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Engagement 101 - Special Features
Lovebirds take a Cosmetic Surgery Honeymoon
CosmeticSurgery.com Staff Report
by Charles Downey
Before English lovebirds Kelly Turner, 27, and Paul Mitchell, 28, recited their vows they talked about how they could squeeze in -- all at once -- a wedding, a honeymoon and some plastic surgery.
Plastic surgery? “Yes,” says Kelly who runs a business in Manchester with Paul’s help, “it was the start of our new lives together and we wanted to start by doing something completely for us.”
Currently, medical tourism is booming in Asia. Government sources say foreign travelers coming for all type of medical treatments have more than doubled in three years – to 102,000 visitors from 44,000.
One of the largest trends there is having various cosmetic surgery procedures, a practice often dubbed “Lipo-tourism.” So when Kelly and Paul spotted an English newspaper ad featuring surgical rejuvenation in Malaysia, the couple started comparing costs. They found the total of the cosmetic procedures they wanted would cost just about 10,000 Pounds (U.S. $18,233) in England while the whole package -- plane fare to Malaysia and back, surgery for both and a three-week holiday in a five-star hotel would run about 7,000 English pounds ($12,762 U.S. Dollars.)
The couple was aware that British and American plastic surgery societies – like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (A.S.P.S.) – had issued stern warnings about the risks involved with offshore plastic surgery vacations. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control entered the fray when they found outbreaks of infection in 2004 among about twenty New York City area patients after plastic surgery vacations. The bugbear was eventually tracked down to unclean instruments used in several cut-rate clinics in the Dominican Republic.
Says Paul: “We considered all that and found that the hospital, Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, boasted international certifications and was as clean and orderly as any hospital in the United Kingdom, if not more so.”
They also researched their surgeon, Jalil Jidon, M.D. the resident surgeon at Ampang Puteri Hospital. on the internet and found he was board-certified. But the real deal maker was the written guarantee offered by the tour organizer, Australia based Gorgeous Getaways, Ltd. The guarantee said if any unforeseen complications arose from the surgery, the company would fly one or both of the lovebirds back for corrective surgery, cover their stay and then fly them back to Manchester.
“Even though we work with the most experienced surgeons and specialists and use the best hospitals in Thailand and Malaysia, plastic surgery is less because the costs of living in Malaysia is much lower than in America, the United Kingdom or Australia,” says Louise Cogan, Gorgeous Getaways president.
The couple went ahead with the trip. Kelly had a breast augmentation and six porcelain veneers put on her front teeth. Paul had liposuction on his love handles and teeth whitening.
“But the trip was not all about surgery,” says Kelly. “I was also on a long honeymoon and wanted a wonderful vacation with my new husband.”
Both spent the night in the hospital after their procedures and then went back to the beautiful Rasa Sayang Resort to relax. A week later, after a follow-up visit with their surgeon, the duo slowly, gingerly began walking around, seeing a few sights and, eventually, made a short trip to Penang.
Despite all the safeguards, the A.S.P.S. remains dead set against medical tourism. They point out that vacation activities are usually incompatible with plastic surgery, that devices, medications and techniques used outside England and America may not be thoroughly tested and that it can be hard to learn about a foreign surgeon’s background over the Internet from a distant land. Finally, the A.S.P.S. recommends waiting five to seven days after surgery before flying. But for those who must travel to a foreign land for a nip and a tuck, bringing back home a copy of your medical records may be a good idea. Your physician may need to know what procedures you had while abroad.
Kelly and Paul say they will return to Malaysia and perhaps take along Paul’s mum who has always been interested in having a facelift.
“Paul and I are starting the rest of our lives together as much happier and confident people, who make our relationship stronger,” says Kelly.
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Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort is nestled in15-acres of lush gardens, along the finest stretch of the Batu Feringgi Beach and just 20 minutes from Georgetown. Each of the traditional Minangkabau-style guestrooms has a private balcony with picturesque garden or sea views. The Resort’s stunning landscape includes giant tropical raintrees and golden beaches. Rasa Sayang Resort offers all the tranquility of a tropical paradise with luxurious accommodations for a relaxing and enjoyable holiday
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