Plastic surgery tourism?

In today's nip-and-tuck world, it seems more and more people long for extreme makeovers. For most, though, it's a costly fantasy that's way out of reach. But not for these women. They thought they'd found a way to make it happen.

Maria Morel, a mother of three from Newark, N.J., had been dropping hints about plastic surgery to her family for a long time.

Sonia Wilmoth, a 37-year-old secretary and mother from Boston, says she was so ashamed of her flabby belly and stretch marks she wouldn't even undress in front of her husband. Sonia says she was such an avid fan of makeover shows, she even called the plastic surgeons on television.

And these two best friends also had the same wish. Allyn Segura, a single mother living in Miami, and Yvonne Tamayo, an immigration consultant in New York, talked about plastic surgery on the phone constantly.

So how did the women find a way to make their surgical dreams come true on a budget? All they had to do was become part of the multi-million-dollar lipotourism trade, a business built around two ideas: foreign doctors who offer cut-rate surgery and Americans who are willing to go overseas to go under the knife.

Plastic surgery: Do the research Dominican Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Offers statistical information on procedures in member countries; promotes public education; invites surgeons to be members who are credentialed by national societies. American Society of Plastic Surgeons How to choose a doctor. ASPS was established in 1931. Their guide includes a list of questions to ask a potential surgeon. Centers for Disease Control Report Taken from their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, focuses on infections seen in patients coming back from the Dominican Republic.

Who wouldn't be tempted by the idea of sun, fun and surgery at unbeatable prices? Consider this: A tummy tuck in the United States would set you back at least $6,000, but in Costa Rica it's only $2,000. A facelift in the U.S. costs up to $9,000. In Malaysia it costs a third of that. And a breast augmentation in the U.S. costs $7,000, but in the Dominican Republic, only $2,000.

In fact, the Dominican Republic is fast becoming the Caribbean Mecca of lipotourism. Eighty percent of the plastic surgery patients there come from abroad lured by low prices and a seductive climate. But as the lipotourism in the Dominican Republic grows, some American doctors are concerned about the quality of care patients who go there receive. And, as we found, choosing one questionable doctor can lead to tragic consequences

You can find ads for clinics in the Dominican Republic on Web sites, but much of the business is drummed up by word of mouth in an unusual setting that is anything but clinical -- mom and pop beauty salons.

Dateline went to one in Manhattan with our hidden cameras last November. There were dozens of women jammed in the salon, many of them waiting for an appointment. And it wasn't just any appointment. They were prepared to wait for hours, if they had to. They had paid the manager of the salon $15 to meet a plastic surgeon who was pitching his clinic in the Dominican Republic.

And business is good. The salon owner tells us about the doctor's busy schedule. She was a walking talking advertisement for the doctor's work.

Slide show The ugly road to beauty Follow the journey of Lisa, one of thousands of Americans to go to Mexico for cosmetic surgery at a fraction of what it costs in the United States. But is there another price to pay? more photos

While they waited to meet him, many of the women were just as open to talking about the surgery they want. There was lots of laughter and anticipation among the women, but what we didn't hear was anyone talking about what could go wrong.

Sonia, the secretary from Boston also got a recommendation for a plastic surgeon from her hairdresser.

Sonia: “She goes, ‘Oh listen, I'll give you the guy that does me.’ I said what do you mean? ‘You know my plastic surgeon in the Dominican Republic.’”

Sonia couldn't believe what the doctor told her over the phone.

Sonia: “He said he would do the tummy tuck, the lipo in the back, and breast uplift all for $3000. American dollars.”

What a deal, her very own extreme, and extremely cheap makeover. Procedures that would have cost upwards of $15,000 in the United States would be 80 percent cheaper in the Dominican republic. She was in and within weeks was on a plane to get her dream surgery. There was no research, it was based totally on the word of the hairdresser. Sonia says word of mouth was enough, along with the price tag.

Allyn and Yvonne, the two best friends, were also pretty confident that nothing bad would happen to them when they set out for the Dominican Republic last July. Allyn, a former nurse, had a list of questions to ask three doctors, who had been recommended by friends, family and of course, people at the beauty salon.

The friends decided on the last surgeon they interviewed. They say he answered all their questions and seemed very concerned. They say he accepted credit cards. And they were wowed by his prices -- $2,500 apiece for a tummy tuck and extensive liposuction, surgery which would have cost them upwards of $15,000 in the United States.

Meanwhile Maria Morel, the mother of three from New Jersey, was planning to go ahead with her surgery, too, and she was going to make it a top-secret operation. She wanted to surprise her family with her new body.

Last November, according to her family, Maria said she was going on a business trip to the Dominican Republic. When she got there, she immediately checked into a clinic for a tummy tuck and liposuction. Her plan didn't quite unfold the way she'd imagined. Instead of surprise, her family is now feeling stunned.

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