Fantastic article in The Guardian on the growth in nip and tuck tourism in South America and how Brazil is gaining ascendancy in the field. Considering how little is written about the medical tourism industry in South America, this is a much needed article. Having spent time in Peru, I can vouch for the fact that medical tourism is already massive and growing in South American countries particularly Argentina, Brazil and some Central American nations. Why they loose out in coverage is possibly due to the language barrier as a result of which the local media machinery does not feed into the mainstream English language media.
“For decades Brazil has been considered a thriving centre for cosmetic surgery, and it is now at the heart of a growing wave of surgery tourism, with foreigners jetting in for a few days on the cutting board and a week’s recuperation on the beach. After the United States, home to 5,000 registered cosmetic surgeons, Brazil comes in a close second, with around 4,000.”
The Brazilian culture of sun, sand and samba and a general acceptance of plastic surgery in society, means that there is a thriving domestic market for cosmetic surgery. According to the article, although figures are hard to come by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says that Brazil is not too far behind the $12.4 billion Americans spent on plastic surgery in 2005.
With the increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery in Brazil and aided by the advent of new techniques such as “minimal incision” and “less invasive” operations, “walk-in clinics are starting to democratise access to cosmetic surgery.”
Brazil has had a headstart on the US in terms of new techniques for cosmetic surgery. For example, silicone breat implants, outlawed in the US for 10 years, have been used in Brazil since 1993.
The article winds up with a list of the new procedures being practiced in Brazil.
Threadlift- The new walk-in answer to a facelift. Making a small incision around the temple with local anaesthetic, the surgeon implants a series of threads, tightening loose skin. The operation takes about an hour and is said to be like having a tiny “umbrella” opened under your skin.
Liposelection- Brother of liposuction, which uses ultrasound to reshape knees, buttocks, hips and “male breasts”. The unwanted fat is liquefied and removed causing, it is claimed, “minimal pain, swelling and bruising”.
Internal bras- Developed in Brazil since 1988, the internal bra is part of the new wave of “minimal scar” surgery. The surgeon implants a small piece of gauze under the skin, which lifts the breast as if the patient was permanently wearing a bra.
Jet peel skin rejuvenation- Skin rejuvenation promises to “pressure wash” your skin in a series of quick, “virtually painless” sessions. Regular “maintenance” sessions are required so as not to lose “skin clarity” its makers say.