Travelling for treatment has unique advantages, opening up a world of treatments and professional specialists. Medical Tourism also has unique challenges that you should be aware of before embarking on any course of treatment overseas.

Are you available to travel?

Add up the time the procedure, travel and recovery will take – add some time on for complications, delays, missed appointments, then add a few more days to that. There is no point undertaking extensive planning just to find out you will not be able to take the time off from work or other commitments. Budget your time.

Will you save money?

It may look like a massive saving on paper but are you still going to save money after all the costs have been added up? A fully detailed budget is highly recommended before you finalise on a destination. Figure in all the costs: passports, visas, taxi fares, accommodation, meals, house minders…It will be a long list. Do your sums and make sure you would not be better off getting the procedure done in the convenience of a local practice.

Will you be confident travelling for treatment?

The cost and availability of a treatment overseas may seem very tempting but make sure you are the kind of person who is going to be happy taking this step. You can back out at any time but if that’s during the taxi ride from the airport to the hospital, you will already have spent a lot of money.

Do you want someone to travel with you?

A travel companion can be a very good idea. Even an ordinary holiday can have moments of stress at airports and taxi ranks. It’s nice to have somebody to share problems and worries with. If you are going to bring a friend along for the trip make sure they will be confident and supportive. Remember to add your companion’s expenses into your budget. Check each other’s documentation and tickets – you don’t want them left behind at the airport.

What information do you need to prepare?

At home, your medical history will be kept by your family doctor. If you are ill and need a specialist your family doctor refers you and passes relevant medical information on to the specialist. Medical Tourist’s will often find that they have to collect and forward this information themselves. The good news is that many countries require doctors and hospitals to supply all such information on demand. Try and obtain the information in both a digital format and a ‘hard copy’.

Should you tell your local doctor or dentist of your plans?

The answer to this is a definite yes. You always want your family doctor or dentist to be up to date with your medical history and all knowledge is helpful. Even if you develop an illness completely unrelated to a procedure carried out overseas, knowledge of that procedure may be vital to your treatment options. For example if you have a hip operation you will be required to have a course of antibiotics during a number of unrelated procedures such as dental treatment or bladder surgery.

How long until you can come home?

Recovery should be a major part of your planning. Talk over recovery times with the practitioner you have chosen. They may have recommendations for local resorts or hotels with nursing staff or which are used to dealing with Medical Tourists. If it is a relatively simple dental procedure then you should have a lot of options for what to do with your time away. More extensive operations will require more specialised recovery choices. You should never act against the advice of your specialist – delay the trip home if you are told to do so. Your health is more important than making it into work on the Monday morning.

 

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This information is intended as a guide only. Always consult with a trusted qualified medical practitioner before considering any potential treatment.