While plastic surgery is considered a luxury in America, in
Brazil it's considered a right.
By Melvin J. Howard
A recent Associated Press report in the Daily News revealed
that thousands of the country's poor have undergone plastic surgery procedures
such as Botox injections, laser hair removal, chemical peels and laser
treatments free of charge.According to the AP, more than 220 clinics throughout the
country offer free or discounted plastic surgery to those who wouldn't
otherwise be able to afford it. The reason - these procedures help boost
self-esteem and enable patients to feel more confident about themselves.
The patient's self
esteem."
Dr. Ivo Pitanguy, the “philosopher of plastic surgery” in
Brazil founded the first surgical center to treat the poor, mainly focusing on
burn victims and those with deformities, but also offered discounted cosmetic
surgery. Now, the growing numbers of hospitals and clinics that offer these
services have long lines and waiting lists. And while the cosmetic procedures are
beneficial to those undergoing them, it can also be argued that there's a
benefit for the providers as well, as they allow young doctors to gain
experience. Brazil, a common destination for medical tourists seeking
discounted plastic surgery procedures, is the world's top plastic surgery
provider, with the United States coming in second place. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery (ASAPS), more than 9.1 million plastic surgery procedures were
performed in the US in 2011. The most common cosmetic surgeries included
liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, cosmetic eyelid surgery and
breast lifts. The most common nonsurgical procedures included botulinum toxin
type A injections, hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal,
microdermabrasion and laser treatments.
Economic depression in the United States imposes an
excessive threat to people who fail to apply for health insurance to cover
possible medical procedures in the future. As the price of medical care and
plastic surgery cost continue to rise along with the fall of economy, patients
would mostly consider acquiring major procedures and affordable plastic surgery
abroad. Since major countries like the United States, Canada and Europe become
more obsessed with beauty treatments like breast augmentation, liposuction and
tummy tuck, the need for affordable plastic surgery turned out to be a
multi-million dollar industry for countries in the medical tourism campaign.
Plastic surgery in Brazil is an ideal destination for
tourists who want to combine a holiday vacation with an affordable plastic
surgery. The trend become popular even before medical tourism was recognized as
a viable solution for overpriced plastic surgery cost. Now that recession is
setting in, plastic surgery in Brazil has again allured thousands medical
tourist to acquire its world class health care. Affordable plastic surgery in
Brazil offers enormous savings in terms of plastic surgery cost and also allows
patients to undergo major surgeries without the desperate wait unlike in highly
developed countries.
Though plastic surgery cost is not the only factor to
consider when choosing a destination country, yet most patients take the risk
of going abroad simply because they just can't afford medication at home. The
fall of country's currency made plastic surgery in Brazil very accessible and
cost effective compared to the same procedure in the United States, Canada and
Europe. Long waiting time is also eliminated if you choose to undergo
medication abroad and you will also avail inclusive tourist activities offered
by most medical tourism agency if visit Brazil. Brazil's dominant allure to
tourists have made the country a global attraction both in the fields of holiday
vacations and affordable plastic surgery. Out-running its neighboring
competitors by developing numerous endeavours to support its tourism pull.
Plastic surgery in Brazil and its breath taking tourists attraction are two of
Brazil's finest economic powers.Plastic surgery in Brazil is affordable and excellent, you
can tell the quality of its medical care services by the number of hospitals
fully accredited by the JCI. Many of the hospitals in Brazil are widely known
to be the best in Latin America. Plastic surgeons, dentists and physicians that
perform affordable plastic surgery have undergone similar training to that in
the United States. Each of them have professional credentials and
certifications, any patient can check and have a look through the Brazilian
Ministry of Health.
Plastic surgery cost is often 40-50% lesser than its
counterparts in the United States. The Brazilian plastic surgery is ranked
second in the world. But Penha isn't a socialite, nor did she fork out the $450
that a single radio-frequency session typically runs in Rio de Janeiro. The
struggling housewife got the treatment free of charge at a clinic that provides
the poor access to the kinds of pricey cosmetic treatments that have become
almost de rigueur among Brazil's moneyed elite. Free Botox and laser hair
removal, free chemical peels and anti-cellulite treatments may at first seem
shockingly frivolous in a country like Brazil — which, despite phenomenal
economic growth in recent years that has lifted millions out of extreme
poverty, still battles with diseases like tuberculosis and dengue.
But the philosophy behind the more than 220 clinics across
Brazil that treat people like Penha and thousands of maids, receptionists,
waitresses and others is simple: Beauty is a right, and the poor deserve to be
ravishing, too. 'What's a wrinkle? Something minor, right? Something with
precious little importance,' Rosas said. 'But when we treat the wrinkle, that
unimportant little thing, we're actually treating something very important: The
patient's self esteem.'
The notion that beauty treatments can act in much the same
way as psychoanalysis, helping free patients from crippling neuroses, was
pioneered over the past decades by celebrated Brazilian plastic surgeon Ivo
Pitanguy. Nicknamed the 'philosopher of plastic surgery' for his intellectual
and psychoanalytical take on the vocation, 85-year-old Pitanguy is largely
responsible for Brazil's reputation as a world leader in the field and a top
destination for cosmetic surgery tourism.
His skill with the scalpel catapulted him to international
fame — the surgeon is arguably Brazil's second most famous person after soccer
legend Pele. It's made him the go-to man for A-list celebrities, international
statesmen and royalty seeking a quick fix to their aesthetic woes. More than half a century ago, he founded a surgical wing to
help treat the poor. While the wing at the Santa Casa de Misericordia hospital
in Rio focuses on reconstructive operations for burn victims and people with
serious deformations, it also provides discounted cosmetic procedures.Other hospitals have since followed suit. Now, at least two
dozen mostly public hospitals in Rio alone offer discounted or sometimes free
cosmetic surgeries to low income people, according to a website aimed at
informing potential patients.
