What is medical tourism?
Medical tourism is the process of going a country other than the one you live in to receive medical care. This can be due to the cost of surgery or the availability in certain places.
A combination of low-cost treatments along with inexpensive flights means that sometimes it’s cheaper to travel a long distance in order to get a procedure.
Some of the most common procedure that people undergo on medical tourism trips include cosmetic surgery, heart surgery and dentistry.
Risks of Medical Tourism
However, this is not always the best option, depending on the country you are going to it can mean less of a focus on hygiene and safety. There are not necessarily as many rules and regulations as in your home country.
The same goes for medication, not all countries have such stringent rules on medicine control, and some may be counterfeit or of a poorer quality.
Another problem can be communication, if you do not speak the language fluently then misunderstanding can come about very quickly. Whether it be about your surgery itself or about your after care, it is vital that you are aware of what is happening and what you need to do in the future.
Benefits of having surgery in the UK
Making sure you consider all your different options is vital and making sure you have your surgery with a respectable and regulated cosmetic surgery provider is very important. If you go local then just in case you have any problems after your surgery, you will be a lot closer to your surgeon, but also to your GP who can help to reassure you everything is okay. Follow up care is one of the most important things a UK clinic can provide.
You are more likely to find other people that have either, had the same surgery as your or used the same surgeon as you if you stay local. Positive or even negative reviews can help you to determine where you want to go and which surgery you would like to enquire about.
In the long run it will probably work out cheaper to stay in this country, even though there are cheaper countries initially, by the time you’ve added up the costs of the surgery, travelling – for both you and your companion to accompany you, and of any follow up appointments or possible complications, it will most likely end up as being considerably more expensive.