Dangers in Medical Travel for Private Surgery

Dangers in Medical Travel for Private Surgery

There can be dangers in medical travel if you do not know or understand the process of how and where to go.  A great example is the recent story that was in the US news last month.  A group of 4 individuals were traveling to Mexico for one of the individuals to have a tummy tuck.  Their van was targeted by a drug cartel and resulted in two of them being killed, as well as another innocent bystander, in a case of mistaken identity.  This may seem like being in the wrong place at the wrong time but we have seen this sort of scenario happen many different ways. We don’t know the reason she chose to travel to Mexico for a tummy tuck because that is widely available in the US but if we had to guess, it was likely due to cost.

There have been countless stories published that have resulted in tragedy because someone chose to travel for surgery due to cost alone.  Cheaper is not always better. Many people do not realize the dangers of traveling to a different country. Even being unfamiliar with the outside area can present problems.

Staying in the US and Canada lowers those chances because they all abide by the same health and safety standards that are required and monitored.  All of the surgeons credentials can be fact checked and verified and you can also see if there has been any malpractice suits filed against them.  In other countries, that can be incredibly hard to locate.  Not all countries prevent doctors from practicing outside their trained speciality either.  For example, it would not be uncommon for a dentist to do facial plastic surgery.  Dentistry and facial plastic surgery are two completely different specialties and one would not know the intricate necessities of how to carry out a successful outcome of the other.   But you’d be surprised how often it happens.

There are other dangers with regards to infection and high rate of drug resistant bacteria.  Most hospitals in the US and Canada have a very small rate of this, many below 1%, however, it is not something always tracked in other countries.  Then if you do get an infection, there is a greater risk of antibiotic resistance.  Another risk can be with counterfeit medicine being given or lower quality medical devices being used.

 
Many people do not realize that going to another country can have its dangers, especially for medical treatment.  The facilities we work with are all in safe areas of town. We are able to best direct you to get there safely, connect you with surgeons that have impeccable credentials and can provide you with the best results.  This might not be the cheapest, but might be worth it in the long run.

Health Vantis

www.healthvantis.ca

info@healthvantis.com

877-344-3544