Plastic Surgery FAQ
How do I know I am getting the most for my money?
I am sure you are getting quotes from other Medical Tourism Services even from countries other than Brazil. Or your local surgeon/doctor is cautioning you about going abroad OR you’re telling yourself that you can have the surgery done right at home for the same price as the surgery, flight, aftercare, hotel (etc) abroad (and hey, you can still be home to “take care of your family” as you attempt to recover! LOL!) .
MedNetBrazil pioneered this service more than 5 years ago from my own experience; I had just had my first round of plastics and was there, alone, with two small children and was just learning Portuguese at the time. By catering to the most “risk-prone” patients (post weight loss surgery and also pre-op gastric bypass patients) we are well equipped and experienced to handle ANY type of patient. We offer advanced and specialized healing therapies (most at a fraction of the cost in the USA) and know what to look for in even “compromised patients.”
I can definitely guarantee that MedNetBrazil has the highest quality and most complete coverage for you on this kind of journey! This is my promise to my peers! People often first look at price, but it’s the “Whole package” you really need to consider.
For example, those looking at Total Body Reconstruction after Massive Weight Loss, let’s say all your surgery procedures, your whole trip and aftercare, 5 week stay in Brazil… everything, would cost about US$30,000. Ok, you MAY find a surgeon in your city to do the surgeries you need for this same price (doubtful, but…), BUT, that’s JUST the surgery and hospital (and you’ll definitely be on an out-patient basis!)…. Do you get post op meds, massages, Daily Home Health Care by a real Nurse, transportation, 24/7 access to the surgeon/staff, and most importantly, TIME to do nothing but HEAL, take care of YOURSELF, and truly concentrate on your healing?? No. Does he have the experience of doing large procedures spaced by a short period of recovery time so you do not have to put your life on hold to recover over several surgery stages spanning more than a year? Also, does the surgeon have a lot of experience doing these particular procedures? Has he done 10 lower body lifts or more than 100? These procedures are generally paid for out of pocket in the USA and because of the price, not many can afford it so not many surgeons have a lot of experience in performing them. Consider this when you are comparing where to have your surgery, how much to pay for it and who to trust to accompany you on this Empowering final step of the Journey!
Is the pain controlled well?
Yes!! This is a most important factor for us. Unlike in the USA, you will stay in the hospital (we do not operate in clinics or on an “Outpatient basis”) for usually 48 hours which allows the surgeon to control your pain (the worst the first couple days post op as you can imagine!) thru the best methods/medications!! You are also provided with prescription pain meds in the post op period and sometimes anti-inflammatories. You will have an English speaking nurse in the hospital with you as your advocate and interpreter so the hospital staff knows exactly what you need. You are also subjected to lymphatic drainage massages in the post op period that will help speed healing and diminish swelling at the surgical sites which greatly contributes to the pain as well. Not only are these massages therapeutic but they are also relaxing and help de-stress you while recovering.
Is there a tremendous barrier between English and Portuguese?
Well, there is definitely a barrier if you do not speak Portuguese, and since 99% of our patients do NOT, this is exactly what MNB facilitates for you!! Not only are our surgeons and nurses all English speaking, your entire support infrastructure there is fluent in English. We use hotel partners that have front desk staff that speak English but you are never more than a phone call away from our 24/7 Medical Concierge Desk that can help you with ANYTHING you may need, from medical emergencies at two a.m. to where to get a good pizza, from filling prescriptions to organizing a shopping tour in fluent English! You can hire a guide to accompany you shopping or on a city tour for a minimal fee through our desk, schedule a nurse for a 12 hour shift to stay with you, or call at 3am saying your drain came out! This desk also has a USA telephone line so your family can easily get messages to you without going thru the Hotel Switchboard and they will CALL your family after your surgery and let them know you are well. This desk is meant to be “Information Central” for you, the surgeon and anyone interested in you and your care.
Remember, I am an American, I am bi-lingual and PERSONALLY have and can communicate, in fluent Portuguese, with ANYONE you will come in contact with during your stay, from the Brazilian staff, to the surgeon, to the hospital, the hotel staff, the nurses and massage therapists, even the TAXI driver and Housekeeper! I know, as an American, what we expect and the cultural, language and financial/ economic differences that can impact your stay.
How long should I plan to stay? How much time off work should I take?
Once you submit pictures and fill out the online Health History Form, the Treatment Plan created by the surgeon, will let you know how long to stay, how many surgery stages you may require, and the support you will need in the post op period to heal optimally. Your post op instructions will outline your healing time and restrictions in the post op period for your particular surgical procedure/s. Generally, the absolute minimum you should plan on staying for a “typical procedure” like a tummy tuck would be 10-12 days. We have prided ourselves on insisting your entire journey is medically responsible, so we do not want you going home with drains or stitches to be removed still. Thank you for your understanding and respect on this issue. If you CAN go home earlier because you are recovering well, the surgeon will clear you for air travel.
