As the cost of cosmetic surgery in the U.S. rises, more and more Americans are looking abroad. In 2015, the most popular countries Americans traveled to for plastic surgery were Canada, the U.K., Israel, Singapore, and Costa Rica, according to The New York Times. 

It may be more affordable, but it's not without risks. Last year, a Brazilian beauty queen was hospitalized twice due to a life-threatening infection she developed after getting botched thigh injections. In April, a U.S. woman who traveled to the Dominican Republic died after a liposuction procedure (she was the fourth woman to die at a clinic in the D.R. this year), and in May, a San Diego resident went into a coma after having a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic after surgery in Tijuana. 

When there are these kinds of risks involved, is it worth it to get plastic surgery abroad just to save money? Weigh your options seriously and proceed with extreme caution. Here, Helen Colen and Adam Kolker, both surgeons who practice in New York, share six things you need to know and do before booking that flight. 

1. Find out if your doctor is accredited or certified. Look for a surgeon who's accredited with an organization such as The American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. They both maintain rigorous requirements when it comes to training, certification, continuing medical education, and hospital privileges, and they allow international members to join. "One of the problems with recommending surgery abroad to someone is that it's difficult to know the processes of certification in each individual country," Dr. Kolker says. "But what these society memberships do is ensure that your surgeon is incredibly well-trained." 

2. You can — and should — ask questions. "Getting a terrific cosmetic result is important, but it is second to your safety," Dr. Kolker says. "You want to make sure your procedure is done in the safest possible environment." To that end, when you find a surgeon or a clinic you like, don't stop with a Google search. It's important to know if your surgeon is affiliated with a hospital, what the local standards of care are like, and what would happen in the event of any complications, as well as who would be responsible for paying for any additional treatments. 

Additionally, if you're planning on having surgery in a country where you don't speak the local language, find out exactly how and who might be able to help you communicate with your doctor and nurses or other medical professionals who will be caring for you. 

3. Make sure you understand what recourse might be available to you. In the U.S., you may be able to sue your doctor for malpractice if something goes wrong with your surgery, but that may not be the case in every country. Same thing goes for privacy laws: The U.S. has HIPAA, which protects your information from being given to third parties with your consent, but the laws will vary in every country. Moreover, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there are no U.S. laws that protect U.S. patients who go to unlicensed doctors abroad. Bottom line: Make sure you understand exactly what your legal rights are before you make an appointment in another country. 

4. Evaluate all the risks. Surgery is always a risk, even under the safest conditions, but if you're traveling a long way for your procedure, you have to think about anything that could potentially go wrong before and after you get to your destination. For example, flying right after your surgery can increase your risk of developing a blood clot, but many doctors caution patients against taking aspirin — which, taken before a flight, might lower your risk of developing a blood clot —for at least 10 days before and after your surgery, because it's also a blood thinner — which can increase your risk of bleeding during or after surgery. 

Dr. Colen adds that if you develop any kind of complication or infection from your surgery, you should be prepared to go back to the surgeon who originally operated on you, because many doctors won't treat a patient whose case they're not familiar with. "The money that you may save by going abroad in the first place then becomes very poorly spent," she says.

5. Before you book any vacation activities around your surgery, check with your doctor. Every doctor's pre- and post-op recommendations to their patients will be different, so before you decide to try to squeeze in some sunbathing or drinking on the beach before or after your procedure, double- and triple-check that this is permitted. 

6. Ask yourself why you're doing this. For most people, the main draw of medical tourism is the possibility of getting top-notch medical care on the cheap. To be clear, it is absolutely possible to find a qualified doctor abroad, and many people who go abroad are completely happy with the results. However, remember that depending on where you go, you may get what you pay for. Think of it this way: When you get plastic surgery, you're starting a new relationship with your doctor, so make sure the clinic and surgeon you choose are ones you would trust implicitly with your life. 

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