Cosmetic Surgery Abroad: What to Expect from Medical Tourism
Cosmetic surgery is one of the most common practices that medical tourists go for abroad. They wish to take advantage of the cheaper costs, modern technologies available and the opportunity to see new places. Before you get a package, you have to learn more about the possible risks and other options you have regarding the procedures. You can make the trip more convenient and easy by finding out the different features and requirements.
About Cost
When going for cosmetic surgery, you have to compare prices between countries and hospitals. Expect to pay 40% to 80% less than what you expect in the United States or United Kingdom. The cost will be determined by your current condition, the type of surgery and other special features. Of course, getting top quality accommodations and other features will also equate to a more expensive medical tourism package. You can get any type of procedure available in America, such as tummy tucks, liposuction, nose jobs, face lifts, breast augmentation, chin repair and many more.
The cost of tummy tucks in the States is around $8000 to $8500. You can get about 60% off, depending on the place and hospital. Breast augmentation will cost you around $6000 to $6500 in America, but getting it in Southeast Asia will only cost you about $2000 to $3000. Expect to spend around $8000 to $8500 for breast lifts in the States. If you plan to get it overseas, you can slash costs by 40% to 75%. Breast reduction will charge you about $8000 to $9000 in first world countries. However, if you choose to go for a medical tourism package, you will only be charged around $5000. Lap-band surgery in America costs around $18000, but getting it in Asia only costs around $6000 to $10000. You can also get liposuction in three various areas for only $5000, compared to the standard $8500 price tag in the United States.
Finding the Right Country
You have to familiarize yourself with the different options you have when it comes to picking the right destination. Read more about each country and determine which factors make it very competitive for medical tourism, specifically cosmetic surgery. Some nations are better known for their expertise at a particular procedure or two. For example, Thailand is highly recommended for its breast lifts and breast augmentation procedure. You can get excellent results when it comes to liposuction and tummy tucks in the Philippines. A lot of individuals travel to Jordan or Israel for lap-band surgery, facelifts and nose jobs.
Also ensure that the medical institution you are visiting is accredited by the JCI or Trent. Other accreditations will also help you make sure that you are dealing with competent and reliable professionals. Learn more about the available facilities and technology they have.
Final Tips
Doctors highly recommend that you get an insurance policy covering your treatment abroad, just in case you experience untoward incidents or are not fully satisfied with the results. There are policies available today covering traveling medical tourists. The coverage will include recovery period and follow-up procedures and surgeries if needed.
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What is Medical Tourism?
More and more people from the west are going to Asia to try medical tourism. You may be surprised to know that you can save much more and get more perks and advantages by getting treated far away from home. It is important that you only deal with reliable institutions too, so that you can ensure that operations stay safe and successful. Learn more about the process and find out the different benefits of going through one program.
A Brief Description
Medical tourism is described as the process of going to a different country to get medical treatment. Some of the common procedures done to traveling patients include dental work, heart surgery, plastic surgery and hip replacement. Based on the location and the type of procedure to be done, a medical trip can usually cost you anywhere between 10% and 50% of what you expect to pay in your own country.
The main advantage of medical tourism is that it provides a cheaper means to get the type of treatment done, even if you consider other expenses like hotel accommodations, air fare, car rental services, dining and shopping. These are cheaper than domestic health care because of a variety of factors. Expect to get the same standard treatment or even better with top quality institutions from other nations. Some of the most popular medical tourism stops include Singapore, Thailand, Argentina and the Philippines.
Undergoing Treatment
Patients can travel halfway across the globe to receive various types of health care, including alternative care, psychiatric treatment, convalescent care and even for burial. Customers and service or health care providers from the other country usually communicate through informal means, to hasten the process and avoid very strict legal oversight. More than 50 countries have been named as a medical tourism destination. Some of these consider medical tourism as a major industry and are creating better buildings, facilities, equipment, as well as researching newer technologies to stay updated.
It is important that you research more about the institution and country you are eyeing on, since there are also unscrupulous agencies offering seemingly quality services and care online. You should talk to the right people and also communicate with previous patients to get honest feedback on what to expect about your treatment and vacation.
Things to Expect
A medical tourism package usually includes all the other factors to ensure that you have a safe, successful and enjoyable trip. Patients will be given preliminary meetings and diagnostic procedures before the actual surgery or treatment. They will also be given time to explore and tour around the new country to get the most out of their vacation. Expect to stay anywhere between 3 and 10 days when going to another country.
Today, Asian countries are the most popular destinations, with more and more Americans traveling to the East each year. European countries like Hungary, Ireland and Belgium are also offering excellent medical services. You can include a few personal reasons to determine which destination will fit your situation best.
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Risks and Issues Around Medical Tourism
Medical tourism can cover a variety of practices and procedures. As much as you need to review the benefits and advantages, it is equally vital to learn about the possible risks and other issues about the trip. Some patients have suffered life-threatening conditions because of errors and lack of research. You have to know more about the potential risks before you consider going abroad for treatment. Here are some more tips and guidelines.
Knowing the Risks
Medical tourism also includes a number of risks, compared to getting health care from local sources. A number of countries experience sporadic infectious diseases once in a while. These include Thailand, Malaysia, India and the Philippines. The diseases may not be present in other nations like the United States and European countries. Weakened individuals may be exposed to the problems, like malaria, HIV, avian flu, tuberculosis and typhoid. Some of these diseases are considered rare in first world countries.
The quality of care pre and post-operative can also differ, based on the country and medical institution. Some of the standards may be different from what you were accustomed to in America. Trent and JCI can ensure that you get the best standards of care in these countries. If you travel long distances after undergoing surgery, you can also boost the risk of developing other problems and complications. Some of the causes of complications include being cramped and staying immobile for a long period of time inside an airplane. It is vital that you include several days off after surgery before going back to your country to get better and recover faster.
Legalities
Some complaints that you can easily pass on in your country may not be as easy to deal with when traveling abroad. The policies and rules may change drastically thereby limiting patients’ abilities to get satisfactory results after any given procedure. If you get medical treatment overseas, you may be unfamiliar to some legalities and regulations. The limited regulations in some countries can explain the lower cost of health care. Some individuals have been victims of medical malpractice and inadequate care stemming from lack of equipment and tools, inexperienced doctors and incompetent programs. Some institutions and medical experts may not even afford some of the financial damages that come from lawsuits.
About Ethics
One problem that medical tourism may cause is that locals no longer can receive quality and standard care because hospitals and doctors are focusing more on foreign patients who can pay more and afford drastic procedures. Although foreigners may no longer have problems when it comes to paying and waiting, the locals will have to deal with the increased cost of care that local institutions are offering globally.
Pioneering modern technologies can also mean that some devices and medications are not yet fully proven to provide all the beneficial effects. It is not uncommon to see some foreign patients come back and experience very bad side effects after a few months, because of unconventional therapy and practices. Always research all the equipment you are going to use and the procedure you are planning to go through.
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