Posted in Costa Rica forum
Hi,
So I have almost completed the process of scheduling a tummy tuck in Costa Rica With Dr Rodrigo Araya... when his office tells me that the only way he will accept payment is via Deposit into his bank account.
And I froze, Warning lights and sirens start up all over the place in my brain.
AM I crazy? Is this standard procedure? How have you all paid for plastic surgery in costa rica?
Please advise me ! Dr Araya and his office staff are very nice and personable but the idea of depositing directly into someone's bank account ( when their website clearly states that they do accept credit cards) seems fishy.
Thank you!
Deleted user
Patient of Dr. Urzola
posted by Deleted user in Costa Rica forum
Greetings,
Almost two years ago I was on vacation visiting a friend in Costa Rica. During one of our adventure exercise excursions I fell off a mountain bike and the top of my lip cut open. I was brought to CIMA hospital and was told that I needed stitches. Being that I needed sewing in my face area, I was more concerned about the scar that the stitches may form, and opted to have a plastic surgeon do the stitching for me. There was a plastic surgeon on call, but while in the emergency area I asked the staff for recommendations on good plastic surgeons. Two of the nurses recommended Dr. Urzola, one had a tummy tuck done with him, and the other one shared a story of how he had reconstructed the face of a 24 year old boy who was mangled by bull ( Bull rings in Costa Rica are somewhat a tradition, I guess). After requesting for him, I had to wait two hours because he was not on call, and was said to have been in surgery at another hospital. When he finally came, I was pretty anxious by then, and my lip was swollen beyond recognition. He suggested to wait for the swelling to go down. Early morning the next day, I was seen and stitched by Dr. Urzola. I was calmed down by his pleasing demeanor. For the next two weeks that followed, I kept in close contact with him and his secretary, as I wanted to make sure I would do everything right to minimize the scarring. When I would call the office, Dr. Urzola was either in consultation or surgery, but he never failed to return my call within the same day. In looking back, mine was only a lip tear, and yet he was reliable in every way. True to what the nurses said, he is good with suturing. My scar is barely visible, and I mean barely. He sewed my lip in a way that made it even look fuller. Funny to say, but I even like the way it looks more now than it did before my mishap. I ran into this forum today by chance because I had just recommend Dr. Urzola to a friend who is interested in getting breast augmentation, and lipofilling in her laugh lines, and I wanted to show her the Dr's website. Participating in these forums are not my thing, but I feel that the least I could do for the great lip result I got, was to share my experience in this way. The impression that I got from Dr. Urzola is that he takes pride in the job he does from beginning to end. He was trained in Europe. He seemed really detail oriented, answered all my questions thoroughly and seemed genuinely interested.
In the end, you have to go with what feels right for you. Good luck with your decision. I was happy with mine.
Costa Rica Forum
posted by Reenie G in Costa Rica forum
Lily,
Is there a separate forum for Argentina? This forum is for Costa Rica so I doubt you'll get any replies for Argentina here, but I could be mistaken! :))
Reenie ;)
plastic surgery
posted by waldtaut voelkel in Costa Rica forum
Hi
Has anybody ever bin to Cordoba Argentina and had plastic surgery by Dr. Roberto Martinez Rinaldi ? Through Sublimis ?
Thanks for any information !
LilyExpectations and results
posted by Isabel F. in Costa Rica forum
I agree with Amie. YOu have to have realistic expectations and above all, go into it with good fitness and as a non-smoker. I have seen for myself that non-smokers do not heal well. Doctors do them a dis-service taking on surgeries on people whose incisions will subsequently pull apart. And you need to have good cardio-vascular fitness if you are undergoing a lot of work.
Bravo Amie! =)
posted by Christina deMoraes in Costa Rica forum
You are SO right in bringing up the points of all the HIDDEN COSTS involved in this experience and since you did it on your own, you had to find out the hard way... no one told you but I feel, someone should have! Obviously you said you came without a facilitator of some sort so again, your expectations were realistic in that you didn't expect anyone to be there to help or guide you and you did it on your own. I just think it is a shame that so many of us end up doing it on our own like this... and too many end up with poor to disastrous experiences that could have been avoided with proper and honest information and support. I guess the bottom line is... do you WANT to do it on your own like this or wouldn't you rather be fully informed and supported from the beginning?? I mean, that's why we are HERE, no? =)
Once I learned from my experiences, I insisted on informing my patients of EVERY little thing so they wouldn't have any surprises, wouldn't have to guess what aftercare would be most helpful, wouldn't feel nickel and dimed when they got there and felt totally supported from day one. Ethically, responsibly... if you KNOW about these hidden costs and what will be the most helpful and reassuring to someone and what they really need in information to make them feel comfortable, why WOULDN'T you provide this? I understand people's frustration with the medical tourism experience, no matter thru WHOM it is organized... I agree that there is very little "value" or perk for the patient that chooses to use a facilitator and it saddens me because I know how valuable they could and should be when they focus their services on providing patient support and NOT on getting the referral commission. Doctors too though, SHOULD be providing this information because it is an inherent part of the surgical experience of their patient and will affect their recovery: physically, psychologically and financially.
