Medical tourism in Tijuana, without traveling blind
If you live in the United States or Canada, this is the guide to how treatment with Dr. Alfredo Chama works: certified facilities, travel logistics, and bilingual follow-up, explained before you cross.
Why Tijuana
A real medical corridor, not a brochure promise
Tijuana is a border city with its own hospital infrastructure and a medical community used to treating patients from both sides of the line. For someone in the U.S. or Canada, that means being able to see a board-certified plastic surgeon without a long-haul trip — and coming back for a check-up without reorganizing your entire week.
We don’t promise crossing times: they depend on the day, the port of entry, and your documentation, and that’s not something the practice controls. What is in our hands is the logistics on this side: certified facilities, a serious assessment before any plan, and complete communication in your language.
Certified facilities
Procedures are performed in a hospital setting, at a certified hospital, Tijuana — a hospital operating room, not an adapted office.
Cross-border access
Tijuana is a border city with its own hospital infrastructure and a medical community used to treating patients from both sides of the line.
Bilingual care
Consultation, informed consent, and follow-up are handled completely in Spanish and English, without half-translating anything.
Certified surgeon
A board-certified plastic surgeon, verified in Motiva’s official surgeon locator, with an assessment-first approach before any plan.
Where you’re treated
Certified Hospital Setting
Procedures are performed in a hospital setting, at a certified hospital, Tijuana — a hospital operating room, with the anesthesia equipment and protocols that implies. Not an adapted office, not a spa floor. The practice confirms the exact location and logistics details when you schedule your visit.
We don’t show images of the procedure itself: the information on this page is educational, meant to help you arrive at your assessment with full context, not to replace it.
How the trip works
From your first message to coming back home
No out-of-town patient starts by crossing the border blind. Here’s the full process, designed so you decide with information before organizing a trip:
- 01
First virtual contact
You write on WhatsApp from wherever you are and tell us what you’d like to change. The practice asks the medical-history questions it needs and schedules a video call — no one asks you to cross the border yet.
- 02
Remote assessment
On the video call, Dr. Chama reviews your case, explains whether the procedure applies, and what to expect. It’s the same conversation a local patient would have — it just starts before you travel.
- 03
Border crossing and logistics
You need valid identification to cross (a passport or equivalent document); wait times at the port of entry depend on the day and your documentation, not on the practice, so we don’t promise a number of minutes. We coordinate your procedure dates and your in-person appointment with you, with margin.
- 04
Stay and recovery in Tijuana
How long it’s worth staying before crossing back depends on the procedure and how your recovery is going — it’s defined with you in your assessment, not by a generic calendar. The practice gives you concrete care instructions and warning signs before you head home.
Safety and credentials
Verifiable, not just promised
Crossing the border for treatment shouldn’t mean lowering the standard. The criteria here are the same you’d require of a surgeon in your own city:
CMCPER, Board Certification No. 2607 · Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía Plástica, Estética y Reconstructiva (CMCPER). Board certification.
Motiva. Verified in Motiva’s official surgeon locator; offers Preservé and Motiva MinimalScar. Being verified in the locator is a fact you can check on your own, not an exclusivity label. All procedures are performed at a certified hospital, with bilingual care from start to finish.
If you want the full criteria for evaluating any option — not just this one — read is it safe to have surgery in Tijuana? (in Spanish for now): how to verify a certification, what a hospital setting changes, who should administer anesthesia, and the warning signs when choosing a clinic.
After you go home
Virtual follow-up for patients returning to the U.S. or Canada
Crossing the border again for every routine check-up shouldn’t be the only option. That’s why postoperative follow-up can be handled remotely when your case allows it:
Before you leave
You leave Tijuana with written instructions: care, medications, warning signs, and when your first check-up is due.
Remote check-up
When your case allows it, follow-up afterward can be handled by video call, so you don’t have to cross the border again for every routine check-up.
If something doesn’t look right
If something concerns you during recovery, you message us on WhatsApp and the practice tells you whether a virtual review, an in-person visit, or an urgent-care facility near you makes sense.
Communication in your language
All follow-up — messages, video calls, instructions — is handled in English if that’s your language, with no intermediaries or half-translation.
