Cost of surgery- the US option

[hypo]

I was thinking about the US exchange rate and it got me thinking.

It occured to me that it might make snese for some people to go to the US to have surgery if they have a relative out there.

Whether this makes sense or not depends upon the current cost of surgery in the UK- which someone will have to update me on and any additional factors that I may have overlooked.

Anyway surgery in the US is between $3000 and $5500


5,500.00 USD= 2,878.16 GBP

So even the most expense possible operation is under £3000 and in fact may be a lot cheaper than that.

The cost of a return flight to the US can be obtained for about £400 I think.

This has only just occured to me and I ran with it, if it is not correct that is fine just explain if this is the case.



 

[doddy]

I wouldn't have wanted to fly back soon-ish after my op..  :-/

[Yorkshireman]

You also have to bear in mind that you will need to attend follow up appointments, and if anything goes wrong you will have to go back for revision surgery.....not to mention the cost/hassle of taking legal action if the need arose...

I guess its an option only for those with strong links to the US...

[sydneyc]

To add to the others, it's not just a case of not wanting to fly back - you reall y should not fly so soon after such invasive surgery.

Essentially, your body is in trauma after the procedure and will start to try and repair the damage. That means lots of platelets and, to put in bluntly, thick blood for a while. If you then sit on a plane in economy (there's the £400 airfare), your chances of developing a DVT are increased dramatically. Unless you fly business, but then there goes your saving.

Aside of all the other reasons given by others, I would not get on a long haul flight within a couple of weeks of this procedure. As I am sure all who have had it done will testify, it is not a simple in and out affair. Never mind my body being traumatised after the event - I was traumatised!

SC

[brother_gyne]

I heard of people going to India for  PS operations (on the radio) - the costs were tiny  - I forget the exact numbers but I know in the UK we pay £10 pounds an hour for your basic worker- in Eastern europe its a pound an hour - in Asia 10p an hour.

That would make it 30 quid but I don't think thats right 300 is more like it. You would need to spend a couple of weeks in say Goa to recover. Nightmare.

[hypo]

All very valid and understandable points.  

I was thinking of it in the context of if you could stay a couple of months at a relative’s house in the US.

I guess that would take care of certain issues, like the trauma for instance, but the follow-up could potentially be an issue and certainly it is not something anyone could enter into lightly..

That said I am glad I did not include anything like saying- staying at a relatives for some time in the original post, as I wouldn't have got so many good and informative responses that people considering such an option would need to take note of.

Good one guys.