Unfortunately though, there are VERY few facilitators or docs out there that make it their goal of actually providing the priceless service of PATIENT INFORMATION, ADVOCACY AND IN COUNTRY SUPPORT directly TO the patient rather than, like you mention, just worrying about getting their referral and their commission. Don't think for a second that this tendency in the industry does not absolutely REPULSE me! And what's worse, is that it seems no one can see past the title that you are placing on me for the "sins" of others. =(
In case you didn't read MY post well, I said that I HAVE BEEN A PATIENT MYSELF and THAT is WHY and HOW I started doing what I do! I started just like you are now. If you want to know WHO you are really talking about and TO, then I kindly ask you to read my whole story on my website rather than making a judgement from a "title."
I had weight loss surgery (the BPD/DS) in the USA in 2001 and lost 175 lbs! By 14 mos post op we were living in Brazil. I didn't speak the language at the time, I had two small children and I was by myself! I had ALL my reconstructive plastics there: abdominoplasty and breast lift, then lower body lift (retouched my front and mons) with arm lift, then breast implants and then butt implants with an inner thigh lift. FOUR separate rounds of surgery! I KNOW the PAIN and the GAIN in plastic surgery and I know what it's like to place your life in the hands of the relative unknown and be terrified doing it!!! I also know how EMPOWERING and transforming it is, not only through my OWN journey, but through then helping hundreds of my peers.
With this knowledge, this experience and the request for help from my WLS peers online, I started my services in Brazil as a way to HELP PATIENTS like ME... NOT with the goal of promoting a surgeon or even a country but to share my experience, share what I learned through my OWN ups and downs and provide a much needed service of advocacy, support and thorough information. I saw on the boards what was going on in CR way back then (2002) and was determined to learn from these posts and create a much different experience for my patients. I am quite content that I did so and so were my patients.
I agree there is good and bad all over and I have heard of some bad ones in Brazil too, but overall, and I speak from direct EXPERIENCE from living, interviewing and working side by side with them for 5 years, they are for the most part, incredibly caring and warm individuals that care about their patients, take great pride in their work and most importantly, approach their patients with the humble attitude that they can give that patient a new sense of self, a new look on life through the skill of their hands.
Perhaps because their work is literally displayed in string bikinis for most of the year and Brazilians love talking about their bodies and displaying them, the surgeons are held to a higher standard. Scar placement is crucial, curves are adored and sculpting is an art form. Most other countries surgeons are NOT forced to display their work like this and be open to the scrutiny that bikinis and vanity provide. =)
The culture demands the best techniques to achieve what they want. Brazil has been placing the "new" silicone implants for more than a decade, while their use has just started in the last few years in the US. THE best technique for butt implant insertion IS the Brazilian one of intra-muscular and they perfected it about a decade ago while the rest of the world is catching up and patients suffer in the meantime with bad results and pain. Brazilian butt lift is also uniquely Brazilian and springs from their unique culture of valuing and creating curvaceous buns! =) Even with the devaluation of the dollar against the Brazilian real over the last few years, (causing prices to rise there) it's still an excellent location if you are looking for world class skill and experience and recognize the value in the reassurance this can give.
I am here as a fellow patient of massive reconstructive plastic surgery and I did it abroad, going into the unknown, just as you all are here. I have the benefit of my own experience of 4 rounds of surgery and the luxury of 300 more patients and probably another 600 more rounds of surgery between them! (Most of them came for total reconstructions and 2 rounds per stay). If I wanted to HIDE what I do, I wouldn't have disclosed it on my profile. I have the experience of my own personal journey as well as my patients'... I have seen it ALL and learned from it all. I made it my mission to take each experience and use it to make the next one better... all in service to my PEERS. Why does this evoke such strong mistrust and fear?? =(
I have learned to be strong and fight for my patients. I have confronted surgeons when they were not holding to a standard that I felt essential or started minimizing safety protocol I wanted held to... when they began cutting corners and the dollar became more important than the process and the soul behind what we were doing... I have stood up for the rights of my patients, turned my back on the income I'd lose and simply refused to refer more patients to a surgeon if there were doubts about his integrity and surgical protocol. I didn't throw mud when this happened and always chose the high road...sometimes to my sadness when the patient went anyways and had a complication... =(
I was where you are Amie... but I chose to DO something about it and it's been very empowering. =) I can see your passion too and your desire to help others through your experience and I think you'd make a GREAT patient Advocate. The medical tourism experience IS going to change and it's people like you that will help force it. We who enter this industry with our own experiences FIRST are essential to giving real integrity and value to our peers. There is NO substitution for "been there, done that" and when your mission is to help your peers and not make a business out of promoting a doctor or hospital in order to get paid, then we will see an industry that is respected and is allowed to provide a valuable service that empowers and transforms LIVES. =)
Blessings to all!
