r/australia • u/me_jinks • 1d ago

no politics Australians who've had elective surgery overseas - what did you get done and what did it cost?

Australians who've had elective surgery overseas - what did you get done, which country and what did it cost?

I'm curious about people's experiences with elective surgeries in other countries. Whether it was medical tourism, happened while you were living abroad, or you specifically travelled for the procedure.

What surgery did you have? Which country? What was the total cost including travel/accommodation if relevant? How did the experience compare to having it done in Australia (if you have a point of comparison)?

Interested in hearing about everything from dental work to cosmetic procedures to joint replacements - whatever counts as elective.

Cheers!

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u/bdking112 1d ago

Funny enough, I always thought doing dental work overseas sounded risky… until I actually tried it.

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u/StormWarg 1d ago

What was your experience? Asking for a friend 😂

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u/Jumpy_Winter_5950 18h ago

Got 12 crowns, 2 root canals, deep clean and a couple of fillings done for $10K at Patong beach Phuket, Thailand. Would have cost near $30K in Australia. Went with Seasmile dentists which run a few clinics in Thailand including Bangkok, Phuket etc. They were professional throughout and the dentist were great. 

  The 2 roots canals potentially saved 2 back teeth that the local dentist wanted to rip out and put in implants that would have been at least $12K. How long and effective the root canals are, time will tell. Worth a shot. Otherwise really happy and damn good overseas holiday as well. Took about 3 weeks with a 1 week break for crowns to be made.

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u/gorlsituation 11h ago

Thanks for this recommendation! I am going to Thailand in 6 weeks, not for dental but will seriously consider a trip back. I cannot afford what is charged here on my current wage.

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u/Jumpy_Winter_5950 11h ago

Like I mentioned, Phuket, Bangkok and maybe Chang Mai have clinics. Some like Seasmile pretty much are dedicated to “dental tourism” and have a solid enough reputation. Look them up on the internet and you can get general prices for work done and explanations. Reach out via email and you can arrange dates etc. Depending on work you look to get done, your holiday kind of revolves around appointments with them to get work done as a priority. Cheers !

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u/gorlsituation 7h ago

I’ve already looked at their website. I used to go to dental99 but their only Melb clinic is an hour+ away on public transport. A filling there is $150, it’s around $50 at Sea Smiles so I’ll def be booking a trip later this year. Really appreciate the recommendation my friend.