Medical Tourism - Considering Surgery Abroad?

[Editor's Note: Travel insurance may be invalidated when travelling to obtain medical treatment]

British people are apparently seeking medical and dental treatment and cosmetic surgery abroad at an increasing rate, and spending millions of pounds doing so. Spending rehabilitation time abroad after a major operation is also popular at health farms and spas. The waiting times for treatment on the NHS or unavailability of some procedures and cost of private health insurance and treatment have contributed to the growing industry. Who could resist the lure of obtaining fast and affordable treatment in other countries? Millions of Americans cannot afford costly medical insurance and are turned down for life-saving surgery and treatment, so are left with no alternative but to give it a go. Their location of choice tends to be hospitals in Thailand where costs are significantly lower, partly due to the low cost of malpractice insurance and labour.

The most commonly sought procedures include joint replacements, heart surgery, cosmetic surgery, chemotherapy, infertility treatment and dental work. These procedures could mean a long waits - that’s if they are even available on the NHS – or very expensive trips to private hospitals and clinics in the U.K. This growing trend has spawned a huge new industry in medical tourism.

Countries like India are jumping to fulfil this need by building state-of-the-art hospitals and facilities offering top-class care and experienced staff, all saving the patient significant sums of money. If the cost of flights is an issue many airlines have frequent flyer programs which could mean you would soon accrue enough miles for follow-up treatments or further procedures. India is churning out doctors and nurses at a huge rate to cope with the increasing demand. The growing medical tourism industry in India is also luring many doctors back from hospitals in the UK and other countries. Many medical tourism companies offer foreign package deals on flights, hotels, treatment and post-operative care at popular vacation locations close to the hospital or clinic. Other countries that are vigorously promoting medical tourism include Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Jordan and Costa Rica. South Africa promotes safaris combined with plastic surgery.

So, why isn’t everyone take advantage of this new trend? It seems many are sceptical, afraid of going so far from home, or fear the potential of catching tropical diseases. After-care can be difficult – and what if there are side-effects or complications? If something should go wrong there is often little chance of any compensation and it could be a nightmare trying to navigate your way through foreign court systems. Many don’t want to face major surgery without family and friends close by to visit. However, many have no choice if their life depends on it and so they are willing to take any risks that might be involved. We looked online and, although we cannot endorse any, there are plenty of websites where you can do your own research and decide if surgery abroad is right for you. We can’t provide insurance for your procedures, but don’t forget to take out travel insurance for your trip!