There are many reasons why people choose to pay for cosmetic surgery procedures from overseas clinics and experts. Top of the list is the fact that it can cost less than staying in the UK and that appointments are often available immediately.
If you are thinking of joining the tens of thousand of British ‘medical tourists’ who include clinical procedures in their holidays abroad every single year – or you simply want to visit a respected overseas doctor for some help – what sort of things do you need to think about?
Manage your expectations
Many overseas facilities have fully embraced the phenomena of the medical tourist, and have created luxurious facilities and a range of additional services for patients tackling their health and appearance issues. Areas which have become known as medical tourism hotspots have an abundance of highly trained surgeons as this has become an extremely profitable career path, so the number of medical training facilities and educational institutes has also increased.
If you fancy turning plastic surgery abroad into a true holiday, the options are there. It is almost like staying in a well-run spa with the massages, beauty therapy and other services alongside cosmetic surgery. Visitors will have the chance to explore their destination country once they have completed the procedure. However, this sort of additional pampering clearly comes at a cost.
If you want to ‘fly and run’, nipping abroad for a quick nip and tuck, then there are clinics and venues that offer lower cost packages without all the extras.
What you need to be cautious of is packages that seem too good to be true. Cosmetic surgery is not as well regulated in some countries – nor are advertising practices entirely ethical, which means they could oversell what they offer. Choose your clinic with care (see below).
Time your procedure
Whether you are staying in a clinic that offers additional services or staying in your destination country for a more traditional holiday afterwards, the timing of your procedure is important.
With some plastic surgery, after your operation you will not feel like sipping cocktails by the pool while you soak up some sun. In which case, you could earmark the first few days to relax and get into a positive frame of mind pre-surgery.
Other procedures don’t have the same recovery period, so you can choose to frame your stay however you like. A responsive, professional clinic can advise you on this.
Research well
For anyone who wants plastic surgery – including hair transplants – there is also the attraction of finding centres of excellence abroad for particular cosmetic procedures, to widen your choice of venues.
Whether cost or expertise is your motivator, thorough research is vital.
The internet provides a wealth of information for you to refer to when making choices. However, it is also a great idea to ring the clinic of choice and chat to them about your planned procedure. Remember that reviews are not always to be trusted, as they may have been generated for promotional purposes or have been made by fake accounts.
You could also ask for photographs and testimonies they have gathered from previous patients too. Ask them to talk you through pre and post-operative care, to make sure this is not a cut price conveyor belt provider. Most good clinics will be able to provide you with their patient’s contact details so you can speak to them directly.
Committing to have a life changing procedure abroad is unlikely to be a decision you have taken lightly, so choosing the right clinic and physician should be done with care too.
A great example of this is if you are having a hair transplant by Longevita – joining many people who have benefited from expertise in this medical field
Dental care is not only expensive, but also very little supported by social security in France. It may therefore be very advantageous to consider receiving such care in another country such as Turkey.