Known Problems
Revision surgery
Some plastic surgery procedures have a revision rate as high as 20%. The big and established players are specializing on surgery with low complication rates. Their packages are also typically only targeted at low risk patients in terms of age and underlying medical issues. But even these have some risk of complications which can lead to the need of revision surgery. Discuss this risk with your surgeon. Also ask him who will pay for additional surgery if it should become necessary.
Depression after surgery
This has nothing to do with Thailand. It’s a common experience patients go through after theirsurgery when they look into the mirror for the first time the bandages are off. The main reason are unrealistic expectations. Another is swellings, bruisings and discolorations. It takes time for the body to heal after surgery and things will look much better in a few weeks! Relax and go for a Thai massage.
Language problems
Language skills in Thailand are quite predictable. In 5-star hotel and the best clinics there is hardly any problems. Front desk staff are fluent in English. If you move down the ladder, things become increasingly less predictable. The average person on the street speaks very little English. In the Hospitals the hurdle to overcome are receptionists. While some speak better English than others, all will be smiling and trying to help. What takes a little bit of getting used to is that Thais have the tendency not to say anything if they don’t understand – they rather just guess. The slower and clearer you speak, the less the Thais have to guess!
Sanitation and infrastructure
Thailand has a monsoon climate and especially when the winds blow from the southwest during the summer months April to September it gets hot and sticky. Make sure that you are booking rooms in a hotel or resort with proper air conditioning. While it can be great fun to spend some time in small resorts for less than 10 dollars per night, we recommend to choose at least 4-star accommodation for your recovery period after surgery. Pamper yourself and enjoy the clean and cool that comes with better facilities. It lowers your risk of infections, upset stomachs and unnecessary stress caused by high noise levels or unsatisfactory service.
Follow-up care
Usually you will spend only a few days in hospital and then a fairly short time on vacation in Thailand. After that you will be back in your home country and it is your responsibility to organize post-operative care if necessary and to deal with complications when they arise. Malpractice laws in Thailand are not what they are in the US and you have comparatively little recourse if something goes wrong.
Social impact
It is sometimes raised, that medical tourism has doctors working in fancy hospitals which cater mainly to foreigners and that by doing so, it keeps medical services away from normal people. We don’t share this opinion. We believe that medical tourism can and usually does raise the overall standard of health care in developing countries. Among other things, it gives local medical talent a chance to earn a decent living in their own country, and by doing so keeps many of them from migrating to other countries.