Sun, Surf and Scalpels
30 June 2006
Medical Observer

SYDNEY sales manager Eva Emrich was getting over an ugly divorce when she decided a cosmetic surgery holiday in Malaysia would give her the lift she needed.

Ms Emrich, 53, combined a facelift, breast lift and tummy tuck with a three-week holiday in five-star accommodation, and a spot of sightseeing. Her 70-year-old mother came along for a facelift and liposuction.

Ms Emrich says the initial decision to go overseas to have the cosmetic surgery done was made to save money. The idea of a holiday package was an added attraction.

“If it was more affordable [here], it’s more than likely I would do it here, but I truly can’t afford it,” she says. The trip was organised by cosmetic surgery holiday operator Gorgeous Getaways.

According to managing director Louise Cogan, Australians have long been going overseas for a nip and tuck, admittedly sometimes with disastrous results.

But their business represents a growing market – so-called ‘scalpel tourism’ where cosmetic procedures are packaged as a vacation. Added to this, having cosmetic surgery abroad also means the person is likely to remain anonymous.

Judith Rema, a 51 year old who works in the overseas cosmetic surgery business, paid $8700 for a facelift in Phuket, compared to $10,000 for the treatment at home.

“I would never have shown my face like I did [in Phuket] in Australia because anybody could have seen me,” she says.

Consumer demand seems to be driving the current trend rather than any clever marketing campaign.

Such business acumen is not confined to overseas operators. Australia too is being promoted as a surgery holiday destination.

It is possible to buy a package that includes surgery in Cairns and a holiday in tropical Far North Queensland.

Ms Cogan says her company brings about 20 patients into Australia a year, mainly from the UK and New Zealand.

“There are a lot of British who are starting [to come here] because of the price difference, and they have a lot of faith in Australian surgeons,” she says.

Ms Cogan also books about one holiday a month for Australians who want an interstate holiday as well as the opportunity to have their surgery done secretly.

Dr Cockburn says it’s not surprising that Australia is a destination for cosmetic surgery holidays, and there’s nothing to prevent Australian qualified surgeons getting involved in the industry.

“If your members are capable of providing this service adequately... then how can you argue against that?” he says.

But for Australian patients the lure of an exotic overseas holiday and a cheaper cosmetic service is often greater than considerations about qualifications and complications.

Ms Emrich admits she has heard “horror stories” about people who go overseas for plastic surgery and “it’s kind of scary not knowing where the hotel is or if they speak English”.

But this hasn’t deterred her from going back for more.

“I’m going again. I’m going to get my teeth done and my thighs... and a bit of body contouring."

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