Beauty Link is a coordinator for cosmetic surgery in Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi only. It is free for patients. This page explains what we do at each step, who pays us, and the questions to ask any coordinator before you trust them with your plans.
Written by the Beauty Link team. Not reviewed by a doctor.
What does a medical tourism coordinator do?
Medical tourism means going overseas for medical treatment. Cosmetic surgery is one of the most common procedures Australians travel for. You may also see the term medical tourism facilitator. Some sources use it for the same kind of role: a link between you and a hospital overseas, plus help with the trip around it.
A coordinator usually helps you with:
- understanding your goals and what you want to ask
- finding hospitals that do the procedure you are thinking about
- passing your questions to the hospital, and the answers back to you
- planning around the trip, such as an airport pickup
- staying in touch while you heal and after you go home
What a coordinator should not do matters just as much. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons warns that in cosmetic tourism, talks often happen with staff who have no medical training, and payment is asked for early. That can leave you without a proper talk about risks before you agree to surgery. The NHS gives the same warning: meet the surgeon, and avoid meetings with sales staff only. A coordinator does not stand in for that talk with your surgeon.
Sources: Smartraveller (Australian Government), Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, NHS
How Beauty Link works, step by step
Here is what happens when you contact Beauty Link.
- Tell us your goals. You answer a short quiz, then we talk on WhatsApp. Messages on Facebook Messenger reach us too.
- We shortlist hospitals. As your coordinator, we only suggest hospitals that hold a Ministry of Health license and do the procedure you asked about.
- You compare plans and quotes. Each hospital sends a personal treatment plan and a quote, and explains what is included. You take your time to compare them.
- One WhatsApp group. You, the hospital team and your Beauty Link advisor share one group chat. We stay in the group to help with messages and translation.
- You talk with the surgeon. Questions about your body, your health and your surgery go to your surgeon. We do not give medical advice.
- You arrive in Vietnam. We arrange your airport pickup.
- Recovery and home. Your advisor checks in while you recover in Vietnam, and again after you fly home.
Andrew Lam, our Co-founder, runs Beauty Link. You can read more about the team on our about page. Beauty Link is part of the WeLink family, with Dental Link.
Who pays Beauty Link, and why you pay nothing
Beauty Link is free for patients. The hospital pays Beauty Link. You never pay us anything.
Each hospital sends you its own quote with your treatment plan. Ask what the quote includes. We do not publish prices on this site. Our guide to what shapes a cosmetic quote explains the parts of a quote to check.
When you weigh up any quote, Australia's travel advice says to think about every possible cost. That includes the cost of care if there is a complication during or after surgery. Medicare does not cover you overseas. Basic travel insurance rarely covers medical tourism, so ask your insurer about a policy that covers your procedure, complications and medical evacuation.
Ask every coordinator, Beauty Link included, how they are paid, so you know who pays whom.
Sources: Smartraveller (Australian Government), NHS
What a coordinator cannot do for you
A coordinator can help you plan and keep in touch with the hospital. Some things still sit with you and your doctors.
- Take away the risk. There are always risks with medical procedures, whether you have surgery at home or abroad.
- Replace your own doctor at home. Smartraveller suggests you talk to your doctor in Australia about your plans and get a health check at least 6 weeks before you go.
- Give the surgeon's answers. Your surgeon can explain what a procedure involves for you, its limits, other options and its risks.
- Decide when you fly. Long flights after major surgery raise the risk of a blood clot. Ask your surgeon when it is safe for you to fly.
Our guide is plastic surgery in Vietnam safe goes deeper on risks and how to plan for them.
Sources: Smartraveller (Australian Government), NHS, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
Questions to ask any medical tourism coordinator
Use these questions with any coordinator you are thinking about, Beauty Link included. They cover the coordinator, the hospital, the surgeon and your care after you fly home.
About the coordinator
- How are you paid, and do I pay you anything?
- Who will I talk to on WhatsApp, and who answers medical questions?
- Will you stay in touch after I fly home?
About the hospital
- Is the hospital accredited by the local health authorities?
- Do the surgeon and hospital have indemnity and malpractice insurance?
- Can you show me each hospital's Ministry of Health license and registration?
About the surgeon
- Will I speak with the surgeon before I book?
- What training does the surgeon have, and how many of these procedures have they done?
- Does the surgeon speak a language I understand?
About aftercare
- What happens if there are complications?
- Where will my check ups be, in Vietnam and at home?
- What happens if I need more surgery later?
The NHS suggests two talks with your surgeon before any surgery. Ask your coordinator and the hospital how that can work for you before you travel.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller (Australian Government)
Questions
Often, yes. Some sources use the two names for the same role. What matters is what each one actually does for you, so ask them to list it in writing.
No. You can contact a hospital overseas yourself. A coordinator helps with finding hospitals, messages, translation and support during your trip. Whether you use one is your choice.
Beauty Link is free for patients, because the hospital pays us. Other coordinators work in other ways, so ask each one if they charge you a fee.
Not always. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons warns that cosmetic tourism patients often talk with staff who have no medical training. Beauty Link is a concierge, not a clinic, so medical questions always go to your surgeon.
Your Beauty Link advisor stays in the WhatsApp group with you and the hospital team, to help with messages. Before you book, ask the hospital what happens if there are complications. Also check what your travel insurance covers, including getting home in an emergency.
The NHS suggests not flying for 5 to 7 days after procedures such as breast surgery and liposuction, and for 7 to 10 days after facial procedures or a tummy tuck. A coordinator cannot set your flight date. Your own surgeon decides it, and will tell you what applies to you.
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Our guide to medical tourism in Vietnam covers more about planning a trip there.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller (Australian Government), Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons