Affordable healthcare has been an issue in the US for some time now. It can be twice as expensive as it is in any other developed country. In addition, even with all this money spent on healthcare, organizations like the World Health Organization ranks the US far below other countries regarding the quality of this service.
This leads to US citizens having to pay high costs for healthcare services and not getting a proportional value in return. This applies to cosmetic procedures, such as rhinoplasty, as much as it applies to medical ones.
However, there is light in this situation. With the US being so close to a country that offers medical services at half the price, such as Mexico, and having great medical professionals in the border-city, Tijuana, US citizens can find here a good alternative for a nose job.
What is a rhinoplasty and how does it work?
A rhinoplasty is a medical procedure done to improve the shape and function of your nose. The reasons for this can be medical, to improve the breathing process, or cosmetic, to correct imperfections and accentuate your facial features.
Although there is no such thing as a perfect nose, a nose job can work with your facial structure to emphasize the features that you want. This should always be planned together with your doctor. In this way, you can express your motivations and get realistic expectations about the process.
The first step of the process is to get informed about the clinic and surgeon to have this medical intervention performed and talking to the specialist to make sure you are a right candidate.
After you make sure you are a right fit for the medical process, you can start planning it with your doctor, taking into account your desires, expectations and facial structure.
To help in this planning process, the clinic may take photographs of your nose from different angles to study the best procedure.
The rhinoplasty is a relatively quick and easy process. It’s not as tiring and time-consuming as other medical interventions and during it your nose will be numbed, so you won’t feel any pain. Additionally, you may be able to leave the clinic on the same day to start the recovery process.
This process is the last stage of the rhinoplasty. During this phase, it’s important to listen to your doctor, attend to all follow up appointments and follow all his recommendations. After about a year, you can expect all swelling and bruising to have disappeared and have the final result.
Which factors influence the price of this procedure?
Here we’ll list some factors that make the rhinoplasty cost be so high in the US and so low in Tijuana in comparison.
- Administrative costs: US hospitals and clinics hire many administrative clerks to deal with the bureaucracy created by so many different insurance companies. In some cases, about one quarter of the healthcare costs are associated with administrative expenses.
- Drug costs: It’s no secret that the prices of drugs in Canada or Mexico are far below their prices in the US. That’s why many people travel to buy them in these countries.
- Fear of lawsuits: Defensive medicine is practiced in the US, due to doctors fearing being sued. That’s why they order multiple tests even when they are certain they won’t need them.
- Branding: Every clinic and hospital tries to get as much share of the market as it can and invests in marketing to position its brand in the eyes of the public. This leads to higher prices payed by the patients.
- Wages: This is one of the main factors, as the wages in the US can go from 5 to 8 times more expensive than those in Mexico.
With all these factors being more accentuated in the US, Tijuana has been positioned as a medical tourism zone for those looking to have a nose job performed.
Comparison between Tijuana and the US for Rhinoplasty
After reviewing the information above it’s no surprise that the rhinoplasty cost in Mexico are up to 60% cheaper than in the US.
So, how much is a nose job in Tijuana? The average cost is $3,500.00 USD. In comparison, in the US the average price for this medical intervention rises to $8,000.00 USD.
Is the rhinoplasty cost in Mexico the only benefit? Not at all. Since Tijuana has become a medical tourism destination for US citizens, the city is filled with high quality specialists with plenty of experience in nose improvement procedures.
Furthermore, since Tijuana is located on the US-Mexico border, you can either arrive to its international airport, or to the San Diego airport, or even drive to San Diego and take a special shuttle to get to EVOCLINIC.
In addition to all this, the waiting time for a rhinoplasty is really high in the US, as it is in Canada, while in Tijuana it is almost negligible.
If you’re thinking about getting a nose job performed, you should definitely consider having it done in Tijuana. Its low price, great location and excellent professionals will give you the service you deserve without spending a fortune on it.