General Terms & Conditions - Surgical

General Terms & Conditions

  1. While this form is a legal document, it also serves as a helpful reminder of your role as a responsible patient, to help you receive the best outcome from your planned treatment.
  2. Please carefully read and accept each item below by ticking the corresponding box.
  3. A copy will be emailed to you upon completion for your own safekeeping.

I, the patient, understand and accept:

BEFORE TRAVEL

1.Spine Connection is a medical travel facilitator, and in providing any medical information to its clients and prospective clients relies on medical, surgical and other recommendations supplied by the accredited hospitals, clinics, surgeons and doctors that Spine Connection is affiliated with. Spine Connection provides this information in good faith, however, this must not be construed as Spine Connection offering or providing medical advice.
2.Before departure you should discuss the planned surgery with your qualified and trusted personal physician (GP) at home. You should always attain multiple specialist opinions before proceeding with any surgery.
3.All surgical procedures and medical treatments have inherent risks and complications, whether performed in your home country or overseas. We highly recommend that individual research be conducted on all aspects of the proposed surgical procedure/s.
4.Spine Connection makes every effort to research and be affiliated with accredited and highly renowned surgeons and hospitals. We cannot guarantee any surgical or medical travel outcome. Every patient is different and will have different post-surgical or treatment outcomes, including recovery rates, reactions to anaesthetics, pain medications and antibiotics.
5.All information regarding your health and lifestyle is to be disclosed on the Spine Connection Patient Evaluation Form during the time of your assessment, and to the Spine Connection consultant, including all pre-existing and current health conditions, previous surgeries, medications and dosages. Any false declarations or omissions may result in: your surgeon or doctor denying surgery or treatment at the time of your in-person consultation, additional costs that pertain to specialists, or extra tests or treatment required if post-surgery complications occur.
6.A patient must be mentally fit, psychologically and emotionally, in order to undergo any elective surgery. Please advise Spine Connection and your surgeon during the pre-surgery evaluation process if you have any history of mental illness, even if you think it might not interfere with your medical travel experience, post-surgical recovery and general wellbeing.
7.Our partner surgeons report that male patients having lower lumbar surgery via the anterior/abdominal approach have a 3% chance of attaining Retrograde Ejaculation. This remains permanent in around 1/3 of these patients. Male patients who are still planning for a family are advised to use a sperm banking facility before surgery just to be safe.
8.You are to inform Spine Connection if you become ill within 8 weeks prior to departure and supply all details including medication and dosages for us to provide our affiliated medical team related to your case.
9.All patients must undergo pre-travel diagnostics to check that they are healthy and fit for surgery. This includes a blood test and electrocardiogram (ECG). It may also include Chest X-Rays, additional spine imaging, or other tests according to your stated underlying health conditions. Spine Connection will provide a letter on behalf of our affiliated surgeons to take to your GP and organise these. If you have abnormal results or new underlying conditions are discovered, then further testing may be requested. If you are deemed not fit for surgery, it may be postponed or cancelled.
10.Prices listed on the Spine Connection website and discussed during initial consultations are indicative starting prices based on standard and non-complicated procedures. Prices listed are current at the time of publication only and subject to change by the hospital, surgeon or Spine Connection. Your surgery price will be provided in and according to the terms of your Surgical Recommendation document, after an evaluation of your unique case.
11.You may choose to organise your own airfares, and we recommend you do this after clearance of your pre-travel diagnostics by your surgeon and hospital. We advise all patients to purchase flexible airfares, in the case that flights need to be changed due to prolonged recovery times or other unforeseen circumstances.
12.Passport Validity: Please ensure you and your travelling companions have at least 6 months validity on your passport, beyond your final day in Germany or Thailand.
13.International Travel Insurance: You should definitely purchase travel insurance prior to departing your home country. Please research your own Travel & Medical Insurance options. It is your own responsibility to read and understand all associated terms and conditions from your Insurance provider.
14.Payment: With regards to foreign exchange rates, please research and understand the various methods which payment can be sent overseas. If you are not familiar with International Money Transfers, we recommend enquiring with your trusted bank so that an experienced teller can assist you.

