Westerns should think twice about medical tourism

Britons who wish to save money on surgery, medical and paramedical treatments should think twice before booking that ticket to a foreign country that may offer much lower prices than traditionally expected for the same services in the United Kingdom. “Which,” a major consumer advocacy organization based in Britain, warns that these undoubtedly lower prices can come with significant risks. The organization bases its opinion on a recent survey of 300 Britons who travelled abroad seeking more economical medical treatment options than those available in the UK. Yet more than 18 percent of these respondents also indicated that they experienced various complications after the procedure. For example, in at least one case a Briton underwent a tummy tuck, which ultimately led to cellulite leaking from the patient’s stomach. More troubling perhaps is that nearly one quarter of all respondents indicated that they had not been afforded the type of follow-up care that would have been expected in most cases.

“Which” does not suggest that medical tourism should be shunned altogether. Instead, those seeking to undergo treatment in other countries should be responsible and savvy enough to realize the importance of doing a little research ahead of time, in order to avoid future problems. In some cases, it may make perfectly good sense to travel abroad for certain treatments, especially dental procedures which tend to be very high in the UK. While a dental implant usually costs less than GBP 750 in a Central European country like Hungary, Britons in the UK usually pay upwards of GBP 2,200.