In 2001, I came to the Dominican Republic with my fiancé, who was born in DR but had spent the most recent 22 years of his life in the US.   I had battled with a weight problem for years, and in one of my moments of diet-induced angst he confided in me that one of his cousins had liposuction eight years earlier in the Dominican Republic and had never gained back a pound!  I was thrilled at the idea, but what really convinced me to take a chance was when I found out the price…50-70% less than it would cost me in the US!

The plastic surgeon took me in ahead of other waiting patients, examined me and made his recommendation that I have liposuction and a tummy tuck.  Before I met him, I was nervous about seeing a doctor in the Dominican Republic, as my Spanish was abysmal. To my delight, the surgeon spoke English quite well!  His office was immaculately clean and very elegantly decorated, as was the clinic where I would have my surgery and stay for two days post-operatively.  And he had a professional demeanor and congeniality that I had never encountered among the many American doctors that I had worked with (as a medical transcriptionist for 7 years).

At first when he recommended that I have a tummy tuck as well as liposuction, I was afraid there was no way I could afford to have both surgeries at one time.

During my initial consultation with my surgeon in Santo Domingo, I asked him how much the total would be for both surgeries.  His reply…$2,400.00!  Wow!  Was I amazed…and I’m sure that it showed in my facial expression.  My next question was, “How long will it take?”  I meant how long would the surgery take, but the doctor apparently misunderstood my meaning and replied with, “Okay, I can do it for $1,800.00.”

Lower than $2,400.00?  Indeed, I had!  As is the tradition in most Dominican business situations, doctors in the Dominican Republic are open to ‘haggling’!  Oh Joy!

My next question was, “Now is this the REAL total price?  What else will I have to pay for separately?”  The answer…I had to pay no extra fees or costs.  Everything was included… supplies, anesthesiologist, pre-operative bloodwork, nursing care, 2-day hospital stay with all meals, medication; even follow up visits with the doctor!  All included!

I thought I was dreaming.  And what was even more fantastic was the fact that he scheduled my appointment for the very next morning!

My results were wonderful, my treatment superb and the entire experience was the complete opposite of what my ignorant fears had led me to believe cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic would be like!

Even though both of my trips to the Dominican Republic were spent “going under the knife”, I fell so in love with this seductively beautiful country and its friendly, fun-loving inhabitants that in September of 2002 we moved our entire family here! 

We now live at a much higher standard than we ever could have in the States and enjoy trotting off to a different breath-taking Caribbean beach every few weeks.

I wake up thanking heavens for my wonderful discovery of this fabulous country that gave me not only a new figure but a whole new life!