Don't get cheap weight loss surgery abroad, doctors warn
Don't get cheap weight loss surgery abroad, doctors have warned.
New guidelines published in the International Journal of Surgery say those seeking operations abroad should be wary of special offers or discounted rates.
Experts from the European Association for the Study of Obesity and the International Federation for Surgery of Obesity said the cheap deals 'raise concern about the quality of care'.
Under the new guidance, patients have been urged to only visit accredited centres and told not to have weight loss surgery unless they have a BMI of at least 30.
The guidelines, also supported by the Metabolic Disorders European Chapter and the European Collation for People Living with Obesity, set out a number of requirements aimed at patients, doctors, bariatric surgery centres and social media companies.
They state that patients should be provided with clear information on the risks and benefits of the surgery, including those associated with travel and should receive at least two years of follow-up care.
Clinics that offer medical tourism were advised that their patients 'must not be subjected to targeted social media advertising relating to bariatric surgery abroad'.
The new guidance also encouraged anyone contemplating leaving the UK for medical tourism to consult with their doctor at home beforehand.
'Unsafe' obesity surgery too common
Medical tourism is unregulated, meaning no official figures are held, but the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society estimate that 5,000 Britons travel abroad for bariatric surgery every year, while 4,500 have it on the NHS.
Medics said people were seeking bariatric surgery abroad because of high obesity rates meaning long waits for treatment in the UK.
Dr Laurence Dobbie, an academic clinical fellow at Kings College London and the lead author of the new paper, said: 'Across Europe, people living with obesity often wait several years, or lack access entirely, to obesity surgery in their home countries, prompting many to seek treatment abroad.
'Unfortunately, some of these providers fail to meet basic standards of care, resulting in serious injuries and, tragically, even death.
'These new guidelines – developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals and patients from across Europe – set out clear standards for obesity surgery in the medical tourism sector, with the aim of improving patient safety and preventing further harm.'
Such procedures are often botched, leading to infections, temporary or permanent injuries, scarring, and in the worst cases, fatalities.
Further issues commonly arise with continuity of care when patients return to the UK, as GPs are rarely updated with discharge letters,
Prof Volkan Yumuk, president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity said: 'There have been too many cases of poorly performed, and in some cases, unsafe, obesity surgery carried out abroad under what we would call medical tourism.
'In producing these guidelines, the obesity community has come together to make sure obesity surgery in Europe is safe and meets appropriate standards, wherever it takes place.'
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