Going to another country for an important surgery or medical procedure can be a great option. It could be an opportunity to have your surgery performed by a specialist while recovering in a nice luxurious location. Medical tourism can easily turn into a nightmare too, however.
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It’s not always easy to verify the competence of an overseas doctor. Complications can take a horrible turn when you’re away too. These are things you have to consider before going. In many cases, you could get all the benefits of medical tourism by going with a local private healthcare provider. Let’s take a closer look at whether medical tourism is actually the best option for you.
Procedure plus a vacation
If you have always wanted to go to a specific location for some reason and you have also found out that they’re experts in a procedure you need to be done, then medical tourism could allow you to get your procedure and holiday all wrapped up in one. Depending on the nature of the surgery, you could still enjoy your time there while recovering. You might want to think twice if it is for a serious procedure that requires you to stay in bed for a long time, however.
Recovery and follow-ups might be more difficult
Recovering in a foreign country is not as easy as many people think. Something as simple as excessive heat could make your recovery much more difficult. You and the person you’re with might not know the surroundings and culture either, which will make getting basic necessities much harder than it should be. So, if you want to be as comfortable as possible, go with a private healthcare provider who’s closer to home. Not only will you be in familiar surroundings, but follow-ups will be much simpler too.
The experience could be much better at home
You also have to know that reports on the quality of healthcare don’t paint the full picture. You don’t know what the atmosphere is like in foreign hospitals, and you might experience a certain culture shock. The UK also has some of the best doctors on the planet, and you might not be able to get a better level of service elsewhere.
If you’re suffering from abdominal pain, for instance, then we would suggest that you check if you might need general surgery. You can check out Circle Health Group’s website if you want more information on general surgery and to determine whether it’s the option for you.
Verifying the expertise of doctors abroad can be a challenge
If you’re going to a country with a well-organised healthcare and education system, then you should have no trouble verifying a doctor’s credentials. But things might be a bit more difficult if you go to countries like Brazil or other places in South America or Southeast Asia.
Some of the people you talk to will seem very convincing, so you need to think twice about going to these destinations. You should at least be able to verify the doctor’s licence and degree. You also have to check how their school ranks internationally and do some research on the facility they operate from. Look for the country’s top medical board and make sure that the doctor is registered and in good order.
Staying home gives you better recourse in case of malpractice
Another thing you have to think about when you’re getting a procedure done abroad is what will happen if there are complications. Malpractice issues might be much more difficult to solve when you’re abroad, and you may have no recourse at all if the country does a poor job at identifying malpractice cases and prosecuting offenders. So, this is something you’ll need to look at before going abroad.
There are also cases where the doctor might simply do a poor job. It might not be bad enough to qualify as malpractice, but the results might not be what you expected. In this case, you should know that getting anything corrected might be very difficult. You might not be able to find someone who’s going to be willing to correct someone else’s mistakes as they may fall on them.
Medical tourism: The pluses and minuses
All in all, staying home is the best option if you want peace of mind. You’ll know that you’ll be backed by the system if anything goes wrong and will have a better idea of who’s treating you.
So, before you decide to go abroad for a specific procedure, consider these few points first. Forget the idyllic idea of recovering under palm trees sipping a cocktail by the beach and think of all the bad things that could happen as well.
Top image by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
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