Cosmetic tourism is taking the medical world by storm. All around the world, people are taking vacations not just to get under the sun but also a scalpel.
Colombia is one of the most popular destinations for such practices. Ranking as the fourth most popular destination for plastic surgery abroad. Hundreds of patients from wealthy nations like the U.S. and Spain travel to Colombia every year to receive a cosmetic procedure.
But are these procedures safe? Is it worth it to travel to Colombia to have such a procedure done? Colombia achieved its high ranking in the world of cosmetics for a reason.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about plastic surgery in Colombia.
Cosmetic Tourism
Before we get into Colombia’s specific role, we’ll have to discuss the medical tourism industry in general. Medical tourism is when you travel to another country to receive a medical procedure. Usually, people do this for two reasons. It’s less expensive, or you receive a higher quality of care.
At the head of the $60 billion medical tourism is cosmetic surgery. The internet allows patients to research their options from a global pool, finding the best financial options immediately. Today, travel for cosmetic surgery has become wildly popular, especially in North America.
Why is Colombia Famous for Plastic Surgery
A study at one clinic in Cartagena, Colombia, found that 90% of their patients were from the U.S. and Canada. The same study also found that young to middle-aged women travel more for cosmetic surgery. Making up 83% of the patients at this clinic at the ages of 20 to 54.
It also seems that patients prefer to get many procedures done when visiting the clinic. With 72% receiving combination procedures. This study also speaks to the validity of the procedures. 99% used general anesthesia, and all done in an accredited hospital by highly qualified plastic surgeons in Colombia.
Colombian culture has a deeply rooted history in plastic surgery due to its emphasis on physical beauty. Women especially feel a lot of pressure to be beautiful from a very early age. Cosmetic surgery is hardly a taboo topic, even among teenage girls.
Colombia is no stranger to plastic surgery. They had more than 300,000 cosmetic operations in 2016 alone. Most of them done on native Colombians. Five out of every 1000 Colombians have undergone some kind of cosmetic procedure.
This is a relatively recent phenomenon, but numbers are climbing fast. They saw a 36% increase in the 2010s.
While Colombians make up a large part of these numbers, medical tourists play their part. More than 75,500 foreigners received treatments in Colombia’s most famous cities Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín.
Costs of Plastic Surgery in Colombia Relative to other Countries
Despite their close relationship with cosmetic procedures, Colombia receives most of its Cosmetic tourism due to competitive pricing. The average plastic surgery procedure in Colombia will cost 40% less than the rest of the world.
Colombia performs more than 71,000 cosmetic operations on medical tourists for this exact reason. It’s just cheaper there. A breast implant in Miami, FL, can cost up to $4,000. The most you’ll pay in Colombia is $3000 and can go as low as $1500.
The same for liposuction (removing fat cells from the body). In Miami, liposuction can cost you $8,000, whereas you can get the same for a maximum of $2,500 in Colombia.
You see differences like this for all surgeries from eyelids (Colombia: $1,850 U.S: $3,500) to nose jobs (Colombia: $6,550 U.S: $9,700). Colombia can provide these excellent prices for a multitude of reasons.
First, employees cost less in Colombia. There are also fewer fees tied up with malpractice lawsuits and insurance. Their facilities also have lower rent/upfront costs, and they don’t have third-party insurance companies or healthcare providers to deal with.
With such an extreme difference in cost, you can use your savings to book your flight to Colombia and a stay in a resort while you recover. All of this for less than what you would pay to have the procedure done in your home country!
You can even package the procedure and your vacation together with a medical tourism experience from one of Colombia’s leading plastic surgery centers.
Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures in Colombia
Now that you know everything about the costs, let’s see the most popular procedures in Colombia. First, there is liposuction. Most people who have liposuction in Colombia have multiple sites (3.8 per patient) treated and undergo more than one procedure.
Next came a buttock augmentation or “Buttlift.” This procedure involves an implant in the buttocks to make them appear rounder and more attractive. Popularized in Brazil and has gained global popularity as well in recent decades. 54% of the patients who received liposuction had it implanted into their buttocks for augmentation.
People liked the tummy tuck (making the stomach smaller), and the breast lifts and augmentations were the fourth and fifth most popular, respectively. The following most popular surgeries among medical tourists were eyelid surgery, facial fat grafting, facelift, rhinoplasty, and arm lift.
When dividing procedures by gender, you’ll find different results. For women visiting Colombia, the most popular were liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, tummy tuck, breast lift, and breast augmentation.
Men prefer liposuction, eyelid surgery, gynecomastia correction (for the pectoral muscles), facelift/necklift, and facial fat grafting.
In the End
We hope we were able to answer all of your questions about plastic surgery in Colombia. Whether you’re looking for plastic surgeons in Medellin or elsewhere in the country, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a culture that knows what they’re doing when it comes to cosmetic procedures.
You’ll also be able to receive those procedures at a meager price compared to the rest of the world. Colombia is an excellent destination to choose for your medical vacation.
Always do your research and don’t be blinded by cheap procedures! If you’d like to get started with medical tourism and want to visit a few clinics in Medellin during your stay, be sure to contact our concierge service today to schedule visits.
