Cost factor in medical tourism
GOING under the knife might not top your holiday to-do list but for an increasing number of Gold Coasters surgery and travel have become the perfect combination.
Once a taboo idea shrouded in safety concerns medical tourism, as it is known, is booming and Gold Coast company CosMediTour has witnessed the growth first hand.
CosMediTour marketing director Greg Lemon said the company sent about 1500 people to Thailand for some form of cosmetic or non-cosmetic surgery.
“It is certainly growing in popularity and I think that is because people are coming back having had a great experience and recommending it to their friends,” he said.
“We started five years ago and there were a few people doing it but not many because there was a lack of knowledge meaning people thought it was a big risk.”
Mr Lemon said procedures ranged from hip and knee replacements to more cosmetic surgeries such as breast augmentation and liposuction.
Even with a holiday included, the price difference from Australia to overseas can be drastic.
“Breast augmentation with a senior plastic surgeon in Australia can cost up to $14,000 and in Thailand it is about $4000 for a surgeon with the same amount of experience and the same international accreditation.
“The cost of the implants in Australia is also two to three times the cost of the exact same implants in Thailand.
“The total cost we charge, including accommodation, airfares and the operation, is around $5000 to Bangkok and $5500 to Phuket.”
While CosMediTour only send clients to Thailand, Mr Lemon said Mexico, the United States, Malaysia and Brazil were common destinations.
Mr Lemon said there was a big difference between getting surgery done properly at a lower price and simply looking for the cheapest option.
“Some people literally go online and find a cheap clinic and then when something goes wrong they’re in a whole world of hurt,” he said.
“If anything does go wrong and you need revision surgery you are way better having gone through a major company because we are in a position to tell hospitals to redo the surgery at no cost.”