The True cost of health Tourism
There’s a growing appetite for overseas surgery and dental work, but are the savings worth the risks?
Did you know that pre-covid around 144,000 UK citizens jetted overseas in just one year* for a medical procedure? And that figure is on the rise. Long waiting lists are blamed for those seeking treatment that’s available on the NHS, while the “Zoom boom”, which has made us increasingly self-aware on screens, has triggered a tsunami of people desiring cosmetic work without the hefty price tag of a private practice in the UK.
But Bryan Mayou of the Cadogan Clinic urges caution, saying,
“The health implications of procedures not carried out correctly and the cost of corrective surgery can far outweigh any savings made.”
He’s right. Who can forget this summer’s “Turkey Teeth” headlines, featuring patients who sought cut-price crowns abroad and were left with a mouthful of filed-down pegs? Indeed, the number of Brits requiring urgent treatment on their return to the UK following botched surgery rose 44% in 2021.
Concerns about this rising figure have even sparked a controversial rethink by health chiefs recently. Four years after mum-of-three Leah Cambridge died following a risky £6,500 Brazilian butt lift in Turkey, Uk-based clinics are being urged to offer a less invasive version to dissuade people who are still travelling abroad for the “perfect” booty. The “lite” option – superficial gluteal lipofilling (SGL) – involves fat injected below the skin rather than into the muscles, to avoid accidental injection into the bloodstream.
But not everyone is averse to medical tourism. Dr Martina Hodgson, dentist and Invisalign doctor, says the risks, in her field at least, are exaggerated.
“There are many ethical and talented dentists across the world who care about their patients’ best interests,” she says. “It’s the few clinics that put profit before patient welfare that give the rest a bad name.”
If you are thinking about an overseas op, do your homework.
“Speak to past patients, seek before and after photos and ask about aftercare,” Mr Mayou advises.
Use of the World Health Organisation surgical safety checklist is a good indication of a clinic’s attitude to welfare.
Specialist travel insurance is a must, while an understanding of the language barrier is vital too. And consider how your own GP will communicate with foreign medics if required.
Here are the places emerging as top hot spots for medical tourism in 2023…