With Mexican medical tourism in spotlight, Brunswick County woman shares her experience

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — After four friends traveled to Mexico for one to get a cosmetic procedure and only two came back alive, a Brunswick County woman is sharing her experience with medical tourism in Mexico.

More than a million Americans traveled to Mexico for health tourism in 2022, spending about $250 million.

In June 2021, a Brunswick County woman made the trip to Cancun for an abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, says research and communication are essential with considering traveling to another country for a medical procedure.

Her research started in the United States, but she found a surgeon in Cancun that she felt would be a better fit for what she was looking to get out of the procedure.

“I took my time. I took a little over a year probably just going through all of his credentials, going through all of his reviews, talking to people that I knew that had surgery with him, talking to people who work with him,” she said. “I talked with his coordinators, I was able to speak with his anesthesiologist, his crew that he utilizes and he was very transparent about those things.”

In addition to extensive research and transparent communication, she says bringing someone with you that you trust is also important.

“There are probably portions of your day that you don’t know that you don’t remember so it’s good to have someone there that’s going to fight on your behalf so you’re not alone. Don’t ever go alone,” she said.

She says she received top-of-the-line care, including transportation and aftercare in a safe place, for around $10,000 less than what she would have paid for the procedure in the United States. However, she says a low price point is not worth your life.

“Make sure that you’re safe. Make sure that you know the area, and that you’ve done your research on the area,” she said. “Do your best to have some sort of local representation whenever you’re out and about. Someone who knows the area and can get you from point A to point B.”

For additional information and guidance on medical tourism, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.