Consultation
Virtual or in-person assessment of your case
Preparation
Personalized plan, labs, and pre-op instructions
Procedure
Hospital setting, board-certified team
Recovery
Follow-up in person or remotely from the U.S. or Canada
Keep exploring
Procedures most consulted by out-of-town patients
Blepharoplasty
Eyelid surgery and the practice’s anchor procedure. Full page with variants, recovery, and frequently asked questions.
↗ Area of careAbdominoplasty
Abdominal wall reconstruction: excess skin and separated musculature, not a weight-loss method.
↗ Area of careLiposuction
Body contouring by area. Your assessment defines which areas make sense and which don’t.
↗ Area of careGluteal Fat Transfer
Your own fat, no implants, with the injection plane and the hospital setting as non-negotiables.
↗Prefer to get to know the practice first? Go back to the home page or read about Dr. Chama’s background and certification.
Frequently asked questions
Related Procedures
What out-of-town patients ask us most
Is it safe to travel to Tijuana for plastic surgery?
Safety doesn’t depend on crossing the border — it depends on who you’re treated by and where. Dr. Chama is a board-certified plastic surgeon who operates in a hospital setting, at a certified hospital — the same standard you’d require of any surgeon, wherever they’re located.
How close is Tijuana to San Diego?
Tijuana is the border city immediately south of San Diego. We won’t promise you an exact crossing time: it varies by day, port of entry, and your documentation, and that’s not something the practice controls. What we do control is the logistics on this side once you decide to come.
What do I need to cross the border?
Valid identification for the border crossing, typically a passport or the equivalent document you already use to enter Mexico. Confirm current requirements with the immigration authority; the practice helps you with dates, not with the immigration process itself.
Can I start the process without traveling yet?
Yes. First contact is on WhatsApp and the initial assessment can be a video call. We only coordinate your visit to Tijuana once the plan is clear.
How long should I plan to stay in Tijuana?
It depends on the procedure and how your recovery goes in the first days — it’s not the same length of time for a blepharoplasty as for an abdominoplasty. It’s defined with you in your assessment, with enough margin before you cross back.
Where do I stay during recovery?
The practice doesn’t operate its own lodging, but it guides you on areas near a certified hospital and Plaza Península when coordinating your visit, so the logistics of your first recovery days are as simple as possible.
Do Dr. Chama and his team speak English?
Yes. Consultation, informed consent, and follow-up are handled completely in Spanish and English, for local patients and for those traveling from the U.S. and Canada alike.
Do I need to come with someone?
It’s recommended to come with a companion, especially on procedure day and the first days of recovery. The practice gives you specific instructions for your case in your assessment.
What happens if I have a complication after returning to the United States?
Before you leave Tijuana, you receive clear warning signs in writing. If something worries you once you’re home, you message us on WhatsApp and the practice tells you whether a virtual review makes sense or whether to go to an urgent-care facility near you; for emergencies, always prioritize the nearest medical care.
Is follow-up after surgery only in person?
Not necessarily. When your case allows it, follow-up afterward can be handled by video call, so you don’t depend on crossing the border for every routine check-up — only when Dr. Chama considers it necessary to see you in person.
How do I know if I’m a candidate before traveling?
That’s exactly what the remote assessment resolves: Dr. Chama reviews your case by video call and tells you honestly whether the procedure applies, what to expect, and whether it’s worth waiting or adjusting the plan — before you organize your trip.
How much does it cost to have surgery as an out-of-town patient?
We don’t publish prices because there is no single price: it changes with the procedure, the technique, and your clinical case. You receive a personalized quote after your assessment, with no surprises or out-of-town-patient surcharges.
What medical documents should I bring?
Relevant medical history, medications you’re currently taking, allergies, and prior surgeries if applicable. The practice confirms exactly what’s needed based on the procedure you’re considering.
Do you treat patients from the U.S. and Canada?
We treat patients from across the United States and Canada looking for a board-certified plastic surgeon with bilingual care in Tijuana. Travel logistics are coordinated the same way, no matter where you’re starting from.
Start with a virtual consultation
Tell us where you’re writing from. Your quote is personalized and first contact doesn’t require crossing the border.
WhatsApp +52 664 585 1602Consultation
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Last updated: September 13, 2026