High-end medical tourism: the benefits of treatment in Switzerland
Swiss medicine is the benchmark of patient care worldwide. The highest level of safety within the country, impeccable service and picturesque nature make Switzerland the most attractive destination for treatment of foreign patients seeking premium medical care.
According to the authoritative EHCI ranking, Switzerland’s healthcare system ranks first out of 35 European countries. The comparison is based on 6 criteria, including the level of prevention and access to the latest drugs. Switzerland has become the undisputed leader in all criteria.
The success in the field of medicine is due to regular investments in infrastructure development and in improving the qualifications of doctors. According to a Eurostat report, outside the EU, Switzerland spends more on healthcare than any other country.
What Swiss clinics offer to foreign patients
About 30 thousand foreign patients come to Switzerland for treatment every year. The main areas of choice are plastic surgery, dentistry and oncology. One of the key factors in deciding on treatment in Switzerland is prompt access to a particular doctor. Absence of waiting lists is especially important in case of sharply progressive diseases, when a patient needs help in the shortest possible time.
Switzerland is also suitable for those who appreciate high standards of treatment and accommodation. The leading clinics develop special treatment protocols for each patient. Doctors take a holistic approach as the basis of therapy and consider the organism as a whole. Qualified specialists find the root cause of the disease and act directly on the source.
Thanks to large financial investments in medicine, Swiss top clinics have access to the most modern equipment that allows them to perform the most complex manipulations and participate in surgeries. Interventions performed from a mini-access using high-precision endovideosurgical systems are topical today.
Innovations introduced in popular destinations
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a priority among foreign patients, and its technologies are constantly improving. Innovative techniques include tissue transplantation and the use of stem cells.
Swiss clinics follow the approach “from gentle to intensive” and offer patients to start with aesthetic (non-invasive) methods of eliminating age-related changes, and then move on to surgical methods. The largest plastic surgery department of Clinique de Genolier has developed a unique rejuvenating care – the Nescens cosmetics line, which has been appreciated by specialists from all over the world.
Switzerland is a benchmark of style and sophistication. It is here that plastic surgeons have their own unique handwriting – the principle of harmonization or beatification. The doctor works out the patient’s appearance individually and offers a correction that will bring it closer to the ideal. Not every appearance will suit high cheekbones or large breasts, so doctors so carefully work out the expected result, using special digital programs for demonstration. And they leave the last word in making decisions about changes to themselves as a professional.
Transplantation of the patient’s fat autocells is used to correct congenital or acquired facial cosmetic defects. This procedure is called lipofillingand its purpose is to restore lost volume, improve turgor and quality of facial skin. To extract the fatty tissue, an innovative Vaser ultrasound machinewhich allows liposuction (removal) and lipofilling (transplantation) to be performed simultaneously. It gently extracts fat cells without damaging them, and provides high tissue engraftment. There is no need to repeat the procedure with Vaser.
Plastic surgery in Switzerland, as in many other fields, has begun to use robotic systems. robotic systems. The surgeon, who remotely controls the instruments, thanks to a 3D system, receives a detailed image of the operating field and controls the instrument console as accurately as possible.
Robotic surgery is used for the following interventions:
- Facelift: Helps to eliminate signs of aging and give a fresh look. The micro-invasive method allows to achieve smaller scars that are almost invisible on the skin and completely satisfying for patients
- Nose correction: To give the desired shape and size. The operation is performed from a micro-incision and minimizes the risk of infections
- Reconstructive surgery: Used for tissue grafting after burns or for recovery from cancer surgery
Dentistry
The top destination among foreign patients coming to Switzerland for treatment is dentistry. It has come to be understood that straight and white teeth are not only an aesthetic aspect, but also a contribution to overall health. The condition of the gastrointestinal tract directly depends on the teeth, which in turn is the foundation for receiving vital energy.
Aesthetic dentistry in Switzerland is recognized as the best among European countries due to the use of expensive premium materials and the quality of the procedures performed. Advanced technologies and laboratories allow you to make a real Hollywood smile that will look as natural as possible.
