Cosmetic Procedures Abroad: What You Need To Know
Cosmetic Procedures Abroad:
What You Need To Know
A number of UK patients may choose to have cosmetic surgery abroad. For many, they will have researched other countries with similarly high standards of care and treatment as the UK, where the cost can be 30-50 per cent lower, for the same quality and choice of cosmetic procedures. For patients who take this route; as well as the lower cost, opting to have their procedure abroad might also mean shorter wait times. This provides them with the opportunity to plan the timing of their treatment and recovery with greater certainty than in the UK due to pressures on the health care system.
What cosmetic procedures can be carried out abroad?
Essentially, all of the same procedures are available as in the UK. Some of the most popular for which patients choose to go abroad are
Aesthetic / plastic surgery
Laser eye surgery
Hair transplant procedures
The most popular cosmetic surgery among women continues to be breast augmentation, followed by liposuction, eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty (nose jobs). Abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) and breast lifts are also reasonably common surgeries to seek abroad. For men, eyelid surgery is common as is male breast reduction, rhinoplasty, liposuction and hair transplants.
Laser eye surgery is said to be one of the most popular surgeries to seek abroad. A large part of this could be due to NHS rules which mean that it is only available free of charge for patients with degenerative diseases which pose a risk of blindness. For the majority of patients, who seek surgery to correct visual impairments, either short or long sightedness, they may have to fund the treatment themselves.
What is involved in having the procedures?
The range of surgeries available abroad is broad as it is in the UK, so specific requirements in terms of length of surgery, recovery and stay in hospital can vary between procedures.
Invasive surgery such as abdominoplasty, breast reduction, breast uplift and rhinoplasty a patient could expect a stay in hospital for one or more nights. For less invasive procedures such as hair transplants and liposuction there may be no need for an overnight stay in hospital.
Some surgeries will require patients to have an appointment with a consultant or one of their team every two to three days during this time. For others there may be only one further appointment required after the specified recovery time, at which point patients will be able to return to their home country.
Your stay abroad
Even with the cost of travel and accommodation, people often find that getting their chosen surgery performed abroad is far more cost effective than in the UK. However, most medical travel insurance providers might not insure the individual against trips for cosmetic procedures. At Medical Travel Shield we offer cosmetic surgery travel insurance. For more information contact us on 0203 409 1236 or email info@medicaltravelshield.com
This content is based on a variety of third-party sources and is for information purposes only and Medical Travel Shield is not recommending cosmetic / aesthetic, laser eye or hair transplant surgery abroad.