The Advantages of Medical Travel to the Philippines: World Class Healthcare Facilities

Medical tourists who have never been to the Philippines often wonder about the health facilities available in what seems to be a far off tropical country. There have even been posts in forums dissuading patients from considering the Philippines for their medical needs. They don't know that the Philippines has numerous facilities that offer professional medical expertise and state-of-the-art, world class technology.

For example, the Manila Doctors Hospital, with its new Aesthetic Surgery Center, is the first ISO Certified Hospital in Manila. The St. Luke's Medical Center has been picked by the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and the medical schools of New York’s two Ivy League colleges, Columbia University and Cornell University to be their International Affiliate, acknowledging the availability of world-class healthcare in the Philippines. And the list goes on. With the commitment to excellent patient care and a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic services available, medical tourists to the Philippines can be assured of world-class healthcare comparable to the best in the world.

Read more of these articles:
How to Select a Qualified Plastic Surgeon
The Cosmetic Surgery Scene in the Philippines

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having affordable cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

The Advantages of Medical Travel to the Philippines: Skilled Doctors

Another advantage that the Philippines offers to medical tourists is that in the Philippines, there are qualified, well-trained and highly skilled plastic surgeons who can do the procedures. Although cost savings are significant when you choose to come to the Philippines for cosmetic surgery, cost shouldn't be the only factor to consider, since it can cost more to remedy poor results done by unqualified cosmetic surgery providers. Lower cost doesn't mean sacrificing quality of care. Whether you are having cosmetic surgery done abroad or in your home country, choosing the right doctor is the single most important decision you will make. Choosing the right surgeon will ensure the quality of care you will receive.

In the Philippines, there are plastic & reconstructive surgeons who have had formal training in plastic and reconstructive surgery and have studied in some of Asia's best medical schools. Philippine medical and nursing curricula are more difficult than many in Southeast Asia. Some Filipino plastic surgeons have acquired their postgraduate or fellowship training from well-known institutions in the U.S. and other developed countries and have been mentored by leading American plastic surgeons. To enhance their expertise, they regularly attend various seminars and conferences worldwide, where new techniques in plastic and cosmetic surgery are introduced. Thus, they can provide equal or greater quality surgical care than U.S. hospitals at a fraction of the price.

However, patients should be aware that the greater acceptance and growth of cosmetic surgery among the general public has encouraged many Filipino doctors to perform cosmetic surgery, but not all of them have trained as plastic surgeons. Once doctors get their medical degrees, they may practice any specialty, even if they have not completed advanced training in the field they have chosen. And so, a doctor who performs cosmetic plastic surgery is not necessarily trained as a plastic surgeon. Thus, it is essential for patients to choose a qualified plastic surgeon with the training and experience that is essential for the success of the surgery. It is recommended that the patient choose a plastic surgeon who is duly certified by the Philippine Board of Plastic Surgery, the only board recognized by the Philippine College of Surgeons to certify plastic surgeons in the Philippines.

Read more of these articles:
How to Select a Qualified Plastic Surgeon
The Cosmetic Surgery Scene in the Philippines

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having affordable cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

Cosmetic Surgery Vacation Tips

Patients who are considering cosmetic surgery vacations should know the following:

1. In order to maximize their vacation time, patients should have their blood tests done in their respective countries prior to their departure and must communicate the results to their prospective surgeon.

2. If you are 40 years old and above, it is best to have your cardiologist or internist examine you and issue a written cardiovascular clearance that you are physically fit to undergo cosmetic surgery.

3. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of departure.

4. Allot a minimum of 7 days for your recovery period. Cosmetic surgery is still surgery, so it must not be considered lightly.

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

Cosmetic Surgery for Traveling Patients

It is the middle of November already and it is that time of the year when many Filipinos working abroad start coming home to the Philippines for the holidays. It has been my experience that many of our Filipino balikbayans decide to have cosmetic surgery with only a few days remaining in their vacation.

Last week my brother referred a friend who wanted blepharoplasty immediately because she was scheduled to leave for abroad the next day! I requested my brother to tell his friend to defer her plans for the surgery.

My advice for those who are contemplating cosmetic surgery in the Philippines as part of their vacation, is to allot from one to weeks recovery period after the operation. This much time is needed for the swelling to subside and for the bruising to disappear. The first 3 days after the operation are especially critical, since many of the complications after surgery occur within this time period.

