Question:
Has anyone had their surgery done in France?

I don't qualify for insurance so I must self pay to do this. It's $6K in France vs. $20K here in the states and I could use frequent flier miles to get there. Has anyone done this?    — Suzanne M. (posted on May 24, 2002)

May 24, 2002
I've seen several people get their surgery in Spain with Dr Baltazar, I assume it's probably cheaper in Spain as well.
   — Diane B.

May 24, 2002
France has socialized medical care system. I would have to think very hard about having surgery in France. I visit France every couple of years and they dont have an obesity problem like we do in the US, They walk everywhere they go. Even though I am sure the doctors are good, I dont think the physicians have had enough experience.
   — edy Z.

May 27, 2002
Hey, when I was post-op I STARTED researching WLS while I was staying in BRAZIL!! I too was worried that my insurance wasn't going to cover the DS I wanted and was doing research as to what it would cost to get it done (here) in Brazil (It's looking like I may be living here permanently now!). With the exchange rate here it is also EXTREMELY well priced! (About $6000 including hospital stay) I even made contact with a bariatric surgeon here who was fluent in English and a member of the American Board of Surgeons and I was going to come back and do it self pay with him if need be, but luckily my own insurance came through! Bottom line, don't let anyone scare you about using another country for your surgery!! We Americans tend to think we are the best at everything but it's simply not true. I wouldn't pick just any one Dr off the street, do some investigation just as you would for your surgeon here. What's true about our country is that the price for healthcare here is astronomical and totally out of whack with the rest of the world! If you are going to have to self pay and you know you really want this surgery, then you do what you need to do. Don't think that just because you're paying less AMERICAN dollars for this procedure that you're somehow getting an INFERIOR surgeon! Just look at the price difference here in the US that people have paid for their WLS!! I've seen $12,000 all the way up to $40K or more!! Why is that??? A lot of it is self-pay vs Insurance coverage. . . think about that for a minute!! Like I said, I'm living in Brazil now and I am going to have ALL my plastic surgery done here. For one, it is much cheaper and much more commonly performed. I've heard Brazil called the "land of plastic surgery!" Everyone does it and so it's not so exhorbitantly priced as it is there. Also, some of the best surgeons in the world for PS are from Brazil. You go girl and as long as you research your Dr, don't look at what you're spending for it, because it's simply not relevant! =) Blessings,
   — ChristiMNB

May 29, 2002
I absolutely agree with Christi's post. I had mine done in Trinidad and Tobago. It costs about TT$35,000, which is only about US$5800 ~ a very nice difference from the US rates of $15000 or more. Once we convinced the insurance to pay for it, they've agreed to pay 98% of the costs. So I'm all for getting medical treatment outside the US, so long as you feel confident in your doctor. GOod luck.
   — Paige P.