You will always need to arrive two (2) days before your booked surgery date. This is so we will have time to receive the results from the mandatory bloodtest screening for embolism once you arrive, orientate you to your hotel and environs while you are well, and have a true Consultation and orientation with the surgeon and anesthesiologist before your procedure. So if your surgery is booked for a Wednesday or Friday (preferred days of the week for our foreign patients) your flight into Sao Paulo (GRU) should arrive Monday or Wednesday morning. (Yes you can come sooner if you want a pre-surgery breather/vacation! LOL!)
Aside from the money I pay for the procedures are there additional amounts I should bring?
From the Treatment Plan estimation by the surgeon, which will include the amount of time you need to stay and have our support while you recover, MNB will help you create your TOTAL BUDGET, including hotel stay, post op meds and post op care fees are as follows and will be detailed later as you are ready to book.
- The surgeon has collaborated with MNB to create “Medical Basics Package Plans” ranging from US$500-2000, based on your procedures and what the surgeon says you will need as medically appropriate and mandatory aftercare. This generally includes your basic post op medications, in-hospital nursing care, pre-op screening, and some post op therapies. Details in your Treatment Plan.
- Your 24/7 Medical Concierge Support, Home Health Care Nursing and Transportation is a weekly fee and again based only on YOUR individual stay (how long you need to stay) per the surgeon.
Of course, you will need spending money for incidentals, grocery shopping and meals, souvenirs, new CLOTHES! LOL!! =)
I am uncomfortable carrying such a large amount of cash for my surgeries, and I hear there is a limit to the amount of cash you are legally allowed to bring into the country, do I Have to Bring Cash with Me?
Well we do recommend you have at least R$500 (Brazilian Reais) on you as you arrive (you can exchange at the airport once you arrive) just for starter funds. The current limits on carrying CASH or its equivalent into Brazil are US$4000. Because we are an American company with a domestic bank account, we can offer our patients the most safest and fastest way to get these funds to the surgeon. Your surgical funds will be deposited into our US bank account and wire transferred for you for a nominal percentage fee. You will get a receipt for the funds from the surgeon. Access to ATM machines for daily expenses is easy but there is a daily withdrawal limit. Due to the very poor exchange rate of Traveler’s Checks, we do not encourage anyone to bring or plan on using them and they are not accepted by the surgeon.
Can I pay by credit card??
Absolutely. You can use our MedNetBrazil Pay Pal account and for a small percentage fee as well, you can pay your surgery fees or Medical Basics Package Fees by credit card and take advantage of your miles or other reward cards.
Can I Finance my Surgery and other Expenses?
If you want to look at financing some of your surgery, check out the links on our website for companies that will loan you funds for your surgery and other costs involved in this trip. They have helped many of our patients and service ALL credit scores. Because MNB is an American company, even though our surgeons are abroad, they will finance our patients.
Are there inexpensive, SAFE hotels in the area? And what about the city itself?
Yes, MNB has contracts with centrally located, 3 to 5 star HOTELS (not ranches or retreats) that offer us corporate discounted rates starting at US$55/night. You will generally stay in a one bedroom apartment suite with kitchenette, free breakfast buffet and in-room DSL internet access. Safe, absolutely!! That is one of MedNetBrazil’s major concerns as well! We are concentrating our growth in the safest and best cities in Brazil! Our current hub, Santos, SP has been rated one of Brazil’s Top 20 Safest Cities and also one with the Best quality of life in Brazil as well as being known as the “Plastic Surgery Capital of Brazil.”
Ranking of Safest Cities: http://www.ssp.rj.gov.br/epoca/p04.asp
Ranking of Most Violent Cities: http://www.ssp.rj.gov.br/epoca/p03.asp
Please do your research. This magazine is Brazil’s “Time Magazine” equivalent. Although we have surgeons in the “Big Cities” of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, you may notice higher price quotes just due to the economy of these big cities. Our mission is to offer you these options however and want you to be ultimately confident in your decision and thrilled with your final results! There are excellent surgeons to be found throughout Brazil and we are expanding our in-country Concierge Services to be able to bring these surgeons to you.
Since my exit from Vitoria, ES Brazil, there are several other services operating there claiming to have a lot of experience and your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, the state of Espirito Santo (ES) has 4 cities on the Most Violent list (see above link)! Two cities are the actual cities of the surgeons/hospitals and the other two cities are literally suburbs of these operating cities. I have lived myself in both places with my two small children and have appreciated the differences! This is about safety, skill, quality, reputation and providing my peers with the Best.
The release of the above statistics and the fact that my local research revealed that the surgeons that were pioneering the revolutionary Body Sculpting/Contouring techniques and LipoAbdominoplasty procedures were from Santos, SP was instrumental in my decision to offer Santos and eventually move our operations.
Just to touch on this again...I am terrified of pain and anxiety, please make sure my medical staff are aware of this issue.
I will be honest with you, you WILL experience some of this, to the extent that YOU choose! =) However, after more than 200 patients (and remember I went thru this myself) we have put in place as many things as we can to help alleviate the possibility that you will experience this. MNB is a COMPLETE PACKAGE OF CARE that has evolved from experience. Our staff has seen it all and is very well aware (and has even experienced some themselves!!) of what you and your peers go through. We have seen the Dr Jekyll - Mr Hyde phenomenon!! LOL!! We are understanding of this and ask that you are too… remember, “This too shall pass.” We have an on-call psychologist to speak to you if need be to help you get through some of these emotional rough-spots.
