Should I Go Overseas for Weight-Loss Surgery?

Many Canadians look at bariatric surgery in other countries, often because of a lower price or a long wait at home. Many skilled surgeons work abroad, and the decision is yours. Before you book, it helps to know what Canadian doctors and the Government of Canada advise, and which questions to ask.

The price may not be the full cost

A lower price for the operation is the main draw. The full cost also includes flights, hotels, time off for you and for anyone travelling with you, and what happens if something goes wrong.

Canadian surgeons have studied this. A survey of Alberta surgeons estimated that more than $560,000 was spent in 2012 and 2013 treating complications in 59 people who had bariatric surgery abroad. Canadian hospitals have reported treating complications after bariatric surgery abroad, often without records from the original surgical team.

These were small studies, and they cannot tell you about any one clinic abroad. They do show why it pays to plan for complications before you go.

The Government of Canada also warns that your provincial health plan may not cover care abroad, and that most travel insurance does not cover planned medical procedures in another country.

Check the surgeon and the facility

Standards for training, licensing, infection control and equipment differ from country to country. Wherever you have surgery, find out:

• Who your surgeon is, what training they have, and how often they perform your procedure.
• Whether you will meet your surgeon before the day of surgery.
• Whether the hospital or clinic is licensed or accredited, and by whom.
• Who looks after you overnight, and what happens if you need emergency care.

In Ontario, you can look up any doctor on the public register of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, including their specialty and any limits on their practice.

Aftercare is part of the operation

Weight-loss surgery does not end when you leave the operating room. The first weeks bring new eating stages, vitamins and questions. The first years bring follow-⁠ups and bloodwork. If your team is in another country, answers can be hard to get, and doctors at home may not have your records.

• Before you leave, get copies of all your records: the operative report, test results, medicines and the plan for follow-⁠up.
• Find out who to call, day or night, once you are home.
• Ask your family doctor ahead of time whether they can help with follow-⁠up.
• Ask a Canadian doctor when it is safe to fly. Flying soon after surgery can raise the risk of blood clots.

If the wait at home is the reason

In Ontario, publicly funded bariatric surgery goes through the Ontario Bariatric Network, after a referral from your doctor, and waits vary by region. Surgery at a private clinic in Canada is another option. It is not covered by OHIP. Ask for the current timeline at your consultation.

At 360 Sleeve in North York, Toronto, a gastric sleeve is $13,900 with taxes included, and comes with six years of 360 Complete Care: follow-⁠ups with your surgeon, nurse and dietitian, and bloodwork. Financing through Beautifi or Medicard is available over 6 months to 6 years, and your first consultation is free and can be online.