Joint BAAPS/BOMSS statement on surgical tourism
Please note that the General Practitioners at Hoveton and Wroxham Medical Centre do not endorse seeking surgical interventions abroad. Consequently, we will be unable to provide routine post-operative care, including blood monitoring.
Joint BAAPS/BOMSS statement on surgical tourism – CONSULT A UK SURGEON FIRST
Issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Obesity and
Metabolic Surgery Society
The significant increase in numbers of patients travelling abroad for both aesthetic and
bariatric (weight loss) surgery has been linked with consequent serious complications and
even deaths. BAAPS and BOMSS, the aesthetic and bariatric UK surgical societies are making
this unprecedented joint statement due to our concerns for patient welfare and safety.
Both BAAPS and BOMSS have warned about the risks of surgical tourism. However, due to
economic pressures, concerted advertising and ready availability there is a continuous and
increasing stream of UK patients who choose to travel abroad for surgery.
As professional societies we are concerned by the number of patients presenting with the
complications of surgical procedures performed outside the UK. There is an assumption that
the NHS will deal with any issues on return home, and a significant financial cost can be
attached to the management of complications. This cost might well be down to the patient to
pay, and must be considered in advance.
BAAPS and BOMSS recognise that surgery in the independent sector in the UK is more
expensive than in some other countries. The principle reason is that healthcare in England is
tightly regulated by the CQC, in Scotland by the HIS and in Wales by HIW. This ensures quality,
standards, and ultimately safety are as good as possible. Not all countries have the equivalent
to CQC regulation, and not all countries’ standards are at the high level of those in the UK.
Our specific concerns about people travelling overseas for surgery include:
- Lack of adequate expert pre-operative assessment, discussion and counselling
- Poor choice of procedure offered and the number of combined procedures offered in
one surgical sitting - Different procedures being performed to the one the patient expected, or the details
of the procedure conducted being unknown - Unknown quality and safety of the team providing surgery
- Risks of long-distance travel immediately following surgery, for example developing a
blood clot in the leg or lung (which can be potentially life-threatening) - Poor or non-existent access to routine post-operative follow up care, increasing the
possibility of outcomes such as weight regain and nutritional deficiencies in bariatric
patients and increasing the risks ofsub-optimal outcomes and complications in plastic
surgery patients. - No direct access to expert care if a complication occurs (and most GPs are not trained
in the care of patients who have had bariatric or plastic surgery)
Having surgery abroad is certainly less expensive than in the UK, but standards of
healthcare regulation overseas often differ from the UK, which means the quality of
Surgical care can vary significantly. In the event of a problem, clinical and legal redress is much more difficult leaving people exposed and unprotected.
Therefore, both the BAAPS and BOMSS strongly urge caution to anyone considering surgical tourism – what cost is your health? Consult a UK Surgeon first