New breasts in Poland are 3 times cheaper: the country is developing "medical tourism"

More and more residents of Western Europe are sent to Poland, as well as to Hungary and Slovakia, to do plastic surgery, to get dental and other medical services. This trend has intensified since Poland entered the EU on May 1, along with nine other countries, most of which were part of the Soviet block, writes The Washington Post . (Translation of the material - on the website inopressa.ru ).

In Germany, Ailin Oflas could not afford to do liposuction on hips. Therefore, she crossed the border and turned to the Polish doctor, who last year had already undergoing her breast augmentation operation.

“For the amount for which fat is removed from the inner surface of the thigh in Germany, the doctor in Poland also removes fat around the knees and buttocks,” says 18 -year -old offlas, who traveled more than two hours by car to consult with her surgeon in Schezin in Poland. “In addition, I can also increase my lips during this time.” The price in Poland is 3.3 thousand dollars, in Germany - 12.3 thousand dollars.

The attractiveness of medical tourism is partially due to the fact that Western European insurance companies should pay for some dental and other procedures performed in EU member states. Since the price of dental services in the east is often two to four times lower than in Germany, it is understood why more and more insurers agree to pay.

Plastic surgery that is not covered by insurance is also much cheaper. Breast augmentation, for example, in Poland costs about 3.2 thousand dollars, and in Germany - from 6 to 10 thousand dollars. The operation to change the shape of the nose made in Poland will cost from 2 to 2.5 thousand dollars, and in Germany - from 4.9 to 7.4 thousand dollars.

Despite lower prices, people still doubt the quality of services in the region, which is still much poorer than the West. The surgeon, who inserted the silicone implants of offlas, says that over the past year the number of patients from Germany has doubled, but they are still concerned.

“Half of them does not trust me during the first consultation,” says a 43 -year -old doctor. “They ask a lot of questions about my diplomas, experience, methods that I use. And they want to see photographs. When they see photographs indicating my results, they begin to trust me more. But not 100%.”

In the light of the fact that in state hospitals, salaries are very low, many Polish doctors discovered private practices in plastic surgery in the mid-1990s.

Pierre and Hannah Jensen, a couple of retirement, arrived in Schezzin from Copenhagen. In a private clinic, of which they saw on television, they performed serious dental operations. In Denmark, such services would cost them 17 thousand dollars. And here, even considering the road and four nights in the hotel, they saved great, moreover, the insurance company covered their expenses partially. Before Poland entered the EU, insurance did not apply to Poland. “We save a lot of money,” says 67 -year -old Pierre Jensen. “And the dentists here are simply fantastic.”

It is not surprising that German dentists and plastic surgeons are not at all happy with such a turn. Dr. Hinz Bull, a German doctor, says that patients who leave for another country for surgery risk being left without support in the event of complications, and, in addition, the quality of operations is not guaranteed.

However, Oflas says that she likes Polish doctors more. "In Germany, they are all soulless. And here doctors do everything they can do for the patient," says Oflas. According to her, the German doctor, to whom she turned to remove the seams after an operation to enlarge her chest, scolded her when he found out that she had an operation in Poland.

“He said:“ You went there not because they are better, but just to save money, ”she recalls.“ But he said this while I was dressed. When he saw how beautiful my chest was, he was shocked. ”