Mending a World of Problems: 12-Year Review of Medical Tourism Inbound Complications in a Tertiary Centre.

Abstract

Background: Medical tourism is a rapidly expanding multi-billion-dollar industry. Reduced costs, all-inclusive vacation packages that include cosmetic surgery, globalization, and affordable flight expenses have encouraged patients to seek aesthetic procedures in different countries. Cosmetic medical tourism is associated with high complication rates, such as severe infections, wound dehiscence, pain or discomfort, aesthetic dissatisfaction, and even death.

Patients and methods: A twelve-year survey of medical records was conducted using ADAMS healthcare database software. Data regarding patient demographics, the country of the original procedure, the operation type, complications, and subsequent treatment were recorded.

Results: Fifty-six patients have been admitted to the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The youngest patient was 18, and the oldest was 65, with an average age of 37.46. The majority were females (n = 51, 91.07%). The most common procedure was liposuction (n = 40), followed by abdominoplasty (38). Only eleven patients had a single procedure while travelling; on average, they had 2.34 procedures in a single trip. Patients presented with an average POD of 30.9. The most common complaint was dehiscence at the surgical site. Eleven patients required re-operation. The average hospitalization length in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department was 4.4 days.

Conclusions: Medical tourism has a positive impact on patients and caregivers alike. However, the combination of multiple procedures in a short time, relatively short follow-up, different microbial environments, and more led to substantial complications, which had a devastating effect on many patients.

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