Everyone loves a bargain, as the saying goes – but not if that bargain ends up costing you more money or even your health. That’s exactly what some Australian plastic surgery patients are saying after receiving low-cost breast implants from a local clinic.

The patients are now suing the clinic, accusing it of using underqualified practitioners who aren’t trained as plastic surgeons to perform breast implant surgeries. The accusers also say the surgeons were poorly equipped to handle medical complications that may arise from breast augmentation.

Berkeley, Michigan-based plastic surgeon Dr. Bruce Chau says that what happened in Australia can easily happen anywhere on earth – even here in America. In fact, deaths related to botched surgeries due to underqualified practitioners grabbed headlines across the United States in 2017 and continue to do so in 2018.

“Any time a service or product becomes in demand, there are bound to be low-cost knock-offs,” Chau says. “That same rule applies to cosmetic and plastic surgery. That’s why you’ve got to do your own research – it’s buyer beware.”

While the case in Australia has yet to be settled, Chao says there’s a lot you can do to prevent a similar situation here in America.

“Always check your surgeon’s board certification,” he says. “That can be the single most useful piece of information you can get. If you can verify your surgeon is board certified, that will go a long way toward ensuring you can trust their expertise.”