Digital technology, which has made its way into Swiss dentistry, allows for detailed examination of the oral cavity, planning of manipulations and their execution. The new generation of digital tools includes three-dimensional scanning machines of the oral cavity, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) и photographic protocols to document treatment steps and outcomes.
In orthodontics and orthopedics, digital technology is used to model the future smile. At the same time, Swiss implants, recognized as the most aesthetic and functional implants worldwide, are taking orthopaedic treatment to a new, unattainable level.
Advanced technology is available in Swiss dental clinics to treat tooth decay without the use of a drill. ICON – is a procedure for treating tooth decay at the stain stage using a special gel and infiltrate that penetrates the affected enamel, stopping the progression of the decay process. ICON is often used in children because they are characterized by stained teeth. Young patients do not experience pain and discomfort, and the procedure itself takes no more than 15-20 minutes.
For distraction and pain relief, leading clinics are using virtual reality technology. A VR headset worn over the eyes contains meditative and relaxing content that acts as a sedative.
Oncology
Treatment of cancerous tumors in Switzerland is recognized as one of the most effective worldwide. The success of therapy is due to the use of innovative anti-cancer technologies and the highest level of qualification of oncologists.
The nursing staff play a direct role in the quality of treatment and recovery, and are of the highest standards in Swiss hospitals. Nurses care for every patient, are attentive to the slightest change in condition and immediately solve the problem at hand. This is made possible through professional training and continuous professional development, in which the Swiss healthcare system invests huge sums of money.
Another unique feature of Swiss oncology is robot-assisted surgery on organs that are still only operated on manually in neighboring Germany. Modern robotic operating rooms with high-precision premium equipment and experienced oncologists have made Switzerland a leader in robot-assisted surgeries.
In the case of advanced radiotherapy brachytherapy with Seeds-implantation.which is the introduction of a microcapsule into the affected area using a thin needle. In this case, only local irradiation of malignant tissue occurs, which reduces the side effects of radiation therapy. The injected Seeds particles are so small that the patient does not feel any discomfort.
The newest treatment for cancer is recognized as immunotherapyImmunotherapy is based on the immune system’s ability to recognize and effectively fight foreign cells. The highest quality of medicines in Switzerland ensures a favorable result from the therapy and minimizes the occurrence of side effects.
The main groups of drugs used in immunotherapy:
- Checkpoint inhibitors: Drugs block proteins that inhibit the attack on target cells, so the immune system is activated more quickly when a tumor is recognized
- Cancer vaccines: Swiss labs create personalized vaccines based on tumor characteristics
- CAR-T cell therapy: Taking T lymphocytes from the patient, modifying and amplifying the cells to fight the tumor, and further injecting them back into the body
The world’s best specialists are available at clinics in Switzerland
The distinguishing feature of Swiss doctors from other European specialists is seniority. Leading clinics accept doctors with at least 20 years of clinical experience. Nurses are also subject to serious requirements: before starting work in a hospital, they undergo a series of specialized courses and practical training.
Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in Swiss medicine
The findings, published in the journal Blick, show that AI’s recent innovations in emergency care have made tremendous progress to improve referrals. Patient tests and history uploaded to the updated ChatGPT are processed several times faster and more accurately than they are for physicians. This improves the speed of diagnosis and initiation of therapy.
Artificial intelligence makes it possible for people with limited mobility in their upper limbs to use wheelchairs. Swiss clinics own wheelchairs that are controlled by facial expressions: each of the patient’s facial expressions can be assigned a command, and built-in cameras will recognize them.
Scientists from Switzerland have developed AI for implants to enable paralyzed patients to move independently. This involves selecting the pace of movements on a tablet and transmitting a signal from it to electrodes implanted in the spinal cord. This development expands the ability of a paralyzed person to move around and helps to cope with a number of psychological problems that arise in the absence of independent movements.
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