By Dr. John Frank, M.D. – Hair Loss Specialist, ABHRS,ISHRS, New York City, Sep 17, 2011
Insured medical costs are soaring. The Medicare’s Office of the Actuary projects that over the next 10 years, healthcare cost will increase by an average amount of 5.8% per year. However, private, mostly cosmetic / elective, non-insured U.S. based procedures have not been subject to the same price inflations.
Nevertheless, because insurance will not cover elective procedures, they can be pricy out of pocket expenses. A recent USA Today article reported, “A full set of hair-replacement surgeries can cost as much as $10,000.”
Elective Surgery Abroad
When most people think about the economic advantages of India, they think of tech call centers, but most people are unaware of India’s astonishing growth in medical technology. Training and medical facilities in India are now on par with developed countries when it comes to elective and cosmetic treatments. In 2007, India had over 1200 trained plastic surgeons, many who have trained abroad in the United States and Europe. Because the costs associated with these types of procedures are often several times lower than in the developed world, India and other developing countries have seen a steady increase in medical tourism. Today, more than 50 governments actively support medical tourism as a national industry.
Relatively Inexpensive, Yes, But — Is it safe?
For the most part, it appears so. In 2011, The Journal of General Internal Medicine published a survey of the quality of 63 medical tourism companies in theU.S. and concluded “overseas medical care can be a reasonable alternative for price sensitive patients in need of relatively common, elective medical procedures.”
Medical Tourism is hardly a new phenomenon. As far back as the eighteenth and nineteenth century, it was common for travelers to visit spas and wellness centers abroad. Other reasons for travel have to do with access to specialized care and reduced wait times, especially for critical care, but experts do not consider this latter type of health care need as “medical tourism.”
In “Nip, Tuck and Click: Medical Tourism and the Emergence of Web-Based Health Information,” Neil Lunt, Mariann Hardey & Russell Mannion of the University Of York argue that the internet is now the main driver of the increase in medical tourism because of the unprecedented access to healthcare information and the increased online exposure to medical service advertising from medical tourism companies.
Lunt, Hardey & Mannion however caution that the quality of medical information available online is variable and have concluded, “It is difficult for the average lay person to get authoritative information quickly and easily on at least one aspect of cosmetic surgery.” More troubling is the development of internet-based technologies that support remote consultation with healthcare professionals abroad. They note that under these conditions, doctors necessarily lack detailed medical histories (unless arranged for ahead of time) and a physical examination is obviously impossible.
Lunt, Hardey & Mannion’s research suggest that consumers of elective procedures use caution when evaluating medical information online and that if a remote consultation or evaluation is available, it should only be used for obtaining a secondary or extra medical opinion after consulting with one’s primary physician.
Should you get a hair transplant abroad?
Of course, I want to say that for many reasons it is not a smart thing to leave New York or the U.S. to go abroad and save money for a hair transplant.
But honestly, how could I recommend not going abroad but at the same time advocate clients flying in to see me from all over the world – and they do!
If they can afford to do that, why should I not recommend flying to India or Mexico to save some money on a transplant? Of course, the reasons people come to the states for medical care is because of the exceptional care they can get here. Cost is a secondary concern, if a concern at all.
One really has to look at all the factors that go into a complete hair transplant — including cost.
The results of a hair transplant are dependent upon the training, skills, experience and artistry of the surgeon. In addition, the technicians who are assisting the surgeon are equally important. They also need to be skilled, experienced and, of course, focused. New York City and many other places in the U.S. are known for it’s top medical professionals, and so although there is no guarantee, you can feel confident that you’ll get the very best, most advance medical care here.
Medical technology aside, which, of course, is where the U.S. excels, can you get an equivalent level of training, experience, and competency outside the U.S.? Of course, but it’s just going to take a little more research. But there is the problem of accountability. In the event of a problem, you may not have the same accountability abroad that you would have here. Let’s face it, even the best surgical team can have a problem, and so accountability is a big factor.
As Always, Caveat Emptor
If you’re concerned with quality, if that’s your top concern, then it makes sense to go to the place where the product or service is top notch. For instance, if you want great sushi, then go to Japan. You wanna pick up a beautifully designed car? Italy (or buy it here, plus the import tax). How about wanting to learn a little watchmaking? Then go to Switzerland for the best teachers. Of course, you can find all these products and services at a cheaper price elsewhere, but if you really want the best, then go where it is the best.
For most medical care and certainly hair transplants, I pick the U.S. I certainly wouldn’t want to fly elsewhere to get a hair transplant and be wondering if the electricity is going to work or if the water is sanitary or worried that the doctor will take shortcuts. When it comes to hair transplants, you truly do get what you pay for.
© 2012, John Frank, M.D.
