Shaffrey Ellen C, Larson Jeffrey D
Aesthet Surg J Open Forum. 2024 Aug 29;6:ojae070. doi: 10.1093/asjof/ojae070. eCollection 2024.
Medical tourism has grown exponentially, spurred by incentives such as cost reductions, minimal wait times, and the allure of recuperative vacations. However, this trend carries substantial risks, as illustrated by the case of a 52-year-old female patient who underwent an abdominoplasty as part of a medical tourism package in Miami, FL, which resulted in a retained foreign body. The case highlights the broader issues of continuity of care, patient safety, and the legal and ethical ramifications faced by patients opting for medical tourism surgical procedures domestically and abroad. It also emphasizes the need for updated standards from professional societies and international cooperation to safeguard patient well-being in the expanding medical tourism sector. Lastly, it underscores the need for physicians and surgeons who manage these complications at home to recognize that prompt management and intervention are critical to avoid the escalation of complications and the increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
医疗旅游呈指数级增长，其受到成本降低、等待时间短以及疗养度假的吸引力等因素的推动。然而，这种趋势存在重大风险，比如一名52岁女性患者的案例，她在佛罗里达州迈阿密接受了腹部整形手术，这是其医疗旅游套餐的一部分，结果体内遗留了异物。该案例凸显了更广泛的护理连续性、患者安全问题，以及国内外选择医疗旅游手术的患者所面临的法律和伦理后果。它还强调专业协会需要更新标准以及开展国际合作，以在不断扩大的医疗旅游领域保障患者福祉。最后，它强调国内处理这些并发症的内科医生和外科医生需要认识到，及时处理和干预对于避免并发症升级以及降低发病和死亡风险至关重要。
