A lower quote from a clinic overseas can look like the easy comparison. Reading it fairly means putting the saving next to what the quote leaves out.
What a lower figure abroad measures
The NHS states that surgery abroad can cost less than in the UK, but you need to weigh up potential savings against the potential risks, and that safety standards may not be as high. A saving is one side of the comparison, and the NHS names the risks as the other.
The NHS guidance on cosmetic surgery abroad sits behind that statement and is worth reading in full.
Follow-up as part of the price
The NHS also says overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or they may not provide it to the same standard as in the UK, so follow-up is a line to look for in any quote. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes an overview of surgical site infection that is useful background when you ask what follow-up a figure includes.
Where you have room to ask
Ask who provides follow-up, where it takes place, and whether it is inside the quoted figure or billed separately. The NHS guide to cosmetic surgery is a plain reference for the questions worth raising.
What to confirm in writing
Before you treat a number as firm, get the follow-up terms on paper and have the quote state whether it is a ballpark range or a firm quote. The NHS cosmetic procedures hub collects further reading on the topic.