Plastic surgery in South Africa - including the "medical tourism" business catering to those who want a nip and tuck or nose job during their holiday - is on the increase.
Plastic surgery is a multibillion-dollar industry that has gained much exposure through TV reality shows like Extreme Makeover and popular series like Nip/Tuck. There are more than 100 plastic surgeons in South Africa.
Now not only are more and more South Africans going under the scalpel, say plastic surgeons, but an increasing number of "medical tourists" are visiting our shores to have work done. The most popular destinations are Cape Town and Johannesburg.
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Excellent surgeons and a favourable exchange rate are some of the reasons given for the location being a major drawcard. Other countries competing for the same market include Mexico, Cuba, India and Thailand.
| Excellent surgeons and a favourable exchange rate |
Locally, it has prompted a number of companies that deal exclusively with these tourists to open up shop. They act as go-betweens and take care of every detail of the tourists' trip - from air tickets, accommodation, doctors' appointments and chauffeurs to a chaperone and a "recuperation holiday". There are websites dedicated to these "surgery safaris". Some are run by companies and others by plastic surgeons. They come complete with information on various surgeries and where to stay, with stunning pictures of the Cape and wildlife images.
Some doctors even have consultation offices in the UK.
Articles in overseas magazines and newspapers have appeared, headlined: "Sun, sea, sand ... and surgery", "Botox in the Bush" and "Chop of the Bushveld".
Local surgeons say popular requests from women include liposuction, breast surgery (enlargement, lifts and reductions) and facial rejuvenation surgery. Non-surgical options were also very popular, including botox injections to weaken muscles which cause wrinkles and filler injections. Then there's the treatment for "gobbler-turkey neck" that occurs because of major weight loss or ageing. Men want to get rid of their "love handles", "beer bellies" and "man boobs" or correct prominent ears or have simple facial rejuvenation.
In South Africa costs vary from R15 000 for liposuction to as much as R45 000 for face lifts. In the UK, breast augmentation in a private hospital costs at least R45 000 while a nose job will set clients back at least R52 000.
Lorraine Melvill, a former marketing executive who was the first to work with local plastic surgeons, put up a website and opened the doors of her Johannesburg-based company Surgeon and Safari in 1999.
And because of the phenomenal growth in the industry, she also started the Medical Tourism Association last year.
She said her formula "for combining top-class medical facilities with an opportunity to enjoy South African wildlife has proved to be a hit with international tourists in search of a nip and tuck with a view". When she first started she had one overseas client a month; now she has about 30 and is fully booked until Easter.
She said her oldest client was 82-year-old Brit Betty Lewis, who had a face lift last year. Her story about looking 20 years younger after the operation and hoping to find love made the pages of magazines and newspapers back home in the UK.
"There are a number of younger people wanting surgery but most are looking on the bargain rack which is risky since they will have to live with the results forever," said Melvill.
She warned that there were also "rogue" practitioners out there wanting to make a quick buck. Those wanting to have surgery should always make an informed decision.
Another company, Surgical Attractions, is run by Ingrid Lomas, who said most of her clients were able to have their surgery and a holiday for less than the cost of the surgery alone in the UK. "It's a growing phenomenon - I'm getting more and more calls."
- This article was originally published on page 15 of Cape Argus on November 18, 2007
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