The popularity of medical tourism is continuing to rise with more people in countries with expensive private healthcare realising the potential to getting better value for money beyond their borders. Canadians and Americans are opting for South America and Asia. Europeans are crossing borders for cosmetic surgery; some are taking advantage of the many cosmetic surgery clinics in less expensive Eastern European countries.
However, just because it’s possible, that doesn’t mean that travelling abroad for treatment is right for everyone. Things can go wrong anywhere and choosing whether to have cosmetic surgery abroad is a very personal decision.
Whether you are having treatment at home or abroad, you need to be very clear about your expectations. Cosmetic surgery can straighten a broken nose, remove excess skin after weight loss, and it can enlarge or reduce breast size. What it can’t do is change your personality or get you a better job/house/partner. Take some time to think about what you want from your treatment, what you expect from the end result, and work out the best way to explain this to your surgeon and medical team.
When narrowing down a shortlist of countries that may be suitable for you, consider:
How far do you want to travel? If you are in Europe, a train journey, or a short haul flight may be more sensible than a 16-hour long-haul flight to a distant country. If you are in the USA, Mexico or South America offers a closer option than Poland or Turkey. Or you may relish travelling, and want to experience a country that you wouldn’t otherwise get to visit.
The language barrier. This will be inevitable for many destinations, but you need to think about how clinics in a country approach overseas business, whether managers or medical staff can speak to you in your native tongue, and whether you are fluent in the language of a country you are considering.
The climate. Think about the time of year when you want to have your cosmetic surgery. Travelling to Turkey in July or August is fine if you want to lounge around and sunbathe, but temperatures of well over 30oC may not be ideal after you have had surgery. Advice from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons states: “To properly heal and to reduce the possibility of complications, patients should not sunbath, drink alcohol, swim/snorkel, water ski/jet ski, parasail, take extensive tours (walking or bus), or exercise after surgery.” So, you may be more comfortable choosing a time that’s out of season as the tourist hotels will also be quieter and less expensive.
Religion and culture. If you have strong religious beliefs, it makes sense to consider a country in which that religion is practised, particularly if you want to visit a place of worship during your trip.
Infection rates. The high rates of MRSA infection in the USA, Canada and the UK have fallen somewhat during the last few years but are still higher than other countries; Norway and Sweden, for example, have very low numbers of MRSA hospital infections.
General level of facilities. This includes accommodation, the general clinic facilities and the medical and surgical equipment and facilities.