Caesarean sections and CT scans top the list of expat operations across Africa, North America and the Middle East. Removal of moles and skin lesions have in the past been common across most regions of the world but now have become rare, according to Bupa, while in Europe diagnostic tests such as colonoscopies and gastrocopies stand out as the most frequent procedures undertaken by expats.
Bupa International’s data also shows that expats in Africa have more operations to remove their appendix than those in any other region of the world. Asia is the only region to have seen a rise in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder) while Central and South America has seen a decline in the procedure.
Dr. Torben Staher Johannsen, medical director Bupa International, says: “Caesarean sections and CT scans dominate the list because they represent health procedures that transcend regional boundaries and are relevant anywhere in the world. It is interesting to see diagnostic tests such as colonoscopies on the rise in Europe, which is a sign that these tests are becoming more mainstream. This can only be a good thing – after all the sooner health problems are diagnosed, the better the chance of someone being treated successfully.”