Department of Plastic Surgery, University Hospitals Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom.
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2021 Aug;45(4):1912-1919. doi: 10.1007/s00266-021-02183-w. Epub 2021 Feb 24.
Cosmetic surgery tourism is an ever-growing industry. Despite its associated risks, an increasing number of patients are presenting to NHS services with resulting complications. This study aims to evaluate the current presentation patterns for complications in cosmetic surgery tourism, and the financial burden to the NHS reported by a single UK level one trauma centre in Birmingham, UK.
From 2015 to 2020, all patients presenting to the department of plastic surgery with complications of cosmetic surgery performed outside of the UK were included. Data were collected for patients' characteristics including demographics, performed procedures, complications and treatment. A cost analysis was performed for each patient using published "National Schedule of NHS Costs."
A total of 26 patients presented to our hospital within the study period. All patients were female, with the mean age being 35.1 years (range 22-55years). A total of 32 cosmetic procedures were undertaken, with the majority performed in Turkey (n = 14). Abdominoplasty was the most common procedure, followed by gluteal enhancement surgery. The total financial cost to the NHS from all cosmetic surgery-related complications was £152,946, with an average cost per patient of £5,882.54 (range £362-£26,585).
Patients seek out medical tourism for multiple reasons including cost savings, shorter waiting times and surgical expertise. The costs displayed should predominantly be viewed as a reflection of the detrimental effect these complications can have on patients' lives. Global governing bodies should focus efforts on educating patients and raising awareness on this ever-prevalent issue.
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美容手术旅游是一个不断发展的行业。尽管存在相关风险，但越来越多的患者向国民保健服务体系（NHS）就诊，导致出现各种并发症。本研究旨在评估美容手术旅游中并发症的当前就诊模式，以及英国伯明翰一家一级创伤中心报告的 NHS 为此承担的经济负担。
2015 年至 2020 年，所有因在英国境外进行的美容手术而出现并发症并到整形外科就诊的患者均被纳入研究。收集患者的特征数据，包括人口统计学、实施的手术、并发症和治疗情况。使用已公布的“NHS 成本国家时间表”对每位患者进行成本分析。
在研究期间，共有 26 名患者到我院就诊。所有患者均为女性，平均年龄为 35.1 岁（22-55 岁）。共进行了 32 项美容手术，其中大部分在土耳其进行（n = 14）。腹部整形术是最常见的手术，其次是臀部增强手术。所有与美容手术相关的并发症给 NHS 带来的总经济成本为 152946 英镑，每位患者的平均成本为 5882.54 英镑（362-26585 英镑）。
患者选择医疗旅游有多种原因，包括节省成本、缩短等待时间和手术专业知识。所显示的成本主要应被视为这些并发症对患者生活造成的不利影响的反映。全球管理机构应集中精力教育患者，提高对这一普遍存在问题的认识。
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