Stitches will also be taken out during this time period of 1 to 2 weeks postop. Plastic surgeons usually do not use absorbable sutures for skin closure as these incite more inflammatory reaction and more scarring. Instead we use nonabsorbable sutures made of nylon or similar nonreactive material which will need to be taken out early to avoid ugly scars. Patients who undergo blepharoplasty usually have the stitches taken out after 3 days. For other facial plastic surgery procedures, stitches are taken out 5 to 7 days postop. For stitches in the chest and extremities, stitch removal may be delayed up to 2 weeks postop to ensure that the wound is closed.

For those contemplating on having cosmetic surgery during their vacation, my advice is to first review all the activities you intend to undertake, such as reunions, parties, shopping, sightseeing, etc. and prioritize your time allocation. Schedule the surgery for the time period when you have accomplished all your social obligations. Most patients would not want to be seen by others in the immediate postoperative period, especially after facial cosmetic surgery with its accompanying swelling and bruising.

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having affordable cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

On Cosmetic Surgery Travel/Vacation Packages

I have spent this morning surfing the internet regarding cosmetic surgery travel packages being offered in various countries like Thailand and South Africa.

I believe that the time is ripe for the Philippines to be a major destination for medical tourism. We have many qualified and well-trained doctors who have acquired their postgraduate or fellowship training from well-known institutions in the U.S.A. and have been mentored by leading plastic surgeons.

In my practice, an increasing number of my patients are based abroad. Many of them are immigrants to the United States who come back to the Philippines for a vacation to visit their relatives here. An increasing number of patients are overseas contract workers based in Europe (notably from Italy and Switzerland), the Middle East, Japan, and HongKong. They decided to include cosmetic surgery as part of their vacation because of their trust in our surgical expertise, combined with the fact that costs here are remarkably lower compared to other countries like the U.S. , U.K., Singapore, Australia, and South Africa.

The affordable cost of cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines has also attracted an increasing number of patients of other nationalities. They come to the Philippines to avail of the excellent medical and surgical services that we can offer them. They have also pleasantly discovered the warm hospitality of the Filipinos and the beauty of this tropical paradise of 7,100 islands.

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having affordable cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines

Aptos Workshop

Dr. Marlen Sulamanidze, Russian plastic surgeon who invented the Aptos Thread, conducted a workshop at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center from 2 to 6 pm on November 4, 2004. He demonstrated Aptos Lift techniques using his patented Aptos threads, wires, springs and needles.

I must admit that when the Aptos Lift was first introduced in the Philippines, I was skeptical of the claims that it could alleviate the problem of sagging skin. I had heard from some of my colleagues that the first few patients who had it done had results that were not so convincing. I surmised that probably it could be just a matter of technique, or it could be one of those new marketing gimmicks we often see in the beauty industry. So I welcomed the visit of Dr. Sulamanidze to Manila since it would give me the opportunity to observe the technique as performed by the inventor himself.

The first patient was a middle aged lady on whom Dr. Sulamanidze demonstrated the use of the Aptos threads for lifting sagging skin of the cheek area and the use of Aptos springs to remove so-called "marionette smiles" which are but vertical wrinkles beginning at the corners of the mouth up to the jaw line. Dr. Sulamanidze patiently showed us his preoperative markings on the face, injected anesthesia into the target areas, and explained how deep the threads should be placed. At the end of the procedure, there was indeed a remarkable lifting of the cheek skin and the disappearance of the marionette smiles.

The second patient was likewise a middle aged lady with sagging cheek skin, neck skin, and fairly deep nasolabial folds. Dr. Sulamanidze this time showed a different technique of lifting the cheek skin with non-barbed polypropylene sutures attached to specially designed Aptos needles, which are either curved or straight needles pointed on both ends with the suture attached to the needle at its middle portion. The threads are applied around triangular areas of subdermal tissue and anchored onto periosteum below the lateral canthal area of the eyelid. Again, there was a remarkable lifting of the cheek and neck skin. The nasolabial folds were treated by cutting the skin attachments using the Aptos wire which was threaded around the folds.

I asked Dr. Sulamanidze how long the lifting effect of his Aptos threads would stay. He replied that he has been doing the Aptos Lift since 1998, and results varied from as short as a few months to as long as 5 years. The short-lived results were due to faulty technique or to poor patient compliance in the immediate period after application of the Aptos threads. But Dr. Sulamanidze remarked that these cases could be corrected immediately by reapplication of the Aptos threads.

At the end of the workshop, I was thankful that I now have an alternative procedure to offer to my patients which is nonsurgical but which can lift and support sagging tissues.

More about the Aptos Thread Lift

Please feel free to email Dr. Lasa if you have any questions.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Philippines
Information about procedures, prices, selecting a qualified surgeon
and having cosmetic plastic surgery in the Philippines