[ Special Feature ]
Medical Tourism:
New Trends, New Ethos?
Dr Nikolaos Metaxotos, MD, PhD
President & CEO, Symmetria
T
here is currently a growing
discussion on an international
level within the medical
community regarding medical
tourism; that is the act of travelling
to other countries in order to obtain
better medical services. Within the
travel and medical industry, however,
medical tourism is a lot more than
a topic for discussion. It is a highly
profitable business that reaches
global audiences and faces global
competition.
What is particularly interesting
about medical tourism is that people
are tempted or prompted to seek
medical care outside their own
homeland. The issue of dealing with
their own country’s medical systems
is one main reason. Multitude of
options regarding medical tourism
facilities and services is another.
Affordable price is the third main
reason why a potential patient would
seek to obtain medical services
outside their county of residence.
If we add to that to the option of
USA
Rhinoplasty
$ 6000
Face Lift
$15000
Breast
$ 8000
Augmentation
Breast
$ 9000
Reduction
Complete
$13500
Liposuction
*Price in US dollars.
having fun, by combining ones’
holiday with health related services,
then it is easily understood why
medical tourism is growing so much
on an international level.
Let us look at some indicative
prices provided by Wikipedia. These
prices are indicative of the fact that
medical tourism can be affordable.
The table below provides average
costs of cosmetic surgeries in western
nations and Latin American countries,
where cosmetic surgery tourism is
becoming very popular.
Europe
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Mexico
$ 5500
$12500
$ 2300
$ 4300
$ 1200
$ 2600
$ 2100
$ 4500
$ 2000
$ 4200
$ 1500
$ 2900
$ 1500
$ 3000
$ 7500
$ 3700
$ 2500
$ 3800
$ 3400
$ 2900
$ 3400
$ 8000
$ 3900
$ 2400
$ 3600
$ 3200
$ 3000
$ 2600
$11000
$ 4500
$ 2700
$ 4700
$ 3800
$ 3200
—
(http://www.wikipedia.org)
www.asiabiotech.com
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[ Special Feature ]
In order for any country,
medical facility or
practice to perform
well within this growing industry, there is
one term that is nonnegotiable: that is to
absolutely respect
the patients and their
needs.
In Greece, medical tourism is
still taking its baby steps. However,
it is important to note that the
country is an established tourist
destination with strong competitive
advantages. Its image has been
boosted substantially in the last few
years. Several courses of action are
being taken to improve the quality
of the tourist product and strengthen
its competitive position. Hospitality,
climate, culture and tradition, natural
beauty, gastronomy, good quality
hotels and services account for much
of its strength as a tourist destination.
Besides, medical tourism in Greece
has a long and strong tradition that
goes back to the ancient times of
Greek to Asclepius and its temples,
which are probably some of the
earliest healing centers gathering
people from around the region for
therapeutic purposes.
In order for any country, medical
facility or practice to perform well
within this growing industry, there
is one term that is non-negotiable:
that is to absolutely respect the
1278 ■ Volume 11 > Number 19 > 2007
patients and their needs. Respecting
our patients involves offering the
optimal medical treatment possible;
securing high standards of treatment
and recovery conditions; making
sure that both medical facilities and
all scientific staff involved offers
absolute safety for each and every
patient that trusts such services.
Such terms are unfortunately
not always given. This is the reason
why the International Society of
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS),
representing nearly 1500 of the
world’s leading board certified
aesthetic plastic surgeons in 73
countries, has launched its new
website with the publication of the
first ever comprehensive international
guidelines for consumers travelling
for plastic surgery procedures —
commonly referred to as “plastic
surgery tourism.”
Main ISAPS guidelines urge
potential patients to, first of all, find
out all they can about the surgeon
and his or her training; ensure that
both the surgeon and the clinic they
choose are of international standards;
making sure that pre-operative tests,
post-operative treatment as well as
any complications that might arise
will be addressed and paid for.
Dr Bryan C Mendelson of
Melbourne Australia, remarked,
“Information that was once only
available to a few is now readily
accessible to consumers in virtually
every country. The ISAPS guidelines
for plastic surgery travellers provide
consumers with vital and perhaps
even life saving yardsticks to gauge
if the doctor they choose for their
plastic surgery is appropriately trained
and certified for the procedure they
are considering.”
Within this framework, all
medical and scientific staff of
Symmetria Medical Center in Athens
is committed to offering optimal
medical treatment and non surgical
services related to beauty, balance
and wellness. Symmetria is happy to
welcome patients from around the
world and treat each one of them
with the respect, dignity and ethos
they deserve.
Symmetria proposes an excellent
medical team, comprising specialized
surgeons that are European Board
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[ Special Feature ]
Symmetria is open to partnerships with other medical institutions in
order to be able to offer potential patients a great variety of services.
Greece has a lot to offer in the field of medical tourism.
or American Board qualified and
have significant experience both in
Greece and abroad. It offers very
good hospitalization conditions, at
lower fees when compared to the
western European ones. Symmetria
combines all that with first class
accommodation and treatment,
along with a package of hospitality
and sightseeing that promotes Greek
culture, the uniqueness of Greece’s
landscape and the temperament of its
people. The total price of the package
is really competitive, compared
to the amount of money a patient
would have to pay in western Europe
for the treatment alone.
But the true advantage lies in
the unique atmosphere of Greece:
its culture, people, the weather
conditions, as well as the tourism
infrastructure that has so greatly
improved since the Olympic Games
of 2004. All these parameters are
value added for people that do not
suffer from serious health problems
and are able to combine a simple
medical procedure with a joyful
holiday.
Symmetria is open to partnerships with other medical institutions
in order to offer potential patients
a great variety of services. Greece
has a lot to offer in the field of
medical tourism. Symmetria
welcomes international investment
on a successful model that has lots
of possibilities to grow and expand if
solid partnerships can be created. n
www.asiabiotech.com
Dr Nikolaos Metaxotos was born in Athens, Greece. He studied
medicine at the University of Athens and was qualified in 1992.
He was trained in plastic surgery in Athens and in London.
He is board certified by the Hellenic Board of Plastic Surgery
and the European Boards of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic
Surgery (EBOPRAS). In 2005, following six years of research in
skin melanoma, he was awarded a PhD from the Medical School
of the University of Athens.
In 2005, Dr Metaxotos founded Symmetria, an advanced center
of medical, beauty and health services located in Athens, Greece.
Symmetria has gathered experienced practitioners and an excellent
scientific team with international accreditations, in order to offer
high quality medical services to visitors from Greece and overseas.
Plastic and aesthetic surgery, aesthetic dentistry, laser treatments
and non-surgical weight loss programs are some of the most popular
services Symmetria offers.
On his own initiative, Dr Metaxotos has visited several
internationally known clinics for aesthetic surgery in Europe and
in the USA and has worked with some of the most respective
plastic surgeons in the world. He has published several scientific
articles on plastic reconstructive surgery in English and European
journals of plastic surgery and has lectured in many parts of the
world including Europe, USA and Mexico.
Contact Details:
Dr Nikolaos Metaxotos
President & CEO, Symmetria
Address:66, Ethnikis Antistaseos,
str., Halandri,
15231 Athens,
Greece
Tel:
+ 30 210 6773571
Fax: + 30 210 6773731
Email: info@symmetria.gr
URL:
www.symmetria.gr
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