When Does it Make Sense to Travel for Plastic Surgery?

Jan 22, 2019

In our posts here, we frequently discuss the benefits of choosing the right plastic surgeon. We know that your best results, your long-term outcomes and your safety during and after your procedure rely on your surgeon’s abilities as a medical professional and as a communicator. We always advise seeking a plastic surgeon who is licensed and board-certified, who has demonstrated experience performing your procedure and who makes you feel comfortable and at ease.

But something we have not yet touched upon is the fact that sometimes, patients don’t feel as though they can find this “right surgeon” in their immediate geographical area. This may happen for a range of reasons. Perhaps you live in a rural town that doesn’t have any resident plastic surgeons who perform your procedure. Perhaps a surgeon who is a long car trip away has before-and-after photos that look more like your goals than those of qualified surgeons nearby. Or perhaps a particular surgeon comes highly recommended by someone you trust, but they are located a plane flight away.

If any of these situations sound familiar, you might be considering traveling for your plastic surgery. However, it may not be as simple as you imagine. Consider the following scenarios of hypothetical patients visiting Banff Plastic Surgery from Montreal and Calgary before you decide that traveling for plastic surgery is right for you.

Visiting Banff Plastic Surgery From Another Province

Jane lives in Montreal and has been thinking about having a breast augmentation for some time. She has no shortage of plastic surgeons in her city, but her coworker is from the Banff area and knows a few people who have had surgeries here with great results. Jane researched Banff Plastic Surgery online and feels as though she would get the kind of results and care she wants if she were to travel here. She has never been to Banff before and doesn’t personally know anyone who lives nearby, but it seems straightforward to travel to Banff from Montreal with a direct flight into Calgary. Maybe she could take a few days to stay at a hotel in Banff or Calgary — she imagines having her surgery, staying a night or two and then flying home.

But Jane hasn’t accounted for the fact that any plastic surgery, even one that seems routine like breast augmentation, is, in reality, a complex, multi-part process. Plastic surgery requires an in-person consultation, a day of surgery and several follow-up appointments at your surgeon’s offices. Jane would need to travel to Banff for every appointment — the sensitive nature of the surgery means that these meetings can’t be conducted over the phone or through a video service.

Plastic surgeries also come with several weeks of recovery time. It’s not advisable to fly on a plane or travel long distances for at least a week or two after plastic surgery; it will be uncomfortable, and patients are prone to developing blood clots if they are seated in a vehicle for too long. Jane would need to plan to stay in Banff for much longer than just a few days. What’s more, she would also need to have a trusted friend or family member to travel with her — not only will she need assistance with transportation on the day of her surgery, but she will also need help with basic daily tasks during the first week or two of recovery.

For patients like Jane, traveling for plastic surgery may not make sense. This scenario might be different if Jane had friends or family who lived in the area so that she could stay with them for the duration of her recovery. It may also be different if she were more familiar with the Banff area and was accustomed to traveling between Montreal and Banff frequently. But in general, traveling very long distances for plastic surgery is likely to cost more money and time than is worth a patient’s while.

Visiting Banff Plastic Surgery from Calgary

Nina was born and raised in Calgary, where she now lives with her spouse and their children. They love to travel to Banff to hike and ski — Nina’s parents retired to a small home there, and it is only a 90-minute drive from Calgary. Recently, Nina has been thinking about having a breast lift and has started to research nearby surgeons. She found a few promising practices in Calgary, but Banff Plastic Surgery also came up in her search and she likes the idea of undergoing the procedure with a female surgeon. It seems like it might be simple enough to make the drive back and forth for her appointments.

At first glance, Nina’s situation makes much more sense when it comes to traveling for plastic surgery. She is familiar with the Banff area, she has family in Calgary and in Banff and even has a place to stay in Banff if she needs it. She also would not need to travel very far, relatively speaking, and there are several options for traveling between Banff and Calgary including driving and taking a train or bus.

Nina should still weigh her options carefully. If she plans to drive back and forth between Banff and Calgary for every appointment, the 90-minute travel time may quickly add up — particularly if she is only visiting for short follow-up appointments. If she plans to stay with her parents, she will need to make sure that her parents are up to the task of helping her through recovery and that her spouse is able to take on sole parenting responsibilities while she is away. She may also need to consider that her plans could change depending on how she is feeling after her surgery — she may or may not be able to make the drive all the way back to Calgary on the same day as her procedure. In general, however, patients from Calgary are a much better fit for surgery in Banff than those from outside of our province.

No matter the distance from home, traveling for plastic surgery comes with extra considerations. At Banff Plastic Surgery, we want to ensure that your plastic surgery experience is seamless and comfortable, and that you are kept safe and healthy throughout the process. We work with out-of-town clients very closely to be sure that they have dedicated ample time and resources toward making a full recovery with minimal risks. If you are interested in surgery at Banff Plastic Surgery and you are in the greater Banff or Calgary area, please reach out to us to learn more about whether our location and services are right for you. Call our team at 403-762-2055 to learn more and to schedule your consultation.