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COSMETIC MEDICAL TOURISM: ITS TRUE COST
Author(s) -
Yang Y.T.,
AlANI S.,
Bartlett G.,
Moazzam A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.04927_29.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medical tourism , popularity , tourism , taxpayer , legislation , warrant , health care , marketing , public relations , business , economic growth , law , finance , political science , economics
Cosmetic tourism has been enjoying unprecedented public attention of late. Enticing New Zealanders with the promise of low cost, overseas travel and the advertised exotic adventure, its popularity grows steadily amongst consumers. We report four cases of complications that had arisen from cosmetic tourism presented to our unit within the last 18 months. With each case presentation, we aim to identify the pitfalls of such practice and thus reasons that lead to these devastating and costly complications for the consumers and health system. Finally, a literature review on the impacts and responses to cosmetic medical tourism from our region and other developed countries including the UK and the US will be presented. In summary, outsourcing health care in our current climate subject our patients to uncertain quality of care, which could seriously threaten their wellbeing. If legislation is to be proposed to limit agents in the advertising and purveyance of medical tourism in New Zealand, it is imperative that accurate account of the adverse events and cost to the taxpayer are recorded. The cost and challenge this global phenomenon poses to our practice warrant prompt study of its extent and impact to the New Zealand plastic surgical community.