Surgical competition cuts costs

Warren and Wendy Miller would never have chosen India as a tourist destination. They thought it was too hot, too poor, too dirty and the food, well, "too Indian". But as they gazed up at the Taj Mahal, that most elaborate of monuments to a perished love, they knew they had done exactly the right thing. The Millers were medical tourists, escaping Queensland's long public health waiting lists and eschewing private specialists for the same reason.

The Innisfail couple flew to India in March 2006, so Warren, 67, could have his arthritic knee replaced at the world-renowned Fortis Hospital in New Delhi. While they were in the neighbourhood, they also decided to have laser surgery on their eyes.

The Millers aren't alone. Every year, hundreds of Australians are heading overseas for sun, sand - and surgery. While exact figures aren't known, travel industry specialists estimate that most of these travellers, more than 85 per cent, are heading offshore for Botox treatment, breast enhancement or reduction, and bottom lifts. Dubbed "nip-and-tuck tourists", they are paying in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines a fraction of what it would cost them at home to have cosmetic surgery, with the bonus of an overseas holiday thrown in. And an alibi. While daiquiris are being sipped and beaches are being walked, wounds are healing thousands of kilometres from home and the prying eyes of friends and family. Clients are returning home refreshed, rejuvenated and retouched while friends and family are none the wiser.

Dental treatment is also booming in South-East Asia - a trend that saw Brisbane psychologist Keith Owen bound for Bangkok last year. In the luxurious surrounds of the Dr Sunil Dental Clinic, Owen had 13 teeth crowned and two badly broken ones repaired. In Australia, the dental work would have cost about $35,000 with a conditional guarantee. In Bangkok, the final bill - including air fares, accommodation and trips to see the city's highlights - came in at less than $10,000. In addition, there's a 15-year guarantee if there are any problems, regardless of who is at fault. Sunil also provides limousine transport to and from the airport and the clinic, a service which is most definitely not available in Australia.

Owen's decision was reached on price alone. "It was absolutely horrendous, the cost over here, and that's why I went over there," he says. "I got treated really well... and the quality of work was really good."

The greatest potential, though, lies in the area of elective surgery. People like the Millers are exploring their surgical options because they are fed up with extensive waiting times in the public and private sectors in Australia. More and more people are getting out their passports and fetching their phrase books to have elective surgery, including heart operations and hip replacements, overseas. Singapore even offers organ transplants, including kidney and liver.

There are dozens of internet sites where potential patients can package their holidays, including flights, tours, transfers, accommodation and a trip to a specialist of their choice. Admittedly, most of these are geared to potential clients from the UK and the US, where not only are the waiting lists hellish but costs are extortionate. Many US companies now sign up employees to health insurance that stipulates all major surgery and dental work must be done outside the country.

In Australia, Thai Airways already has recognised the growing market for Australian health tourists by offering holiday packages to Thailand that include executive medical check-ups through Royal Orchid Holidays. One of the hospitals in the package is Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital, which The New York Times has described as having "carpeted wards, internet access, cable television, rooms with balconies and private bars". The foyer is of the standard of a five-star hotel, and there are apartments and suites with a pool and fitness facilities for post-operative recovery. Last year, the hospital catered for more than 450,000 overseas patients from almost 200 countries. Add on daily cleaning, room service meals, fluffy bathrobes and airport transfers - what's not to like about the place?

Both the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Dental Association say patients should be extremely cautious when investigating the overseas option for treatment, especially if the destination is a developing country. Infection rates, follow-up care and internet rip-off merchants preying on vulnerable people are all cited as reasons to stay at home. Recent media exposure about botched operations, especially cosmetic surgery, has made Australian travel agents offering medical tourism packages wary. At least two of the operators involved - Redcliffe-based International Medical Tours and Sabra Travel in Sydney - have had a rethink. A spokeswoman for Sabra said they'd stopped offering health tours about six months ago, while IMT is also planning to close that side of its operation.

The Millers, though, are a two-person fan club, and ready to sing the praises of their treatment option to anyone who'll sit still long enough. "The hospital itself was absolutely No. 1 - a great big multi-storey building," Miller says. He says the accommodation and treatment was first class - and there wasn't a speck of dirt in sight. And yes, they wouldn't hesitate if a second trip was in the offing. "I'd like to have my eyebrows lifted," Wendy Miller says - tongue firmly planted in her 63-year-old cheek. They even found a restaurant that served Chinese food the way they'd cook it at home themselves.

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