Travel medicine is picking up more and more momentum day by day. Many patients are looking to combine their treatments with vacations. The rise of medical tourism is primarily due to two reasons – cost-effectiveness and availability of top-notch technology.
One of the most common treatments in medical tourism is LASIK eye surgery. The question is should you consider LASIK as medical tourism? If yes, then why? Let’s understand LASIK surgery as another aspect of medical tourism.

Cost

The best thing about considering LASIK as medical tourism is that it might be cheaper abroad. However, if you are choosing LASIK for medical tourism for the costs, select your destination wisely. Some countries like the U.S. are more economical options for LASIK.
Patients and travellers can save a whopping 33% on the primary cost of LASIK surgery. However, before planning out your travel, you must also consider the budget for flight tickets, expenses, insurance, and accommodation.
It would help if you also considered multiple health care facilities before landing on a decision. It is possible to still save a chunk on your LASIK surgery even after calculating the whole package.

Time

You must know that LASIK surgery is an effective as well as a quick medical procedure. Most of the patients can be back to their pavilion within a couple of days of treatment. However, patients who undergo LASIK cannot drive immediately after the surgery.
Most of the overseas vacation lasts for more than a week. So if you have planned an extended vacation, you can consider getting a LASIK.
It is not safe to travel for a week after completing the surgery. You can use this week to enjoy your holiday and relax. So, if you do not have a busy schedule ahead, you can opt for getting LASIK outside your hometown.

Safety

Generally, laser eye treatments are the safest of medical procedures. Even less than 2% of the patients face or experience any complexities. The solution to a safe LASIK treatment is excellent aftercare.
However, if you face any complexities afterward, you might have to fly back to the destination for a follow-up. For the sake of the surgery’s safety and success, opt for a highly-skilled surgeon and reputable medical institution.
Not all countries or cities will offer you the best facility or professional. You can also read patient testimonies or online reviews to understand the safety standards.

It’s the Right Choice For You

There is more than one reason why you should think of LASIK as medical tourism. With the growing demand for medical tourism, it is possible to find treatments at low rates, excellent aftercare, and experienced surgeons.
In case you are traveling to the U.S., try to take out some time to plan out a LASIK treatment. You may experience no complexities or complications at all. Moreover, with quality treatment, you can enjoy a sharp vision for years and years to come.

With a low cost and increased chances of success, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider LASIK for medical tourism.

About Dr. Columbus

Dr. Bill, as he is affectionately known, is the founder and surgical director at Columbus LASIK Vision. He received his Bachelor’s Degree at Scranton University and his medical degree at Penn State University Medical Center where he also performed his internal medicine internship. He then spent three years at Nassau County Medical Center training in Ophthalmology. Shortly after finishing at Nassau county, he began his cornea and refractive fellowship at the prestigious Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. Dr. Columbus has demonstrated his commitment to excellence with over 25,000 corrective eye procedures.