Medical Treatment Abroad

Health Tourism

Private and Cosmetic Surgery

With NHS waiting lists as long as your arm, more and more Brits are jetting off to foreign shores not just for sun, sea and sand but also for hip replacements, hernia and heart ops.

Helped by the strong pound, not only is the price right - sometimes up to half what you'd pay going private in the UK - there's no waiting list.

No figures are readily available, but a modest guesstimate is that each year at least 150,000 of us pack our suitcases and catch a plane or ferry to undergo some sort of surgical operation abroad.

Every kind of operation/treatment under the sun is on offer including-

• Triple-heart bypass
• Cataract removal
• Hip and knee replacements
• Dentistry
• Plastic surgery
• Hair transplant
• IVF treatment for infertile couples (and singles)
• Plastic/Cosmetic surgery

As far as UVF is concerned - yes, you can even buy human eggs abroad - the US is popular for this.

More and more countries are waking up to the economic spin-offs of health tourism.

Popular destinations include:

• Belgium
• Cuba
• Eastern Europe - particularly Hungary and Czech
• France
• Germany
• Dubai
• India
• Russia
• South Africa
• Thailand
• US

Medical Tourism - Risks

Some points of caution include:

• The loss of your holiday period because before, during and after surgery you are unlikely to feel like you are on holiday - even with the best accommodation, nursing and location
• Official caution - The British Association of Plastic Surgeons - explain that successful operations depend on the individuals involved and that surgeon and nursing regulation needs to be effective
• Follow-up on surgery and counselling may be difficult or inadequate. If you have a week or 2 to recouporate problems should show themselves and be dealt with adequately
• When back in the UK the NHS will tend to pick up the pieces - at taxpayers expense - however for cosmetic procedures a return trip may be necessary - so increasing costs
• Ensure you let you insurance provider know about the reason for your trip as it will imact your policy. Many health tourists fail to take out adequate insurance and leave themselves open to significant financial risk.
• Don't forget to compare costs with UK private surgery clinics and hospitals where you can conduct research more easily