
accredited BABTAC beauty salon on their return to the UK.
If you are interested in everything Surgical
Attractions has to offer they can be contacted via their website
www.surgicalattractions.co.za or telephonically on +27 11
880 5122.
THE GUARDIAN
Scalpel Safaris
Rory Carroll
Tuesday December 17, 2002
Travelling abroad for operations is not new
but this latest form has grown so fast as to be dubbed a hedonistic
illustration of global supply and demand. The flesh is willing
and the rand is weak.
For clients the appeals are obvious. Despite a recent rally,
South Africa's currency is feeble compared with the pound,
dollar and euro. More of the Britons who spend £200m on cosmetic
surgery each year have woken up to the fact that operations
in Johannesburg or Cape Town can be a third of the price at
home.
GMTV BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BREAKFAST SHOW
Scalpel Safaris
First class cosmetic surgery at Third World
prices?
Most of us look for a bit of sun, sea and sand
when we embark on our yearly holiday. But how would you fancy
combining that desired tummy tuck or face lift with that well
earned rest? South African cosmetic surgeons are now offering
people the chance to have a luxury holiday and a spot of plastic
surgery for less than the price of an operation in Britain.
Cheap alternative
Surgery in South Africa costs only a third that
of the UK. In Britain a facelift costs on average GBP 9,000,
while its equivalent in South Africa, including a stay in
a luxury hotel and a post-op safari comes to around GBP 3,500.
Tour operators are increasingly offering packages that include
a consultation via email and telephone or face-to-face to
reassure those who fear that standards may be lower abroad.
But in reality the operation is likely to be just as safe
as in the UK. According to President of theRoyal Society of
Medicine's Plastic Surgery Brain Coghlan, plastic surgery
qualifications in South Africa are equal to those in Britain.
THE FINANCIAL MAIL
A Snip At The Price
Medical tourism has made SA a hot destination
for face and boob lifts not to mention the lions.
By Peter Wilhelm
September, 2002
Increasing numbers of foreign tourists mainly
from the US and UK are taking advantage of the low rand
and SA's medical excellence to jet in for such pressing medical
emergencies as excessive flab, wrinkles and the known ailments
of age. Tourism based on the internal buying power of our
currency is familiar. Less so is the surge of a subset of
foreign visitors, medical tourists. SA has become a magnet
for those in search of (relatively) cheap elective procedures
such as tummy tucks, lipo suction, laser eye surgery, rhinoplasty
and breast enhancement. More critical surgical work including
hip and knee replacements, or, indeed, cardiac operations
are also on offer from a rising number of SA-based sources;
but cosmetic surgery is the main drawcard. There are no fixed
prices for elective surgery and clients should beware of those
that seem too low. As a bench mark, though, a breast augmentation
operation that costs £3000-£5000 in the UK and US$10000 in
the US, America is quoted by one SA company at £1800 ($2500).
And local prices, listed in pounds or dollars, generally include
some or all components of travel fares, food, hospital and
hotel admission; even a game tour. A face lift in England costs
£5000-£9000 (depending on where you have the surgery) and
in the US, $20000; in SA, with some extras, it is priced costed
at £2800 ($3900).
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
First Liposuction, Then Lions
Low-Cost Plastic Surgery Draws Tourists
to S. Africa
By Jon Jeter
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, June 8, 2002; Page A01
JOHANNESBURG
The surgeon's scalpel had left Peter Kaufman's
face swollen and his midsection sore, but his spirits were
high as he sipped orange juice and downed scrambled eggs by
the hotel's glistening pool. The operation had gone well,
and for less than half what it would have cost him back home
in Dallas, Kaufman had parted with his jowls and his love
handles. Now it was on to the South African bush, where Kaufman's
telltale scars could heal far from his neighbors and co-workers'
accusatory stares, his secret safe with the safari guide and
any elephants or rhinos he came across. "I made the decision
that by my 50th birthday I was going to reclaim my life,"
Kaufman said. "I really wanted to have a face lift, but it's
so incredibly expensive in the States. Here I can get everything
I want done, go on safari, [and] spend three weeks recuperating
for the same price as just the surgical procedure back home.
The swelling will be down by the time I return, so I can go
back as a new person and it won't look so obvious. And I feel
safer here than I do in the U.S. right now. This is just ideal."
Kaufman needed to get his groove back and headed east, here
to South Africa, where the plastic surgeons are first-rate,
the animals are exotic and the dollar goes a long way. The
odd combination of lions and liposuction are at the center
of this country's growing "medical tourism" industry, which
has in turn helped fuel a surge in international travel here
since Sept. 11 © 2002 The Washington Post Company
IRISH INDEPENDENT (ON-LINE)
Going on a holiday for sun, safari and surgery?
Tourists to South Africa come home with more than a tan after
a "scalpel safari". MARIANNE HERON reports.
A new breed of tourist to South Africa is returning
home with more than a tan to account for their glowing good
looks. The secret lies not only in the holiday of a lifetime
in game parks or the Cape winelands but the chance to transform
face or figure at the same time. Their secret is an unusual
partnership between surgical skill and tourism, which comes
packaged in luxury. Enterprising tour operators there are
currently around 10 of them have spotted the potential of
plastic surgery, at a fraction of European prices, combined
with exotic African adventure. And their offers are attracting
an increasing number of overseas visitors to take "scalpel
safaris". In Ireland and the UK, the tendency is for people
to go into hiding post-operatively. South Africa where nips
tucks and boob jobs are fair game for table talk offers privacy
with a perfect holiday alibi to cover for absence.
A big part of the attraction is the saving involved in world-
class surgery which can more than cover the cost of the holiday.
This is due both to the fact that the South African currency,
the Rand, has fallen in value in recent months and the fact
that prices in South Africa are much lower than those in Europe.
When clients opt for multiple procedures breast augmentation
with liposuction and a tummy tuck or a face and eye lift are
popular combinations the trip becomes even more cost effective
FINANCE WEEK
PLASTIC SURGERY
8th February, 2002 Mom, I wanted to be a pretty
boy
It's official - men are just as vein as
woman
By Handrie Basson
WOMEN are usually the ones to opt for wrinkle
fixes, liposuction and face lifts, right? Wrong.
More than a million American men underwent cosmetic plastic
surgery in 2000, accounting for 14% of these operations. And
though the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) does
not have the latest figures available, the society's president
Walter Erhardt said there can be no doubting the trend. "The
statistics confirm what we see in our practices. The general
stigma attached to cosmetic surgery as a privilege for the
rich and famous is disappearing. Moreover, men are becoming
more aware of their looks, with many opting for plastic surgery
to improve their looks," he says. Though in SA, mainly women
opt for this type of beauty treatment, the number of male
patients is on the increase. As in the US, cosmetic operations
on men are mainly nose and eyelid jobs. They also have hair
transplants and undergo liposuction to remove fat.
Dr Tom Ford, secretary of the Association of Plastic & Reconstructive
Surgery of SA (APRSSA), says many people have unrealistic
expectations of plastic surgery. "It's important for people
to be realistic about their physical image, for we cannot
perform miracles.
That's why surgeons must first discuss the matter with prospective
patients. A plastic surgeon makes a living from performing
operations. But he builds his reputation on not performing
operations." Ford says he regularly turns away people not
suited to an operation. APRSSA was formed in 1956 and has
over 120 members today. Ford says that SA unfortunately does
not have the same type of statistics as the US because SA
law prohibits publicising details of an operation.
The fact is that people, especially men, are getting used
to the idea of plastic surgery. The next time your boss returns
from holiday saying it's the fresh Cape sea air and sunshine
that made him look so young, take it with a pinch of salt.
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