Is it Safe to Get LASIK Eye Surgery Outside the U.S?

LASIK surgery and other refractive surgery has been popular in the United States for many years. But how about in other nations? Is it just as sought there? Yes, more and more, the popularity for LASIK is growing in many other nations. And in fact, in some cases, such as India, the procedure is much cheaper, and is attracting even those in America to have the procedure done there in the foreign country.

But the question is: Are the practices in these other countries safe? Let's examine this subject.

When people leave their home country to go to another nation for the purpose of having a medical procedure done, we call this medical tourism. Typically medical tourism happens precisely because of the financial benefit. There are many consumers who lack adequate health insurance, or else they need a procedure that their insurance policy doesn't cover. An operation such as refractive surgery often is not covered, and is therefore a good target for medical tourism. A lot of people will travel to Thailand, India or Canada to have an operation such as LASIK done at a fraction of the expense in their home country.

In fact, there are some countries that are now actually advertising their medical procedures. Using the media, they encourage customers to visit for both a vacation and to have their surgery done, all on the same trip, and all for a single low-cost package. By this we mean that there are actual vacation packages you can buy that will include your hotel stay, a vacation close to a beach, and the medical operation, including recovery, all in one tidy package, and all for less than the operation itself would cost in the U.S.

Medical-tourism supporters accuse the U.S. medical profession of artificially inflating prices, and point out that the doctors in other countries are just as qualified as their high-priced counterparts in the States. However, opponents of medical tourism say it's safer if a patient follows up with the doctor who performed the operation. In a situation where the patient only stays for a week's vacation, this is often not possible.

If you do feel that LASIK abroad is for you, be sure that your doctor is a competent doctor with respected credentials. Make sure, also, that the medical facility that you plan to visit has proper accreditation by reputable international standards. Also, before you ever leave the U.S., don't be afraid to ask for references from others who have had the procedure done. Be sure that, before the actual procedure is done, that you get the opportunity to inspect the facility. You want to watch for cleanliness, as this will tell you much about how serious the medical staff is about their patients' health. And finally, remember that just because it's cheaper doesn't necessarily mean its better. Be sure to work with a competent doctor who has much experience with LASIK operations. It doesn't matter how affordable a doctor is if he leaves you worse off than you were before you had the operation.