Is it safe to go abroad for liposuction procedures?
Medical tourism is popular today with many people traveling to other countries to have medical work, particularly cosmetic procedures, done. There are some medical procedures that can be riskier than others. For example, liposuction can be dangerous and so if this is something that you want to have done, you should be very careful in checking out which clinics safely offer the procedure.
The first step is to check which clinics offer liposuction in the chosen country, and then see what, if any, accreditation the clinic has. Liposuction is the procedure done to remove excess fat from the body, often from the stomach area or thighs. The method can be risky since it may require general anesthetic and if not done carefully can result in the formation of fat emboli (clots of fat which can travel through the blood and enter the lungs or heart).
Such dangerous complications are less likely if you are careful to choose an accredited clinic with a good reputation and which has qualified and board certified physicians on staff.
You can also look for a clinic that offers a less invasive type of liposuction procedure such as vaser liposuction. This is a safer option which uses ultrasonic sound waves to first break up the fat before removal. Vaser liposuction can sometimes be done under local anesthetic which makes it an even safer procedure. You can read more about different types of liposuction by visiting the Vera Clinic.
You really need to do your research when considering going abroad for cosmetic surgery. It is a good idea to look for reviews and recommendations and find out if you have any friends or colleagues who have travelled overseas for cosmetic work. Remember that safety should be your number one concern since if you choose the wrong clinic you can find yourself in serious trouble in a strange land.
Accreditation and experience count a lot in the medical tourism industry, and some countries are looking into getting international certifications and accreditations for their clinics and physicians to put foreign patient’s minds at ease. You should also consider if you are healthy enough to even travel to another country or have a cosmetic procedure done.
Medical tourism and Turkey
Turkey is a country which does offer many cosmetic procedures as part of a large medical tourism business. Many of the clinics offer package deals that include transport and accommodation along with the medical treatment you are signing up for. Many of the clinics are also well-versed in helping medical tourists plan all the details of their trip into and out of the country.
Several different cosmetic procedures are available for medical tourists that are keen on going to clinics in Turkey for treatment. Besides liposuction there are also nose jobs, breast reduction and augmentation surgeries. In addition, a variety of dental procedures and hair transplants are done each year.
A big reason for the success of medical tourism in Turkey is that the procedures are generally more affordable than in a person’s home country (especially in places such as the UK), and the clinics often are internationally certified and accredited. This means that you can find a clinic that offers high quality cosmetic work by qualified professionals who use modern and safe techniques.
You should also look into choosing a clinic in a larger more developed city such as Istanbul since the quality of care and access to modern equipment is more likely. Larger cities with many clinics are also more competitive in their rates and often have to ensure quality service in order to stay in business. This can only be beneficial for the customer.
Medical tourism in Asia and Africa
Medical tourism has caught on in Asian countries such as India and Thailand, but again the quality can vary a lot. Generally, this is too great of a distance for individuals in the UK to travel to get work done. There is a cost to traveling in addition to having a procedure done. The other thing to consider is that travelling long distances on a plane can be dangerous if you have just had a medical procedure, a surgery done. This is more the case with liposuction and other invasive body sculpting procedures.
Hair transplant work is less invasive, depending on the technique, but the quality can still vary greatly from clinic to clinic. Language may also be a significant barrier when you travel to another country to have work done, especially if they are not used to foreign customers.
South Africa is another country that is keen to reap the rewards of medical tourism. However, the distance involved in traveling to South Africa is very prohibitive and the country is not always politically stable and in some places, crime can be very high.
