Saving on Surgery by Going Abroad

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I would like to think that anyone considering going abroad for surgery has done their research. Travel is tiring. Flying in particular increases not only the risk of exposure to germs in a contained environment, but also swelling or pulmonary embolism and blood clots due to drastic changes in altitude. The exotic scenery may be hard to enjoy when on a liquid diet or in pain from a procedure. Yet another consideration is infectious diseases not commonly found in the United States. You depend on your immune system to recover from any surgery and would not want it compromised by pathogens you are not accustomed to. If something goes wrong, there may be no recourse. Ultimately, one must weigh safety, legal recourse, and comfort against those lower prices that may be attractive when considering cosmetic surgery abroad.
Dr. Branman

Dr. Branman of AK 6:23PM August 10, 2012

Medical tourism is definitely poised to grow in the coming years. Today, a large portion of medical procedures that medical facilitators such as MedVacation (www.themedvacation.com) offer are elective surgeries and dental work. As U.S. continues to make the transition to public health care, we will experience what Europe countries experience - long wait for many procedures. Incidentally, as recently as last month, EU passed a law that allows its citizens to get treatments outside their home country and get reimbursed at home. It was a necessary measure and it will definitely help with the waiting problem. Having worked in the cancer industry before, I remember talking to clients in the U.K, who told me they had to wait around 8 months to receive critical radiation treatments. It is not uncommon for Canadians to travel across the border to get cancer treatments. Countries with public health care systems are far more advanced in medical tourism than the U.S.

Taras of CO 7:26PM February 25, 2011