By Mary Kearl
Stacey
Cavaliere's story starts off pleasantly enough. After two years of diet
and exercise she lost 135 pounds, and as a reward she was planning a
Costa Rica vacation, where a nice relaxing trip awaited her. Or that's
what the tourist Web site promised her. It also promised that
Caveliere, 35, would come back lifted, tucked and toned in places where
her extreme weight loss yielded excess hanging skin. But upon returning
to the U.S., Cavaliere wasn't showing off her new body -- she was
rushed to the emergency room where her abdomen had to be completely
reconstructed after a botched body lift. Only after eight surgeries did she end up with the body she wanted.
According to U.S. News and World Report,
180,000 Americans sought medical treatment abroad in 2007 -- lured in
by the combo package of vacation and a cheaper price tag. But how
common are post-op complications, and how much do these trips really
save? Find out below, from the story told by Cavaliere and the doctor
who helped her recover from her plastic surgery disaster, Kaveh
Alizadeh, M.D., an American Board certified plastic surgeon and
President of the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, who specializes in using VASER Lipo in his procedures.
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content of Stacey Cavaliere may be graphic.
Surgery Abroad Gone Wrong
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh, the plastic surgeon who fixed Cavaliere's botched body lift, says that like Usher's wife, patients are being lured abroad by Web sites promising the perfect vacation package -- going abroad, getting plastic surgery and coming back looking and feeling refreshed. The danger? He says more than 60 percent of the surgeons in a recent survey said they have seen at least one to three patients with complications related to surgeries they sought abroad.
WARNING: The next photo of Stacey's botched surgery is graphic. Be advised before continuing through the photo slide show.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
After having one body lift surgery done incorrectly, Stacey Cavaliere, pictured left, had to have four surgeries to reconstruct her abdomen and an additional four to do the body lift procedure correctly.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Cavaliere's abdomen had to be reconstructed before she could have the plastic surgery procedure she initially sought.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Pictured: Cavaliere's arms before Dr. Alizadeh performed the arm lift procedure.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Cavaliere's thighs before Dr. Alizadeh performed the thigh lift procedure.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Stacey Cavaliere after undergoing eight procedures to fix the botched body lift she had done in Costa Rica.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Stacey Cavaliere after undergoing eight procedures to fix the botched body lift she had done in Costa Rica.
Provided by Rosalynn Basford
Why Plastic Surgery Abroad?
AOL Health: Why did you seek out the body lift procedure, and why abroad?Cavaliere: My weight pre-weight-loss was about 350 pounds. My
weight pre-surgery was about 180 pounds. I felt that the body lift
surgery was my only option since I had massive amounts of hanging skin
everywhere -- there was no other way to correct it. I chose medical
tourism because of the drastic price difference between the U.S. and
other countries.
AOL Health: Did you consult medical professionals about your weight?
Cavaliere: No. I never consulted a doctor about my weight. Over
the years when I would see a doctor for routine things, of course they
would address it, but I never really worried about it. I knew I was
fat. I didn't need a doctor to tell me that!
AOL Health: What kind of research did you do before embarking on your medical tourism journey?
Cavaliere: I went online. There wasn't much else I could do. I didn't have the money to go there first and check it out.
AOL Health: Were you worried?
Cavaliere: I know it sounds weird, but I was just anxious to get the skin removed, so I guess I didn't even think about anything else.
AOL Health: How soon after the procedure did you realize something was wrong?
Cavaliere: By the next day I wasn't feeling well, but I never imagined what was to come.
AOL Health: You've had to have eight surgeries to reverse the damage
of the initial surgery. How have you been able to afford it?
Cavaliere: To be quite honest, I haven't been able to afford any
of this from day one. I took loans and used credit cards to pay for all
of it!
AOL Health: How did you feel after you realized something was wrong?
Cavaliere: I was mad. I was so upset that my dream of looking
"normal" was getting messed up again. I never thought I would die, but
I totally thought I would look deformed forever.
AOL Health: How did this experience affect your body?
Cavaliere: I probably don't have the same result I would have
had if everything would have been done right the first time. I have
more scars than I should, and some parts of my body, in my opinion,
don't look natural.
AOL Health: How were your personal and work life affected?
Cavaliere: I missed a lot of work, but thankfully my co-workers
are like family so they stood by me. It put a lot of stress on my
marriage, though.
AOL Health: If you don't mind sharing, how much have you had to spend in total?
