Many people travel to other areas to get plastic surgery because they hear a doctor always gets great results. If you are planning to go to another state to get the procedure you need, you should think about some details first. Preparing ahead of time can help you feel you have made the right decision.
You should first make sure you can afford the cost of travel. Plane tickets can be expensive, and even driving there could be costly when you factor in gas and the extra time it will take. Either way, you will likely need to stay in a hotel, so make sure you budget for this expense. In fact, you might want to ask the office where you are getting plastic surgery if there are any recommended hotels nearby. If the office staff members have experience accommodating out of town patients, they can let you know about recommended lodging. If they frequently welcome patients from other areas, they may even have a special rate with local hotels, which could save you money.
You also need to check with your insurance provider to make sure there are no restrictions on where you are covered. Of course, most types of plastic surgery are not covered anyway, but some are. If you plan to pay through insurance, you need to make sure the practitioner you have chosen to drive or fly to takes your coverage. It would be a waste of time to get there and find out you cannot afford the procedure. You should also find out what payment methods are accepted before you go.
Many doctors will need to see you in-person at least once before they decide if they can operate on you. This means you might need to travel to them twice unless you can get your consultation and plastic surgery all in the same week. However, some doctors will let you send them your x-rays or photos of the areas you want to change. You will also need to send them any requested documents and your medical history. Then you will likely have a phone consultation, after which you may be approved to come to them for the procedure. Find out what the typical process is before you make up your mind about whether you are going to travel for the operation.
Once you have all your questions answered, you can start booking your hotel and getting the time off work. Of course, this typically needs to be done months or at least weeks ahead of time. But the wait is often worth it for many people who get plastic surgery, even when they have to travel.
