Thank you for making the special effort to ensure that my trip and surgery were successful.

When I first started researching traveling to another country to have plastic surgery (breast augmentation and mini tummy tuck) I started by doing a Google search for companies that could assist me.  While many companies replied to my information requests, Passport Medical stood out by far. You answered all my questions very promptly and sent me all the information I needed to make a very big, informed decision. They sent me in-depth information on hospitals, doctors, hotels and surgery options. This was the one company that I felt was concerned about my expectations and would work hard to achieve them.

Passport Medical worked with me to plan every aspect. They looked after the details that would have overwhelmed me, had I decided to do all the planning myself. This included help deciding on the surgeon and hospital, what preliminary blood work and documents were needed, financial concerns, and many other details. Mark even arranged all my transportation once I was in Costa Rica and arranged for a very nice liaison person who guided me the whole time.

You worked endlessly as a go-between for my surgeon and I. Together we decided what surgical procedure was best for the results I wanted. You answered or found answers to my inquiries very quickly. As a client, I felt like I was your top priority.

My decision to have my surgery abroad rather than at home was mostly due to a sense of adventure as well as practical reasons. I knew that it would cost less to have the surgery abroad, but I was blown away when Passport Medical worked out a deal for me that would cost less than half than having the surgery at home.

If I were to have the surgery here in Vancouver, the doctors would have performed the operation, I would have a one night hospital stay, and would be then sent home to recover on my own. I would have to worry about transportation, feeding and taking care of myself during recovery. It also would have cost twice as much, without the food, hotel stay, flight and two week professional care.

Instead, I flew to Costa Rica, where (for half the price, remember) and was well taken care of in an in-hospital hotel with 24 hour care and amazing healthy meals for TWO weeks. The hospital was well run and more sophisticated than any that I’ve seen here in Canada. The Spanish casa style hotel I stayed at was right in the hospital. It was beautiful and peaceful to stay there. The staff were extremely friendly, the atmosphere positive and beautiful.

Here is a summary of my experience, from planning to recovery:

1.  Passport Medical works with the Doctors and Costa Rican contacts to plan my surgery dates, flights and other trip details

2. I arrive in Costa Rica two days before my surgery date and am met by a driver who takes me to the hospital. I am warmly greeted by Ennia, the hotel administrator who also guides me through my entire trip and takes care of my every need. She proves to be invaluable to my experience.

3. The next day, I meet with my surgeons Dr. Povedo and Dr. Sancho. They patiently answer all my questions and explain the procedure thoroughly. By the end of the consultation, I feel fully confident and know that I am in the best hands. All my fears are replaced by the belief that I have made the right decision and that Passport Medical has planned my surgery with the best doctors.

4. Surgery day! The procedure takes about 4 hours and I wake up groggily in the recovery room, where there are nurses to monitor me throughout the night. I feel weak and like there’s a small weight on my chest, but no pain. The nurses help me shower, feed me, and escort me back to my hotel room.

5. For the next two days, I am weak and tired, but I have plenty of time to rest and recuperate. I am brought three delicious meals a day (included in price) and Ennia is there to make sure I have everything I need. Had I had the surgery at home, I would be too distracted and would have to rely on family and friends to look after me.

6. The following two weeks were very peaceful and I well was well taken of. My doctors checked on me every day and spent a lot of time making sure that I was comfortable and in no pain.  I was very impressed with the quality of care and was surprised that Dr.Sancho  went out of his way to talk with me when he had the chance. He made my stay in Costa Rico unforgettable.

7.  The surgery itself was painless. Aside from some acute discomfort (some heaviness in the chest region), I mostly felt tired, which is normal. During my recovery time, I had two weeks in a beautiful country to relax, meditate, do some artwork and some tourism, without any distractions. I feel that this helped me heal properly. I did not have to worry about cooking, household chores and other activities that would potentially slow my recovery.

8. I am very happy with the surgery results. Now, I look exactly as I had envisioned. The doctors and Mark took the special care and attention to listen to me about my concerns and what type of look I wanted. As a competitive bikini athlete, I was very particular about the look, and Passport Medical took that into consideration.

As a previously uninformed person, I had assumed that medical tourism would be dangerous and expensive. After my personal experiences, I would recommend it to anyone. When planned through an experienced agency, such as Passport Medical, it will be a logical, cost-effective alternative. And an adventure as well! To me, it would make no sense, financially or otherwise to do it any other way.

If you have any questions or would like to see some before and after pictures, please feel free to email me at pixelartphoto@rogers.com.

Good Luck,

Vicky Lee