DR competes with US for plastic surgeries; tips to reduce risk
The boom in demand by US citizens for plastic surgeries in the Dominican Republic has led to US medics extolling their competitive advantages. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health in the DR says better controls are in place to ensure quality in the local plastic surgery procedures to reduce risks.
The director of the Renacip, the plastic surgery medical residence at the Gautier public hospital in Santo Domingo, Dr. Severo Mercedes warns patients to consult only with plastic surgeons who keep the higher standards and are members of the Dominican Society of Plastic Surgeons (Sodocipre). Dr. Severo Mercedes warns patients to stay away from physicians who may accept to carry out multiple procedures simultaneously, increasing patient risk.
According to data offered by the president of the Dominican Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (Sodocipre), Sergio Guzmán Padilla, in 2023, 40,000 foreign-residing patients underwent plastic surgery procedures here, most coming from the United States, Spain and Italy.
The Dominican Republic is No. 1 in medical tourism in the Caribbean region, with plastic surgeries being the most demanded medical service. From 2009 to 2022, 93 US citizens died of plastic surgeries in the Dominican Republic. Most of the deaths were due to embolic events, that may occur when a blood clot that forms elsewhere in the body breaks loose and travels to the brain via the bloodstream, causing a stroke.
In a meeting with Center for Disease Control representatives, the Ministry of Public Health gave insights into the controls in place to improve the quality of medical services. The CDC acknowledged during a meeting with Ministry of Public Health officers that plastic surgeons here are offering quality services for better prices and this combination is attracting the patients.
Public Health Minister Victor Atallah says deaths have declined in recent years due to better quality controls.
Source: DR1, Diario Libre
Feb 1, 2024
Category: DR News |