Abstract
The cost of medical care and availability of resources (human and facilities) which differs from nation to nation are amongst others, factors driving medical tourism (MT) despite its potential drawbacks. The aim of the study was to analyse all patients that presented with neurosurgical complications following MT. A single institution prospective study was carried out. Data which included patients' demographics, diagnosis, Glasgow coma scale score at admission, type of complication, and outcome were collected over a 3 year period and analysed. A total of 23 neurosurgical cases were seen during the study period with a median age of 42 years (17-70 years). India is the most common country visited by Nigerian patients. Nine patients died from various complications on arrival in Nigeria. There was no significant statistical difference between the outcome and patients clinical status prior to travel (p=0.107), country where the surgery was done (p=0.776), admission GCS in Nigeria (p=0.169), and redo surgery in Nigeria (0.181). Government in different nations should have legislations to ensure that medical tourists' receive appropriate care abroad, proper follow-up care upon their return, and also promulgate laws to regulate quasi and organised MT agencies that are operating in a regulatory vacuum.
Highlights
The price tag on medical care and availability of resources differs from nation to nation
In recent times, hospitals positioning themselves as leading medical tourism (MT) destinations are largely found within lower and middle income countries
Medical tourism has being in practice since the 18th and 19th centuries, when people travelled to spas to “take the waters” as a means of improving their health; likewise people in remote settlements and less developed countries, have always travelled to reach clinics or physicians for aid[10,11]
Summary
Hospital facilities in high-income countries marketed health services usually to the global elite of other countries[5,6]; neurosurgical cases being among the common diseases. In recent times, hospitals positioning themselves as leading medical tourism (MT) destinations are largely found within lower and middle income countries In these hospitals, favourable exchange rates is presently giving them a competitive advantage especially among price-conscious international patients[3,7]. Given its positive and negative effects on the health care systems of departure and destination countries, medical tourism is a highly significant and contested phenomenon[2]. The data documented included patients demographics, clinical status prior to travel for surgery abroad (emergent or non-emergent), diagnosis (prior to travelling and on presenting to us), region of the body involved (Cranial or spinal), country where procedure was done, medical report from MT centre, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score on admission, and outcome (dead or alive). A probability (p) of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant
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