Cosmetic surgery tourism in the modern era flourishes due to affordable procedure costs, competitive airfares, and targeted social media advertisements. Poor follow-up, unclear postoperative instructions and limited patient-education result in an alarmingly high complication-rate, often upon return to Australia. This places increasingly significant financial and ethical strains on the public healthcare system. Procedures including rhinoplasty, facial/breast augmentation, abdominoplasty and/or body contouring are competitively priced in nations such as Turkey or Thailand. Postoperative complications range from surgical site infection to wound dehiscence. These prompt urgent management by Australian Plastic Surgeons in the public system. Retrospective analysis from the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates 40% of Australians’ seeking cosmetic surgery overseas ultimately require corrective treatment in the public hospital. Some argue provision of emergent care to patients deliberately seeking cosmetic surgery is an unnecessary burden on an already strained system. Justice and obligatory duties to provide care for those in need, however, must prevail. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare have identified key interventions to mitigate these issues. These include population-based patient education, refinement of antimicrobial stewardship and globalisation of cosmetic surgery accreditation standards. There is growing support to make the Australian Breast Registry available for all patients undergoing device or implant augmentation overseas. Attention must be provided to these practical measures, to mitigate patient-complication risk and burden on Australian public healthcare systems.