Colombia is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, all this great variety of tropical forests, Andean hills and beaches makes millions of people around the world choose this country to spend their vacations. But that is not the only attraction for foreigners who visit the country.
Along with this tourist preference, Colombia has also positioned itself as an attractive destination to access health services, especially plastic and aesthetic surgeries; both for the quality of Colombian professionals and for the prices of aesthetic procedures in clinics and centers authorized by Colombian health, especially affordable for foreigners.
According to figures from the International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery (ISAPS), Colombia is ranked 14th in the world as one of the nations where the most cosmetic surgeries are performed.
Vicent Lowbrana, a US citizen who arrived in Colombia to undergo various cosmetic procedures, assured the voice of america that the South American country is a global benchmark with highly qualified professionals dedicated to their work for body improvement.
“For one thing, it’s much cheaper than in the United States,” Lowbrana says. “It is easier to buy a plane ticket and come here and still spend less. Because in the United States it is very expensive, even dental procedures that in Colombia cost 10,000 dollars, in my country they can cost 50,000 dollars.”
Even dental procedures that in Colombia cost $10,000, in my country can cost $50,000.”
However, although the prices may be favorable for foreigners, the most important thing is the professional quality and it must be borne in mind that due to the wide market offer, foreigners and even locals can fall into the hands of people who do not have the qualifications, certifications and permits of the Colombian health authorities to perform the surgeries.
In this sense, Lina Triana, president of the International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, explained to the VOAIt is important to make sure that the medical professional who is going to perform the surgery belongs to the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery and has all the certifications.
“At a global level -because of the bubble- we believe that this only happens in Colombia, but it is very clear that we have personnel, sometimes not even from health, who are performing aesthetic procedures and personnel who are from health also doing cosmetic surgeries. So it is very important that we always verify who is going to perform the procedure,” Triana told the VOA.
Similarly, the specialist in plastic surgery, César León, explained to the VOA that it is important to review the testimonials of the patients, the website and social networks of the doctor with whom you plan to perform the surgery.
“Belonging to this union in Colombia is not easy, it requires arduous training. Being a specialist in Colombia really is of a very high academic level. So it is recommended to investigate, always investigate the networks, more or less testimonies are given there so as not to fall into this type of situation, ”he asserted.
What are the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries?
According to the most recent number of ISAPS studies, the surgeries that are most practiced in aesthetic medical tourism in Colombia are: liposuction, which is the procedure that leads this ranking with 46,000 interventions per year; followed by mammoplasty with 42,800 surgeries.
In third place is blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery, with 26,000 treatments; Abdominoplasty was located in fourth place with 23,167 cases and in fifth place, nose surgery with 20,300 treatments.
Finally, according to data from the Society of Plastic Surgeons, by 2023 Colombia is expected to receive around 2.8 million travelers from abroad for health tourism reasons.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
