walkabout

KAP123, Nichole37: I can't thank you enough for your comprehensive reviews. You probably saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life. After looking at multiple places in Miami, the D.R., and my hometown (St. Louis), I decided to choose Top Plastic Surgeons for a BBL and liposuction for several reasons: 1) the inclusiveness of their services -- 7 nights at a hotel, pick-up from the airport, transport to and from the surgery center, and a doctor checking on me 5 days a week. Since I was going to be traveling alone, this was a big consideration; 2) I speak Spanish, and have been to Mexico City 4 times in the past year. Therefore I felt comfortable having surgery in a familiar environment; 3) the surgery is performed in a hospital (which is apparently not true, despite the hospitals pictured on their website), and 3) the low cost, less than $5000 USD There were, however, a few red flags: 1) The names of the doctors do not appear on their website, supposedly because it is unethical in Mexico to do so. Yet plenty of Mexican doctors have websites, so this sounded bogus 2) The before-and-after pictures on their website looked almost too good to be true. Plus you don't know which surgeon performed which procedures; some are presumably better at performing BBL's and lipo than others 3) Their payments are cash only, no credit cards 4) No compression garment included. Almost every surgeon includes this. In fact, the patient wakes up in the recovery room wearing it. How is a patient supposed to know what size faja to buy beforehand since you don't know how much swelling you will have? 5) The included hotel does not have a kitchenette, so no fridge, microwave, or stove. How are patients supposed to prepare and store the healthy foods they need during the first week of recovery? 6) The hotel is not centrally located, so except for the hotel restaurant, no nearby restaurants, mercados, supermarkets, or even street food, which is needed since you can't prepare food in your hotel; and 7) it is extremely rare for doctors to help a patient with personal care such as changing bandages, etc., so I was skeptical of this claim (which according to you two posted, is not true). Despite these red flags, I was going to book anyway, even though I had several nagging doubts. I should know by now to always listen to my gut instinct. You both saved me a lot of pain, money, and possible disfigurement. Thank you again.