ON WUSA9: Dr. Emeka Onyewu Warns of the Dangers of Medical Tourism

When it comes to medical tourism, “you really get what you pay for,” says Dr. Chukwuemeka Onyewu of Jamachi Plastic Surgery & Medispa on WUSA 9. “And sometimes, you pay for it with your life.”

South America and the Caribbean are popular destinations for cosmetic procedures because of the cut-rate prices, but the standard of care pales in comparison to that found in the United States. Surgeries performed abroad are usually performed in homes by “doctors” who have never been trained as plastic surgeons or banned from practicing medicine in America. Follow-up appointments are nearly impossible because of the constant traveling required.

For patients who insist on traveling abroad and saving money, Dr. Onyewu advises, “You have to be sure of who’s doing the surgery.”