The cost of cosmetic surgery tourism complications to the NHS: A retrospective analysis

Introduction: Medical tourism refers to the process of patients travelling outside of their native country to undergo elective surgical procedures and is a rapidly expanding healthcare phenomenon [1-3]. Whilst a multitude of established Private Healthcare Providers (PHPs) offer cosmetic surgical procedures within the United Kingdom (UK), a growing number of patients are opting to travel outside of the UK to undergo cosmetic surgery. Aim: To assess the number of patients presenting to the Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit, with cosmetic surgery tourism complications, from outside of the UK, and the associated costs to NHS Scotland over a five-year period. Methods: A retrospective case review of a prospectively maintained trauma database, which records all acute referrals, was undertaken analysing patients referred from January 1st 2019 to December 31st 2023 inclusive. Results: 81 patients presented over five years with complications of cosmetic surgery tourism. The most common presenting complaints were wound dehiscence (49.4%) or wound infection (24.7%). The total cost to NHS Scotland was 755,559.68 pound with an average of 9327.90 pound per patient. Conclusion: This is the largest single centre cohort of cosmetic surgery tourism complications reported within the NHS to date; with rates on the rise, demand grows for increased patient information regarding healthcare tourism risks, a national consensus on the extent of NHS management and urgent international collaboration with policymakers is required to address this issue across borders.