The lure of overseas treatment is often based on price. However, medical tourism raises some safety and financial concerns for Australian patients.

Increasing numbers of Australians are travelling overseas, (particularly now that the borders are open!) seeking a variety of medical treatments, such as cosmetic surgery and dentistry. Patients become enticed by seemingly lower treatment and operating costs. Some estimates put the number of outbound Australian ‘medical tourists’ at 15,000 annually. Medical tourism has particularly been booming for more than a decade in Asia.

There are an extensive range of factors that should be considered before committing to overseas medical treatment:

• Is the overseas surgeon appropriately qualified, experienced and accredited with the relevant regulatory bodies? Watch this video where Dr Matthew Peters speaks about whether plastic surgeons from overseas hold the same qualifications as plastic surgeons in Australia.
• Does the hospital/day clinic meet appropriate international standards for infection control, sterilisation of equipment and drug integrity?
• Does the patient understand the options, procedure, risks and recovery information? In particular, do they understand the risks of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) when travelling on long-haul flights following surgery? Have they taken this into account when planning their post-operative length of stay?
• Are all of the patient’s costs covered in any package offered?
• What happens if something goes wrong as a result of the surgery overseas? Does the patient have sufficient medical travel insurance – in addition to the standard travel insurance – which may exclude travel for medical procedures
• Is the patient aware of the potential complications of pursuing legal action in a foreign jurisdiction?
• Once they have returned to Australia, what is the patient’s plan for follow-up care if required?

Find out what makes a FRACS accredited surgeon here:

DID YOU KNOW: While an estimated 15,000 Australians go abroad each year seeking cheap care, international visitors actually come to Australia seeking quality care they can trust.

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Note: Individual results will vary according to several factors, including genetics, age, diet & exercise. All surgeries carry risk & require an appropriate recovery period & aftercare regime which may include wearing compression garments or modifying your lifestyle post-operatively. You should seek a second opinion from a Specialist Surgeon before proceeding. More information about these risks and aftercare can be easily found on our website here: