Aortic dissection and travel

[esro]

Hi all! I have a question about travel insurance... I had an unplanned emergency aortic dissection at the start of the year, and am luckily recovering well. Still on beta blockers and warfarin. I'm not having 'ongoing treatment' just taking the medication, so what should I answer on travel insurance questions pls?

[nursenancy53]

I would reckon that taking medication is ongoing treatment so the answer would be yes

[Qualipop]

Put ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING on insurance. If you don't, they can refuse to pay, not just for that one thing but for anything. Tablets are ongoing treatment.

[Padhappy]

And if anything changes, call them.

[esro]

Thanks all 👍 Didn't know if, as I have had a good surgery and a recovery to how I was before, if I was still suffering from aortic dissection. Now it's been fixed, if you see what I mean! Feels a bit negative 🤷‍♂️ Interested to hear what others feel 🙂

[fit4walks]

Hi Esro,

Through this site I was recommended StaySure as a travel insurance and have had a really positive experience with them. I started filling in all the questions online, but was later called by a representative to go through the questions again. My questions were answered and the person on the phone filled in the required tick boxes. Therefore, there is a record of the conversation. Result....if I need to make a claim, and they refuse , I can refer back that I gave all the information that they required at that moment.

[Cliff_G]

Hi esro. Two aspects are what sort of dissection you had, and whether you have any residual dissection.

A Type B dissection is usually "medically managed", i.e. beta blockers. A type A dissection is repaired by open heart surgery (with sometimes a new aortic valve, hence warfarin). Residual dissection means there is still some dissection left which remains to be treated, which is usually normal and characteristic of a type B, or for a type A means the original dissection could not be treated completely in one operation.

Residual dissection by definition means on ongoing risk. A type A if fully repaired will have no residual dissection. Beta blockers are used after either type of dissection, but with a Type B they are the mainstay, type A they are more for long term prevention.

Insurers are likely to treat the two types differently, and any residual dissection will be of more concern.

I would find out what your details are, from your doctors, then as mentioned make sure you discuss fully with your insurers. Before my emergency dissection I had one such conversation (I had to insist on discussing so everyone was very clear) and when the worst happened I was fully covered.