Cavaliere: I don't really know … about $40,000, and that's only
because Dr. Alizadeh has given me a break on all the work he has done
for me -- never free but a definite discount!
Next: Dr. Alizadeh explains the damage done by the Surgeons abroad.
Plastic Surgery Disasters
by Karen Asp
Americans are flocking to cosmetic surgery. In 2007 alone, a whopping 12 million procedures were performed, up from the previous year. That begs one question, though: How dangerous are these surgeries? "Although many of these procedures are safe, complications are always possible, especially if you don't choose your doctor wisely and have a procedure in an unsafe setting," says Brent Moelleken, M.D., F.A.C.S., board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA. Take, for instance, the case of Priscilla Presley whose face looked distorted when she appeared on Dancing with the Stars. Later, it was reported that her doctor injected silicone into Presley's face as well as others at "injection parties," backing Moelleken's point that you should always seek a qualified doctor and never have procedures done at a spa or someone's house. Here, Moelleken reveals the dangers behind 10 of the most popular surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures as determined by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Plus, we've included a few celebrity cautionary tales.
Getty Images
Botox
Although major problems are rare, potentially fatal allergic reactions could occur, which is why you need to have this done in a facility equipped to handle emergencies. Smaller complications include differences from in appearance from one side to another, lazy eye muscle, bruising as well as, headache and flu-like symptoms. Of course, if you remember the case of Irena Medavoy, wife of producer Mike Medavoy, she received a Botox injection to cure her migraine headaches and wound up battling muscle weakness, respiratory problems and a host of other side effects, according to CNN.com.
Breast Augmentation
Make sure your doctor understands what you want. When actress Tara Reid decided to get big Bs, her doctor gave her two Cs, she told 'Us Weekly'. After surgery, she had bumps that worsened, forcing her to undergo surgery to repair the damage. Unrealistic expectations are also a major problem with breast implants, as implants that are too large can stretch the skin, cause breasts to droop and make you look heavier. No matter what size you get, though, over time, scar tissue can form around the implants, which could lead to more surgery. You might also experience diminished sensation around the nipple region. And of course, if you expect implants to last, think again: You'll need the surgery redone every 10 to 15 years.
Tummy Tuck
Because of the risk for major complications, including anaesthetic problems (i.e. vomiting, stroke or allergic reaction) or even death in rare cases, like rapper Kanye West's mother, Donda West, who died after having a breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction, you must have this procedure in a surgical center or hospital where there's access to immediate emergency care. Irregularities, bad scarring or bleeding after the surgery can also happen. Life-threatening blood clots could even form anywhere from three to 11 days after surgery.
Nose Reshaping
The biggest problem with nasal surgery is the way it's done. There's a risk that doctors, especially if you're not going to one who's board certified in plastic surgery, may alter the shape of the nose too much, causing parts of the nose to collapse and breathing to become difficult. The most obvious example of this is Michael Jackson, whose nose looks to be so delicate that it could collapse at any time. Farah Fawcett is another celeb whose nose now looks deformed. Awfulplasticsurgery.com shows the star from 1998 to 2004, and the difference is startling.
Liposuction
Complication rates are surprisingly low with liposuction, but there is always the chance of blood clots forming, which is why you need to go to a setting designed to handle medical emergencies. Other problems may include differences in appearance from one side to another, irregularities like bumps or depressions and changes in skin color. Some people also have trouble recovering from liposuction with http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/chronic-pain
target="_blank">chronic pain being a problem for a few individuals.
Eyelid Surgery
The more aggressive the surgery, the more chance there will be problems, like the eyes not closing properly and becoming chronically dry and irritated or having a burning sensation. And although everybody usually has differences between eyes, you could also see a more pronounced difference between eyes if the surgery is done poorly.
Hyaluronic Acid
You may know this filler by the name Restalyne. It's commonly used to fill in small lines and wrinkles and is relatively safe compared to other fillers, like silicone. Yet you could still experience bruising, swelling and significant asymmetries.
Chemical Peel
Problems are typically minor and include things like leaving the skin with too much pigment, a loss of pigment or prolonged redness. If deeper chemical peels are performed, however, serious scarring can result.
Laser Hair Removal
This sounds like a relatively harmless procedure, but lasers can burn the skin and could cause scarring. There may also be a loss of pigment, especially in individuals with darker skin. Also, in some cases, when individuals have numbing cream put on larger areas of the body, the cream may be absorbed into the bloodstream and affect the heart, which is why you need to have this done in a medical setting.
