Guidelines to Eye Surgery Abroad


Check what the aftercare procedure is for your treatment and what happens in case something goes wrong and ensure that you are fully aware of the risks associated with the eye treatment.  You must be realistic about treatment recovery and anticipate any possible complications.  Try to be flexible about going back to work and ask the surgeon about what you should and shouldn’t do during recovery and when it is safe to return home.  If there are any immediate postoperative problems, these may be dealt with during the treatment procedure.  Ask if there should be any follow-up care with your opticians in the UK or general practitioner.  You should inform your GP of the treatment and listen to their advice.  Some medical tourism providers include ongoing consultations within a UK based clinic to ensure that the healing process is going as anticipated. Factors, which you need to consider include:

Treatment complications

Think about how far you are willing to travel remembering that if there are any complications, you may need to be re-treated or seen by the same surgeon or at the same clinic. 

Travelling in comfort & safety

If you are travelling long distances, some clinics may provide you with an escort to help you with your journey.  Also, depending on the treatment, long distance travelling may be uncomfortable or not recommended for a certain period of time following treatment.  It may seem a nice idea to travel to a distant exotic location, but the return flight may be uncomfortable and unadvisable. 

Follow-up appointments

Initially, you may be required to attend the clinic quite regularly.  It is far easier to travel within Europe than further a field.  However, it is sometimes possible for follow up appointments to be completed within the UK.  Some surgeons will travel to the UK on a regular basis or will send a nurse or advisor to check their patients’ progress.  Try to book review appointments in advance, to avoid disappointment.

Support from friends & family

You may like friends and/or family to go with you and you may need to consider their time and willingness to accompany you.

Clinic reputation

Remember what the key focus is and that the reputation of the clinic outweighs the importance of a luxury destination.  The more you know about the clinic the more prepared you will be.

If you experience problems on your return to the UK, contact the clinic immediately and seek their advice.  Find out if your contract covers you for aftercare and possibly appointments at UK clinics.  If you are very concerned, speak with your GP or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital.  If you are unhappy with your surgery, speak to your surgeon and express your concerns.

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