My office is a few minutes from the Mexican border. You would think the question I get most is about surgery in Juarez. It is. But the answer I give surprises people, so let me start with the map.
“About 70 percent of our patients are from out of town. At least 40 to 50 percent of those come from within Texas and New Mexico. Although we get patients that come in from Mexico, it is surprising that we get a lot more patients from Canada. Other places where we have a large draw from are Seattle and the Washington area, California, Florida, and New York. We also get a fair number of patients from the Midwest. I am proud to say that we’ve had a patient from every single state in the United States, from all of North America, and as far as Japan and Dubai.”
More Canadians than Mexicans, in a city that shares a river with Mexico. People who fly the farthest tend to be the people who did the most homework.
Now the price question, because it is the real one.
“I know many excellent surgeons in Mexico. And I can tell you that for most surgeries, top level surgeons in Mexico charge pretty similar to top US surgeons. The difference lies in that oftentimes anesthesia and operating room costs can be lower, as well as the cost of medications and supplies. So there may be a lower cost in Mexico, but not a very significant difference.”
That is the part nobody quotes. The surgeon’s fee, at the top of the profession, is roughly the same on either side of the river. What moves is the anesthesia, the room, the supplies. Small moves.
“When you see very significant differences, where the cost is almost too good to be true, it is because there is a reason to it, and somehow the costs are getting cut in places that may be essential to your care.”
“Of course, lodging during your recovery may be less expensive in Mexico than in the United States.”
So the hotel is cheaper. Fine. The anesthesiologist should not be. I wrote the line-by-line version of what to ask before, and it applies in Texas as much as anywhere.
Which brings me to the website problem. Every practice site in Texas says board certified. Here is how you find out in five minutes whether it is true.
“Patients can look up a doctor’s Texas medical license on the Texas Medical Board website, and they can see if it’s in good standing and any history the doctor may have.”
“But I think it’s more important to make sure that your plastic surgeon is board certified. You can do this by going to the American Board of Plastic Surgery website and looking up your physician, and they will quickly confirm whether the physician is board certified in plastic surgery or not.”
“On top of that, board certified plastic surgeons can be vetted even further by checking if they are members in good standing of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Aesthetic Society (formerly the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, ASAPS), and even the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.”
Texas Medical Board for the license. American Board of Plastic Surgery for the board. Then the three societies. A license proves the person is a doctor. The board proves what kind. If the second search comes back empty, you are done reading that website.
Run it on me, since I am the one telling you to.
“I am honored and proud to say that I am a licensed physician in Texas, New Mexico, Florida, California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. I am board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and I am a member of ASPS, ASAPS (The Aesthetic Society), and ISAPS.”
Then there is the part after surgery, which is where medical tourism usually falls apart. Someone flies home on day two and the first problem shows up on day four, a thousand miles from the surgeon.
“The instructions are the same as for patients coming in from other states in the United States or from Canada. Depending on the procedure, I will give the recommendation of what time to stay in El Paso. For large procedures, it’s usually a minimum of seven days. For smaller procedures, they can travel as soon as two to three days.”
“We have several hotels that we’ve partnered with for accommodations for our patients. And we also have the ability to have nurse visits, and even 24-hour care can be arranged. Some patients choose to stay in an Airbnb for comfort, or many patients may have family that they can stay with, and that makes it even easier.”
Seven days. Not a suggestion. I covered the rhinoplasty version of the trip here already, and the logic is the same for a tummy tuck or a facelift, only longer.
Why do they come? I asked myself the same thing and this is the honest answer.
“I think patients come here because they realize the quality of treatments and care we provide at Southwest Plastic Surgery. They see that I deliver consistent results with significant body and face transformations. They are also impressed by the high number of five-star reviews. And I think that they also hear it from friends and family, as word of mouth.”
“I think they also appreciate the fact that we’re used to taking care of patients from out of town. So we’ve streamlined the process and make it as easy and automatic as possible for the patient, through our patient coordinators.”
The full guide, with the checklist table, the five directory links, and what each procedure costs in El Paso as of this writing, is on agulloplasticsurgery.com. The fees page has the current numbers.
Check the license. Check the board. Then ask what got cut.
Call (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or book at agulloplasticsurgery.com. #StayBeautiful
Find me at @RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.