WHILST OVERSEAS

15.If you are sick, have an infection or are recovering from one, including: flu, cold, sinus, bronchial conditions, bladder infections, kidney disorders, metabolic disorders etc., prior to or on the day of consultation and/or surgery, you must notify your surgeon and the medical staff immediately. In this case surgery may be delayed or cancelled for your own safety.
16.If you are not entirely comfortable with the outcome of discussions during your pre-surgery consultation, it is in your best interests to reconsider proceeding with the surgery. Please be assured you are under no pressure to proceed, and it is perfectly acceptable to cancel or postpone your surgery to a later date. We and our affiliated surgeons are entirely supportive of your choices as an informed patient. Your specialist can help guide you in this instance.
17.Before surgery you will be required to sign hospital, surgeon and anaesthesiologist consent and agreement forms relating to all aspects of the planned surgery. This will also give the surgeon permission to change the surgery plan during surgery if there are new or unexpected anatomical findings. Please discuss this with the surgeon during the pre-surgery consultation.
18.Surgeons are sometimes called away for emergencies or other priorities, if this is the case at the time of consultation or surgery, your case will be handed over to another attending surgeon of comparable training and experience.
19.During your in-patient hospital recovery and outpatient rehabilitation you will have access to qualified medical staff. If you have any unexpected symptoms or concerns, you must advise the medical staff immediately.
20.In the event you are away from your hospital or qualified medical staff, such as dining out at a restaurant, and have any unexpected symptoms or concerns, then you should seek emergency medical assistance. In this instance you should inform your hospital and surgeon as soon as possible.
21.After your surgery you will be monitored, and if you require a ‘re-surgery’ or any other medical intervention relating to your original surgery then it will be offered by your surgeon as soon as possible. You will not be discharged from hospital until your attending physicians and surgeon confirm you are fit and ready.
22.Every patient is unique, and if your recovery is taking longer than planned, for any reason, you may be required to extend your overseas stay to ensure you receive the required treatment, and to not exposure yourself to any associated risks of travelling home before it is safe to do so.
23.You will be given clearance to fly home during your final post-op consultation with your surgeon.
24.Please be aware of the increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis around times of surgery and particularly with long international plane flights. You should discuss this with your trusted personal physician (GP) at home and surgeon overseas to ensure you take the right precautions.

AFTER RETURNING HOME

25.You must check in with your trusted personal physician (GP) within 5 days of returning home, for a general check-up and so that you may continue your recovery under their expert care.
26.To achieve the best outcome, you must continue your own rehabilitation and daily prescribed exercises after you return home. You should seek the guidance of a qualified physiotherapist.
27.Post-surgical setbacks and injuries such as strains or sprains can occur. In this instance please contact your trusted personal physician, surgeon overseas, or Spine Connection if you wish for us to liaise with your surgeon on your behalf.
28.There is an up to twelve-month recovery period for some spine surgery procedures and all care must be taken, with lifestyle and activity levels, so as not to compromise your recovery and results. Please listen to your body and do not overextend yourself too soon.
29.Even after a successful and accurate surgery, there is the chance for ongoing pain and discomfort (including nerve pain) in the future, even after you have fully recovered. Your individual genetic predispositions, anatomy and physiology can also determine your recovery and final outcome.
30.In the event of a post-operative problem arising after you have returned home, you may have to return to your overseas hospital for surgery or management, at a time advised by your surgeon.
31.For patients receiving surgery involving placement of any implant or hardware, in the unlikely event of hardware migration or failure in the future, we will assist you to receive diagnostics for your surgeon to evaluate your case. Your surgeon must be given the opportunity to remedy your case, if clinically required, with any applicable costings to be discussed and agreed upon on a case by case basis. Spine Connection is not responsible for the decisions made or the time it takes to reach a decision by the hospitals and surgeons overseas.
32.Whilst we pride ourselves on ongoing patient support, once you have returned home after surgery, Spine Connection and our affiliated surgeons and hospitals will not be held responsible for any payments related to treatments or external appointments associated with potential issues or complications that may arise.
33.It is your responsibility to provide follow up digital X-Rays at 3 months post-surgery so that your surgeon can monitor placement and function of spine implants and hardware. You can send these directly to the hospital or surgeon, or to Spine Connection to relay them on your behalf. If you are unsure about anything to do with follow-up X-Rays then please ask us.
34.Confidentiality is paramount to Spine Connection operations. Information is collected for use by Spine Connection on your behalf, and will not be released to any third party, unless medically required for your safety, without your permission. You give Spine Connection and their affiliated hospitals, clinics, surgeons and doctors permission to store any personal medical records you have provided.
35.All Spine Connection company representatives will conduct themselves professionally at all times. If you and/or any of your representatives become abusive toward any of our staff, we retain the right to cease all dealings with you. This also includes any defamatory or untoward statements made by you, which may affect the public image or reputation of the Spine Connection Company. In this instance you will be notified in writing.

Disclaimer

A. Website & Information Pack Material

All website and Information Pack material is derived from a variety of sources and as such, Spine Connection is not responsible or liable for any inaccuracies or omissions as a result of information received from third parties. Spine Connection does not warrant that the information or material on this website is entirely free from error or omissions.

B. Liability

Spine Connection cannot and does not guarantee the outcome or any results of the patient’s procedure/s performed by the doctor or surgeon. Spine Connection is a “facilitator and organiser” only, assisting patients after they have chosen and confirmed to proceed with surgery or treatment, by organising arrangements for surgery dates, travel and accommodation only. Spine Connection does not accept any liability in contract or in tort for any miscommunication, misunderstanding, injury, damage, communication delays by the hospital, loss, delay, surgery outcomes, additional expenses incurred or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by force majeure, unanticipated or uncontrollable event or effect on our part or directly or indirectly in connection with any surgical trip organised by Spine Connection on the patient’s behalf. The patient agrees to release, defend and hold harmless Spine Connection and its officers, employees and agents from all and any such liability and indemnify each of them and Spine Connection severally against any claims that may be made by or through the patient related to Spine Connection office and consultants and/or any use of the Website or Facebook page in any manner.

If the patient does not understand any point in this document, please seek clarification from the Spine Connection consultant.


Patient Acknowledgement

By submitting this form, I acknowledge I have read fully and clearly understand ALL points of these General Terms & Conditions and Disclaimer and wish to proceed with my planned trip for surgery overseas.


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