Living abroad post-surgery as a US citizen

[trimixmaster-mike]

Greetings friends,

As a US citizen I'm considering acquiring an implant here in the states.
But then I am considering taking a job abroad for a while where the status of high-volume/experienced implant surgeons, should repairs or replacements be necessary, are unknown. This location has not been decided upon yet. I am pretty committed to the surgery at this point but it's unsettling to think of ultimately residing long-term somewhere where help is thousands of miles away. The thought generates a reasonable amount of anxiety for me.
Has anybody else been in a similar situation?

Wishing you all well

[Scott424]

I think it would depend on the timeframe between when you can have the surgery and when you would move for work. A lot of people travel to have surgery done. I traveled from Thailand to India for surgery and it is a little bit of a challenge not having the opportunity to have a face to face followup with the doctor but was able to get some questions answered online. I think with a U.S. surgeon that would be less of a challenge. My friend who went to India with me got an IPP and has had a little difficulty with cycling. He went to a urologist in our town who does not do implants but was able to help him find the deflate button.

If you have the opportunity now to meet now with the surgeon in the U.S. I would take advantage of that and ask them how they handle follow ups with non local patients. Others who have also traveled might be able to offer more advice.

[GoodWood]

The first thing to keep in mind is that if the implant were to break or fail, it would not be an emergency in the way an implanted cardiac defibrillator would be. You wouldn’t be able to achieve an erection until it was repaired, but it would not be a medical emergency.

Another important point is that while there may be fewer high-volume, highly experienced surgeons outside the U.S., you only need one. Qualified surgeons exist in nearly every part of the world.

I would move forward with the implant—it truly is life-changing, and I love mine—and also move forward with the adventure of living abroad. If an issue arises, you’ll be able to find a solution.

[ElbowRoom]

If it were me, I’d get the surgery done in the states and plan to stay here through the first three months of recovery. Then you can move to your new country of residence, but I would keep cash set aside to fly back to the states for revision or consultation if you have problems down the road.