After being told that I will have to wait a further 6 months for a Discectomy, I am now looking at the option of travelling abroad, I do know someone who has travelled to the Czech Republic paying around £3,295 for a new procedure called a DiscoGel and are extremely happy with how the operation went and how everything was handled by the company they booked with.
does anyone else have experience of travelling abroad for this kind of operation before I make the final decision ?
Hi Liza,
The problem with having any surgical procedures done abroad is that if you have any problems post-op, then you may have trouble getting them sorted back here in the UK, even on the NHS. Typically this applies more to cosmetic surgery, but there could also be problems with other surgery, especially if it's a technique that is/has not been used over here. It may be worthwile you checking with your doctor/consultant to see what they say about you 'going private' elsewhere and what support you'd have over here afterwards.
Aside from that you'd have to consider specific travel insurance needs, as it wouldn't be the same as regular travel insurance for going on holiday.
All Love and Reiki Hugs
I had a client a few years ago who went to Lithuania for breast surgery. Whilst the surgery was successful, what she had not taken in to consideration was recovery time. She was too ill to fly home on a pre-booked flight two days post surgery (it was a mastectomy), so ended up in a hotel local to the hospital, so that she could go back for twice daily aspiration of exudate from the wound. She was alone, as her husband couldn't afford to go, and she didn't speak the language! She stayed in the country for a further 3 weeks. She had to rebook a flight home.
Make a list of every contingency you can think of. Consider finding out if you could get a similar procedure done here privately - yes, it may be more expensive, but what about incorporating all expenses like flights/accommodation/local travel/food you might incur in another country?
Hopefully someone will come onto HP with some more positive reports about European health care.
Thank you both for your feedback.
The company that my friend used does a complete package which covers surgery, transfers, hotels for the full recovery period and a special insurance policy which covers any complications during surgery (if needed to stay longer ) and also within a 12 months period back in the UK, so if I did have any complications when I was back in the UK it covers the costs 're-visits' to the consultant.
They give you an option to include a friend/partner in the package, who are provided with internal transfers, flights and accommodation.
I have received a quote for the UK and the price is over £10,000, my Consultant is not interested that I wish to travel abroad. As for help/aftercare in the UK I would be treated like any other patient.
The main reason for my post was to ask if others had travelled abroad and which countries may also do this operation.
Decisions, Decisions ! :confused: