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Extracts
from
Red
Magazine
September
2004
The rise of the cosmetic
mini-break - Written
by Sophie Tweedale
and Anna Magee
Surgery performed
in
Croatia
,
Zagreb - Procedures : Breast
implants, lipo to chin and
eye bag removal.
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..........Some 50,000
'medi-tourists' leave
Britain each year in
search of faster, better
or cheaper operations
abroad. Of those,
it's estimated that around
a fifth head to European
clinics to be nipped ,
tucked, pumped or lifted.
According to the
International Society of
Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
(ISAPS), countries such as
Spain, Germany, France and
Belgium are now overtaking
Britain as the world's
cosmetic
surgery hotspots.............
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....Linda Briggs, who
organises cosmetic surgery
trips, received 2,000
enquiries from Britons
wanting to go to Europe
for procedures in the past
two years alone....
.........The primary
attraction of mini-break
surgery for Britons is the
cost. Last year we spent
£250 million on cosmetic
surgery here in the UK and
we're now among the
world's most expensive
places to have cosmetic
surgery.
As with any other consumer
product, we're looking
overseas for savings.
And thanks to cheap
travel and the pound's
strength against the euro,
we're getting them.
Charles
Seadon of European
Medical Care estimates
that most procedures cost
40 per cent less than
those in the UK, inclusive
of travel and expenses.
Typical savings
around Europe are: around
£3,500 for a nose job in
the UK - or just £1,350 in
Cyprus. In Spain, a
boob job would cost you
£2,700 (including two
nights recovering in the
clinic), but around £4,000
here. Cosmetic
dentistry offers even more
savings.
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One Woman's
Story
Andrea
Hansell, 33, an IT
analyst from South East
London has been on two
cosmetic mini-breaks in
the past year - both to
Croatia. The fist
time she went for breasts
implants; three months
later, she flew back for
treatment to the bags
under her eyes and
liposuction on her jaw
line.
'I've wanted breast
implants since I was 16
and I was really conscious
of my tiny A-cups when all
my friends were so much
bigger. But when I
talked to surgeons in the
UK, they were too nervous
about my health to carry
out the procedure - I've
got a genetic kidney
condition and they were
worried about the impact
anaesthesia could have'
Still determined to go
ahead, Andrea started
doing research on the
Internet and came across
cosmetic consultant Linda
Briggs who recommended a
clinic in Zagreb, Croatia.
'I spoke to the
surgeon, Dr T, and
told him about my medical
history. He looked
at my notes and then got
back to me saying it was
no problem - he'd just
have to be careful.
My plan was to go
from an A-cup to a large
B-cup.
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'I flew out - alone - on
Sunday December 7th 2003.
I'd been put up by a
local family so was
utterly immersed in the
culture and spent the
first day sightseeing and
shopping - Zagreb's a
beautiful city.
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'The
next day I went into
surgery and when I came
round, I was in immense
pain. I stayed
overnight and then went
back to the family, I was
surprised by how well I
felt, and after the first
day back, I was able to
visit some local churches
and museums.
Three days later I was
flying home. The
support bra was
uncomfortable and I still
had my stitches in - my
own doctor removed them
three days after I got
back.'
Andrea's implants cost
£2,500 compared to £4,000
in the UK. She was
so pleased with her
treatment that she went
back to Zagreb in March
for more work. I had fat
removed from under my chin
and my eye bags done.
I stayed five days
and this time, the pain
was absolutely minimal, so
I was able to get out and
about more. This
time, I spent around
£1,400 - well under half
of what it would have cost
in the UK'
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