Eye Surgery Abroad

With today’s hectic lifestyles there is no wonder we are all looking tired. Working longer hours, spending more on our weekly bills and often just trying to keep our heads above water in these difficult economic times, many of us don’t realise the effects such a lifestyle has on our eyes. Our eyes can give away our age, or even make us look older than we really are.

They are the windows to our soul but are also a clear indication of someone who has very little energy left; wanting to appear young and vigorous is driving many people into having eye surgery and, because of the high costs involved in this type of procedure, many people are also being driven into surgery-tourism in an attempt to find the procedure they want at a price they can afford. We normally go on holiday to relax and come back looking refreshed, but eye surgery in a different country will mean we return looking years younger and ready to jump back into the hard grind of our daily lives!

Eye surgery is clearly a very delicate procedure, and can involve the removal of tired-looking bags from beneath the eyes or the lifting of the upper lid in order to make us look more alert. It is very important that the procedure is performed correctly, down to the minutest detail, in order that the patient’s vision is not damaged. This is not the type of procedure where you want to with a substandard surgeon simply because they are the cheapest, you need the highest level of professionalism and skill to ensure that the surgery goes as well as is humanly possible.

Also, when dealing with an area as sensitive as the eye, recovery is also very important. Research for yourself the intricate details of the aftercare which your own personal surgeon recommends to you, but it is likely that you will be told to avoid looking into direct sunlight for a while and also to keep your eyes covered for the first few days after surgery.

Clearly, if this is the case, being somewhere exotic, or being back in rainy England really isn’t going to make much of a difference if your eyes are hurting too much to actually take in the surroundings. Also, will you feel able to look after yourself, to travel by yourself, after such a major operation? Will you be able to cope with not having your proper vision as well as not having your friends and family around to help you and comfort you in what can often be an unsettling and upsetting time?

If you feel that you will be able to then, bravo, you are very brave and you may well be able to save yourself some money as well. A combined eye-lift and eye-bag removal could set you back £3500 to £4000 in the U.K- it is money well spent as you will be getting world-class care from unrivalled surgeons but, for many people, such a cost is unattainable and there are many cheaper prices elsewhere in the world.

The plethora of cheap flights which are now available to Europe mean that you can really save money on surgeries by going to the Continent, and you don’t have to worry about the hidden costs such as expensive plane fares.  

You would probably be able to find the procedure in France for around £2200 whilst in Norway it would cost around £1250. Further afield, Cuba and Brazil offer very low prices, with costs coming in at less than £1000 but you need to consider whether such a long journey would be affordable or mentally realistic. If you don’t fancy going abroad then you may be comforted to know that the U.K is not the most expensive place to get eye lifting surgery performed, Australia can be, on average, around 6% more expensive. 

Looking at prices like this, in such an abstract manner, doesn’t tell you all you need to know. Look into each countries medical system and healthcare provisions in detail and determine whether you will get the standard of care which you are wanting in the country which you are thinking of choosing. Too often, cosmetic surgeons here in the U.K have to perform repair operations on surgeries which went wrong abroad; this number is sadly on the increase year and year. Don’t become part of this statistic: protect yourself with information and arm yourself with facts before you even dip your little toe into the ocean of surgery-tourism.

Don’t be blind to the dangers and don’t be swayed by deals offering you the best in luxurious and scenic locations; the most important thing is the surgery- as was previously mentioned, you might not even be able to see the views in the days after your scenery so you may as well be having the procedure performed in Bognor Regis as Bolivia or Brazil. If you do want to go abroad, however then it is imperative that you check that the company you are with is willing to offer regular checkups back in the U.K. For an area as sensitive as the eye, you need to be sure you can have any complications dealt with swiftly and efficiently and that you are in the capable hands of a doctor who it is convenient for you to get to.

Most cosmetic surgery companies which are based abroad will offer checkups, but only in one or two major cities like London or Manchester. This could be a problem if your vision is impaired but you need to get to a follow-up appointment in the first weeks after your surgery. Such mundane practicalities need to be considered very carefully as they are normally the ones which get pushed to the back of people’s minds and cause disruption and stress when they crop up. Don’t be caught out, eye up all the possible dangers and pit falls and then decide whether you want to go abroad.