I highly reommend Dr Christian Rivera, Plastic Surgeon
posted by C G Olesen, RN in Costa Rica forum
As I stated in my lengthy post. I do not know much about other plastic surgeons in Costa Rica other than when I did my research, I found Dr. Christian Rivera to be the most up to date with current procedures and had a wonderful outcome with minimal pain and I did a lot of different procedures; tummy tuck, lipo, lower eye-lid lift. I know of the other surgeons by name and I know there were other patients at the surgical retreat from the other doctors who had tummy tucks and lipo but they were in a whole lot more pain than I was as was stated by them. Dr. Rivera is not necessarily the least expensive but I feel he is the best. I wish you the very best. Carol O. RN
plastic surgery
posted by waldtaut voelkel in Costa Rica forum
Hi Amie I like what you had to say , you are straight forward . Me and my friend will be going to Costa Rica soon to see Dr. Arguello . I never had plastic Surgery before and I feel a little nervous about it . I am planning on staying ad La Mas .Any information you can give me I would greatly appreciate .
Thanks LilyDr Urzola vs Dr Arguello
posted by Reenie G in Costa Rica forum
Carol,
I have had direct contact with a patient of Arguello's in case you didn't read her posts on this site. She was very pleased with her results.
But I haven't heard back at all on Urzola and I would like to talk with someone regarding him as well and maybe a couple more! I can't understand why there aren't more people stepping up if they had good results. I know I would be more than willing to share the good and the bad!
Reenie ;)
Nothing disrespectful
posted by Reenie G in Costa Rica forum
Christina,
If you go back and reread my post there was NOTHING DISRESPECTFUL in it, NOTHING! In fact, I THANKED YOU MULTIPLE TIMES!! :))
I was saying you personally are not answering my questions which again you did not. That is not disrespectful. It is just a fact. So, Christina, as you admit here yourself, you are not out to sway anyone one way or another. And I am looking to be swayed to either Urzola or Arguello.
Please don't keep addressing me if you do not have that information. And btw, no you never mentioned Brazil nor what you do. It's clearly spelled out on your profile.
And I am well aware Brazil is pricey because they claim to be the capital of the world for PS, just like Scottsdale AZ is the capital of the US!
Good night and God bless you. ;)
Reenie
posted by Christina deMoraes in Costa Rica forum
I'm sorry but... did I mention ONE time about Brazil?? LOL! =) I am not here to SELL anything but simply to inform based on MY experience which is different than most people that post on here.
You might be an "expert patient", but I am an expert Patient Advocate and have hand-held probably 300 patients thru the process... let alone been one myself! =) Why so much mistrust? I guess it just tells me that others in the medical tourism "industry" are not in this to help their peers (the PATIENTS) like I am and are souring it for those of us that are. I am sorry if you have had a negative experience with another.
There was NO need for you to disrespect me or my post for trying to HELP you and OTHERS here to inform yourself better rather than sway you with some emotional story about how I love one surgeon over another as "patients" tend to do. My answer is unemotional and based strictly on medical appropriateness and what best serves the PATIENT. Why you should care WILL become obvious to you at a later date.
What I have learned in 8 years doing this is what's important to patients, and that they don't realize it themselves until they are "in the thick of it." You asked how to compare doctors. By working side by side with them and consulting for them over the years, I know how Latin doctors work and I am intimately familiar with their strong and weak points over the years. My answer was very logical actually. If they're not paying attention to you now and informing you fully, don't expect much later.
This is my second time in Costa Rica for consulting. Obviously my experience and take on how the patient experience should be best run in order to support and serve the PATIENT is respected by someone.
BTW, Brazil's prices vary WIDELY! But there is little disagreement in the medical circles that it IS the Plastic Surgery Capital of the World and for good reason. I'm sure even your expensive doctor in ... Arizona, wouldn't mind the chance for an internship in Brazil with a good surgeon. Then again, you can't teach someone to have "an eye for aesthetics." =)
Good luck in your decision, however you decide to inform yourself and with whomever's opinion you do decide to trust. =)
Blessings!