Why is Greece one of the best places in the world for eye surgery?

With the medical tourism industry being c£10bn in market size, many lower cost countries have continuously invested in medical areas where they have a competitive advantage. So, why is Greece one the leading countries in the world in the area of ophthalmology and eye surgery?

1.       Higher education in universities is free

In Greece, all citizens have access to free higher education, meaning aspiring doctors have a key burden removed from them, which is always the substantial financial debt, and they can follow their dream in becoming a successful medical practitioner. With a strong history in medicine, Greece ranks no4 in the world in the number of doctors per capita. As a result, top clinics in Greece have a wide range of high calibre candidates to choose from to resource their medical teams.

2.       International education & work experience

Another country characteristic and linked to the first point above, is that many aspiring doctors choose countries like the UK, US and Germany to either do their undergraduate, postgraduate or medical practice. For UK citizens, having had an interaction with a Greek doctor at a UK hospital or clinic is a very common experience. Having had the chance to follow higher education for free, majority of doctors and surgeons choose European countries, like the UK and Germany and occasionally the US for the next chapter in education, training and professional experience. As a result, the vast majority of doctors and surgeons in leading hospitals and clinics in Greece have had a considerable amount of training and work experience from renowned international medical practices.

3.       Greece is member of the European Union (EU)

The fact that Greece is part of the European Union has multiple benefits for the medical sector, both for the doctors and patients. For the doctors, apart from the direct access to EU markets, training, professional experience and funding, the EU sets high standard requirements and specific accreditations for all EU hospitals and clinics to follow. This ensures that all patients enjoy a level of medical care that is of higher quality and consistent across the EU. When considering eye surgery abroad, ensuring a certain level of medical practice requirements are met, such the ones set by the EU, is a key factor to consider. Finally, it allows Greece to have access to the latest medical equipment, which can only be found at top clinics around the world. Specifically, in the world of laser eye surgery and LASIK, only the most advanced and tested methods are used, driven by latest technology lasers and pre-operational examination tools.

4.       Innovation

Medical innovation is a common occurrence in Greece. Globally renowned surgeons visit Greece to train on techniques and methodologies that are new to their respective medical field. Let’s not forget, the first surgeon to perform LASIK on the human eye was a Greek surgeon under the name of Ioannis Pallikaris. Ophthalmology in Greece is a highly advanced medical sector that not only allows patients to access the latest developments in this field, but also ensures that all treatment methods used have been thoroughly tested and understood, before being introduced to patients.

5.       Ideal balance of lower cost of living and medical expertise

There are many countries that have invested in medical tourism, mainly driven by lower cost, but only a handful have found the right balance between quality and cost. In Greece, although the cost for common eye surgeries, such as laser eye surgery and lens replacement surgery, is generally less than 50% of the cost in the UK, the actual medical expertise & technology used, is as at par and occasionally better than what you’d find in UK clinics and hospitals. Moreover, other Eastern European countries and Asian countries with strong presence in medical tourism, although they are considerably cheaper than the UK, they lack on the medical expertise front, as most of their medical personnel haven’t had the opportunity to train & work in other EU and developed countries around the world.