Cosmetic Surgery in Costa Rica

Although it seemed to me that Sarah Ackerman's piece on the cosmetic surgery tourism industry in Costa Rica seemed to focus on the draws of the recovery process, I think she also brought up important points about the cost of these cosmetic procedures and the anonymity that comes with undergoing said procedures in a relatively secluded area.

The idea of having access to the same, if not better, treatment for significantly less cost is likened to finding a bargain when shopping. I would argue that beyond being able to use one's money more efficiently, the draw of these cheaper procedures in Costa Rica is that they make the foreign patient feel wealthy. With the decreased costs of all procedures and amenities, an individual with a fair amount of money in the United States suddenly acquires a very different socioeconomic position when traveling to Costa Rica. In thinking about this I compared the travel to going back in time in our own country, where the same amount of money today would have infinitely more purchasing power in prior centuries. Beyond cheaper procedures, then, the draw of having cosmetic surgery performed in Costa Rica is also a temporarily heightened social class and status.

While we might expect someone with "newfound" wealth to want to show this off to others, the desire to brag is overridden by the desire to hide the reason for the individual's trip. Another draw of traveling to Costa Rica for surgery is the appeal of being able to escape the prying eyes of friends and family that might judge the patient for undergoing a surgery that is arguably somewhat frowned upon in our society. Though certainly with its exceptions, the American take on cosmetic surgery seems to be that it is vain and unnecessary and is often criticized by feminist theorists. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, the physicians, nurses, and other patients work to frame the surgeries as holistic parts of healing and health. This reframing makes the elective surgery seem more acceptable and normalized. It also gives the impression that the medicine involved in cosmetic surgery is less harsh and invasive and more necessary for the improvement of the whole person.

The comfortable healing conditions draw on ideas of the exoticism of the country itself as well as the support system for those recuperating. The idea of a beautiful backdrop for recovery in Costa Rica was developed by the ecotourism industry and now fortified by advertisements touting the recovery centers as overlooking gorgeous scenery. Ackerman also notes that, like any other travel resort, the recovery hotels segregate their customers from the realities of the country so as to portray an aura of pristine beauty and perfection without the uncomfortable aspects of things like poverty. Finally, the author says that patients find comfort in a type of medical nostalgia they experience in their care in Costa Rica. They say their physicians are generally more caring and place more emphasis on building personal relationships than doctors in the highly efficiency oriented system in the United States. She also argues that they find comfort in the gendered roles of the doctors and nurses, noting that many patients discuss the innately nurturing demeanor of the female nurses.