How to decide whether to travel abroad to have your surgery

More and more people in Western countries like the United States, the UK are travelling abroad to have surgeries or operations carried out in private hospitals in developing countries because of the significantly lower costs compared to how much it would cost them if they were to have the same procedures done at home.

Medical travel involves procedures ranging from operations to repair vision in the eye to more complex heart bypass surgeries.

Go through an organization in your home country

Always ensure that if you go overseas to have heath care you do so through an organization in your own country that organizes the surgery/operation overseas. This way you will get protection in the event of malpractice on part of the doctor/surgeon performing the surgery.

• These organizations take great care to ensure the doctors performing the surgery is either trained in countries like the US or have training of that calibre. They also ensure there is the necessary after care.

• They will provide a all-in-one package that bears the cost of the procedure, fees for the hospital/doctor performing the surgery, insurance for possible malpractice and complications, after care, travel and accommodation.

The cost difference

The cost of many of these procedures are ¼ (if not cheaper) of those in their own countries thus leaving plenty of money left to cover the cost of travelling, accommodation and even be left with plenty to spare. This can represent a temptation for many to travel abroad.

• According to GlobalChoice Healthcare, a firm providing comparative pricing, says an artery bypass would set a patient back in excess of $75,000 in the US and about $11,500 in India.

Countries

Many of the countries that are popular destinations tend to be emerging economies that have a good supply of well-educated, well-trained doctors and are well equipped with technology and the necessary equipment to have these complex procedures done. Countries like India, Mexico and Thailand are some of those destinations.

However, the decision to travel abroad is not an easy one because there are many issues that come to the fore regard to

Here are some pros and cons of travelling abroad to have your surgery carried out.

Advantages

• Cost – undoubtedly, this the most important factor that persuades may people to go abroad to have their operations carried out. This is especially an important consideration for people that are desperately in need of a surgery but do not have any health insurance.

• Better health care being provided – Many of the aforementioned countries are increasingly providing better healthcare, with many doctors educated and trained in countries like the UK, US or at least, trained to a level expected in those countries.

• Holiday – As well as getting a surgery carried out at relatively low cost, you also get to travel t a foreign country and perhaps get enough time to see the popular after recuperating from your operation. Of course, there may some constrains limiting how much time you have for these activities, but most people that travel abroad also see it is a vacation.

• Improved facility – Some of these countries are bending over backwards to encourage people to fly out for these surgeries. They are going at great lengths to build facilities that would compare well with those found in the West, if not more attractive. They are also providing nurses that wok round the cl9ock and providing one-one care while recuperating.

Disadvantages

• Complexity of the surgery - Some of these countries may not have the best equipment and

• Quality of doctors performing the surgery – One thing that you get back home is the assurance that the doctors performing the surgery extremely well-qualified and will already have some sort of experience in doing these surgeries under stewardship of more senior consultants.

• There is no protection or insurance in case of botched u operations.

Some of these are very important considerations against going abroad to have your surgery done, even if the temptation of low cost can be, at times, overwhelming.

The most important consideration that anyone in your position should consider is safety.