Ronnie Heikkinen's puppies love her unconditionally. But for most of her life, Ronnie did not love herself. She felt trapped in a body she loathed. She researched a tummy tuck in Miami.

"It was just too expensive," she said. "I couldn't do it."

But when she looked outside the U.S., she was stunned.

"We went from $6,500 to $3,500 to get it done completely in Costa Rica with the lipo and the tummy tuck," said Ronnie.

More than a half a million Americans are finding discount prices for cosmetic surgeries in other countries. On average, you'll pay 40-percent less. A lower-neck lift in Costa Rica costs $3,000 compared to $7,000 in the U.S. A breast lift is $3,000 there compared to $8,000 here. In Mexico, a tummy tuck runs $4,000. In the U.S., it would be $15,000.

Stacie Cavaliere learned that the hard way. At 23-years-old and 350 pounds, she was ready to make a change.

"You don't want to be the fat girl forever," she said.

By sheer willpower and dieting, she'd lost 180 pounds in just 15 months. The cost to get excess skin removed was $75,000. She decided to go to Costa Rica and pay $19,000.

"Getting sick or even dying, never even entered my mind," said Stacie.

But the surgery left her in shock and near death. Stacie spent close to $50,000 just to make herself look normal again, all because she was trying to save money.

Medical