As the lure of cheap surgery draws more and more Britons into plastic surgery tourism, travel insurance provider Staysure is raising public awareness and issuing a warning to those considering going abroad for cosmetic surgery, as they are unlikely to be financially secure in the event of post-operative complications.
A study by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) found that 83 per cent of respondents cited “lower costs” as the main reason for choosing to go abroad for surgery, with 57 per cent spending less than £5,000 on the whole process, including surgery, travel and accommodation. However, this cost-saving practice has led to a 94% increase in the number of Britons needing post-operative treatment to address issues such as life-threatening sepsis in the UK between 2020 and 2023, with Turkey accounting for more than three-quarters of these incidents.
As the debate on the issue heats up, a recent episode of Coronation Street highlighted the risks of cosmetic tourism. Character Bethany Pratt’s cosmetic surgery in Turkey ended in disaster, with complications requiring urgent medical attention and forcing her family to remortgage their home in order to cover the huge costs of her return home and follow-up treatments. This is a stark reminder of the potentially life-threatening health risks and financial burden of seeking cheaper cosmetic surgery abroad.
Staysure’s own figures suggest the cost of repatriation from Turkey to the UK alone could be as much as £30,000 (not including emergency hospitalisation costs). This highlights the financial risks that individuals who travel abroad for cosmetic surgery may face, and they may experience serious post-operative complications.
Repatriation refers to the process of safely returning patients home in the event of illness, injury, natural disaster or even death, and costs can skyrocket quickly and vary by country and individual patient’s medical needs. This usually involves arranging a helicopter or private flight air ambulance with a medical escort and securing a hospital bed in the UK to ensure a smooth handover.
The warning comes as many people may not be aware that most UK travel insurance providers do not cover overseas travel for the purpose of medical treatment or cosmetic surgery. Therefore, if there is a need for emergency treatment abroad or repatriation to the UK due to surgical complications, travel insurance policies are unlikely to cover these costs. This not only exposes individuals to health risks and the long-term damage that can be caused by a failed procedure, but also puts them at financial risk.
Simon McCulloch, chief commercial officer at Staysure, commented: “Anyone considering travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery should do their research properly and take out specialised insurance for their surgery to gain financial security. Traveling abroad without insurance in order to cut costs is likely to be an exercise that does not pay off. We urge people to carefully consider the risks of having surgery overseas, as most travel insurance policies are unlikely to provide you with the financial protection you need. As this type of medical practice becomes more popular and the number of medical professionals offering low-cost procedures increases, we are likely to see more people suffering from complications and experiencing financial hardship as a result of incurring these huge costs themselves.”
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