Perforated bowel travel insurance
A perforated bowel, also known as gastrointestinal perforation, is a hole or tear in the lower part of the digestive system, including the stomach and the small or large intestine. It is a serious medical condition that requires immediate medical treatment. In most cases, it will need surgery to repair the perforation.
Why do I need specialist travel insurance for a perforated bowel?
While having had a perforated bowel doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a trip away, it does mean that you must prioritise your health even more than normal. Travel insurance should be an essential pre-holiday measure for everyone, but it’s especially important for those who have existing medical conditions or have had a condition that can affect them in the long term, such as a bowel perforation.
What’s more, if your perforated bowel was caused by having another pre-existing health issue, like Crohn’s or a stomach ulcer, it’s vital that your travel insurance covers both conditions.
A specialist travel insurance policy is there to protect you from the very high costs of overseas medical care, and to ensure you can access emergency and non-emergency healthcare if you need it while you’re overseas. Many standard travel insurance providers may exclude people who have existing medical conditions, but a specialist provider like Free Spirit aims to offer cover to as many travellers as possible. We’re proud to provide travel insurance to people of any age with almost any disability and/or medical condition, including a perforated bowel.
Should your health deteriorate once you’ve booked your trip and you cannot travel as planned, we can make sure you don’t lose out on travel and accommodation expenses you’ve already accrued, and do the same for your friends and family, provided they are also named on your policy.
Not only can we cover you for any medical care you need in relation to your bowel perforation (and any associated conditions you may have), we can help to ensure a stress-free holiday for you and your travelling companions. Our specialist travel insurance includes repatriation cover, protection against loss or damage to your medical aids, medications and travel documentation, and personal accident cover*.
*Cover is subject to the terms, conditions, and limits of the Insurance Policy.
Arranging travel insurance for a perforated bowel
Securing perforated bowel travel insurance with us is simple. Provided that your doctor is happy for you to travel, you are not on a waiting list for surgery, are having inpatient treatment, or are waiting for tests or test results, we are able to offer cover for a perforated bowel, subject to medical screening.
To give you a travel insurance quote that’s as tailored to your personal circumstances as possible, we will need some information about your health. In particular, we will need to ask you whether your bowel perforation was caused by another condition, such as Crohn’s.
Our friendly, UK-based team is just a phone call away. Please don’t hesitate to call on 02392 419 080. Or, if you’d rather apply online, you can use our online medical screening system, available anytime day or night. It’s quick and easy to use, although please note that in some cases, we may need to speak to you before we can offer a quote. If so, we’ll ask you to call us.
Tips for travelling after having a perforated bowel
As with any long-term medical condition, if you have had a perforated bowel you should take time to prepare for your trip and take all necessary measures to safeguard your health.
Your doctor will be able to help you with this, as well as confirming whether or not you are fit to travel. They will be able to prescribe extra medication should you need it, and provide you with a letter detailing your stoma (if necessary) and prescriptions if you will be travelling by air. Some countries have restrictions on certain medications, so it’s worth checking whether yours are permitted before you depart for your destination. Speak to your doctor in plenty of time ahead of your departure date, ideally 6-8 weeks in advance, so that you have time to make any extra arrangements.
If you will be flying and you have a stoma as a result of surgery for a perforated bowel, be aware that it might balloon slightly once you’re airborne. This is nothing to worry about, and you should be able to drain the air yourself when you go to the bathroom. If your destination is very warm, or if you will be swimming, you might find that your pouch is less adhesive, so you might have to change it more often than you’re used to. Be sure to apply sun cream after your barrier is in place, as lotion can also make adhesion tricky. There’s more information on travelling with a stoma on the Coloplast website.
For anything that you are unsure of, ask our Free Spirit Team by messaging them directly.
Apply online today to get a free quote for your travel insurance with a perforated bowel. If you prefer to discuss your needs, call our UK based specialist travel insurance experts on 02392 419 080.