Can I bring guests with me for support even if they are not having surgery?
Yes of course, although again, other than “moral support” and “company” while you literally, “lay around and recover,” they generally cannot “help you.” MNB created our unique support structure in Brazil so that you did not HAVE to bring a support person. The money people would pay to buy their plane ticket, food, hotel, etc is MUCH better spent by investing it in themselves and their post op support and recovery as they heal fully and completely and are TOTALLY catered to by our trained staff of nurses and physiotherapists, etc. We have a Medical Basics Package Plan and a weekly fee for the 24/7 Medical Concierge Support services that will include daily nursing visits to help you bathe occasionally and change your bandages assuring you sterile bandage changes as well as your accompanied medical transportation even!! We have thought of everything, trust me.
If your husband or someone wants to be there to support you, I would recommend he or she come during your last week before you are ready to return to the USA when you will be feeling better and can actually enjoy their company AND they can truly help you with your luggage and things during your long plane ride home! This has worked the best for our patients. Remember too that there are always other patients just like you staying in the same hotel, affording you a real support group of people going through exactly what you are.
I would like the Surgeon to determine exactly what I need and MedNetBrazil to show me how much all of this will cost so I can compare my options. What do you need from me?
Well then you will need to submit the required information for a Treatment Plan and Budget Estimate. We will need pictures (all four sides of you, unclothed) plus any specific “problem areas” and the Health History Form filled out, pictures and any recent lab work can be uploaded to our secure site this way where the doctor has password access to this. We are first and foremost about your HEALTH and SAFETY so pre-op bloodwork and knowledge and review by the surgeon of your health history is mandatory in order to assess you properly and assess your possible risks in undergoing this surgery. The Treatment Plan by the surgeon is extensive and individualized for YOU, and we ask that you take it to your Primary Care Physician (PCP) as you are requesting your Surgical Risk Clearance from him/her.
The fee for the Treatment Plan and Budget Estimate is US$100 and can be paid via PayPal. Once you submit your info and payment, you will receive this Plan in 7-10 days. If you book your surgery date with us no later than 3 months from the date of your Treatment Plan, the $100 will be credited toward your surgery fees!
Once you are ready to book your surgery date and want us to hold it for you, there is a US$100 Surgery Booking fee. Neither of these fees is refundable.
Can I get other procedures done while I am there?
Yes! We have Dentists for crowns and implants and porcelain veneers, Vascular Surgeons for varicose veins, Dermatologists, Permanent makeup, Gynecologists, Lasik, Ophthalmologists, Fertility Specialists, etc… Just ask. Sometimes they need to be coordinated with your primary surgeries so if you have an interest in something else, please ask us now so we can make sure it can be accomplished during your trip and scheduled properly. Your visits, treatments and transportation to these appointments can be medically coordinated through our 24/7 Medical Concierge Desk between the doctors.
So who pays MNB?
Although it is the surgeons who “pay” MNB as we act as his foreign “Front Office Staff,” he does NOT own MNB or have any exclusivity with us, nor does he expect it. It is he who must uphold these standards as well and MNB has NOT been afraid to turn down representing a surgeon, replacing him or simply not offering one if he does not meet our standards of care, follow-up or ethics.
MNB is the advocate for our PEERS, YOU, the foreign patient. We are NOT the advocate for the doctor. We are “giving back” and facilitating this journey for YOU, NOT the surgeon. It is YOU that needs attending to and certain standards of care and assurance when going abroad for your procedure, NOT the surgeon. You are the foreigner in the foreign land undergoing a life-changing procedure and trusting someone to inform, incubate and intimate you with ALL the details. I hope you find myself and MNB uniquely qualified to “Concierge” you on this journey as an American that speaks fluent Portuguese, having immersed myself in the culture and business/medical world of Brazil for 5 years, with my local contacts and savvy from actually living in Brazil, as well as my own experience as a foreign patient just like you. I am SURE that I am one of the few (if not the only) that has not only been a patient myself, but has actually physically accompanied hundreds of patients through every step of this journey; from the pre-op arrival help and planning, to forehead stroking in the hospital post-op, to support and follow up in the post op period as you adjust to your New Body!
MNB has created standards from day one of our association with foreign surgeons.
We are constantly looking for options for you with the best surgeons, new techniques, and we strive to work with those that are unique and respected in their field both at home (by local word of mouth) and internationally. They are not only competent in their field but confident and eager to share their expertise with not only us as patients, but with their peers, as many of them teach and present their unique techniques at Conferences and Congresses all over and are esteemed members in their respective Medical Societies both in Brazil and US/International.
opefully these FAQ’s have answered most of your concerns. I know there are many and varying considerations for everyone. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact me at our toll free line 877-520-8597. 8am-6pm California time. We are on the phone A LOT, so please leave a voice mail message if it rolls over! =)
