These Countries Attract the Most Medical Tourists

Brazil

Brazil is the destination of choice for people seeking affordable facelifts, liposuction, and breast augmentation. It also offers dental cosmetic procedures like veneers, implants, and whitening. Among the medically necessary procedures it offers, orthopedic and cardiovascular surgeries are strong areas. Fertility treatments that are prohibitively expensive in the United States are affordable and effective in Brazil.

Canada

Due to similarities in language and culture, citizens of the United States generally feel comfortable traveling to Canada. The Canadian healthcare system also has a positive reputation among a large portion of the U.S. population. Some U.S. citizens cross the border to purchase medicine at lower prices. Others go for advanced heart surgeries or orthopedic procedures.

Costa Rica

The quality of dental care in Costa Rica ranks as high as that found in the United States, Canada, and other highly developed nations. They also have a good reputation in bariatric surgery, oncology, and eye surgeries. The CheTica Ranch is a popular place for medical tourists to relax and recover after having a procedure done in this tropical paradise.

India

India is one of the premier destinations for medical tourism. The United States graduates more medical students from India than of any other nationality. Many of those work in the States, making up about 9% of the total number of physicians in the country. Those who return home often go on to staff high-quality, technologically proficient clinics and hospitals in India. Medical tourists go there for complex transplant operations, heart surgeries, and orthopedic procedures.

Japan

Japan offers advanced medical treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and orthopedics. Some cancer patients go there specifically for proton beam therapy, which focuses radiation very precisely to avoid damage to nearby non-cancerous tissue. Japan is arguably the most advanced society in the world for organ transplants and robotic surgeries.

Mexico

Many Americans and Canadians visit Mexico for medical treatments but for different reasons. For U.S. citizens, the lower cost is the motivation; for Canadians, it’s the short wait times. Dental implants, gastric bypass surgery, and hip replacements all cost about half of what they would in the United States. Many people go to Mexico for facelifts, liposuction, or other cosmetic procedures. Orthopedic and cardiac work are also strong draws.

Singapore

The city-state of Singapore has one of the highest standards of living in the world. The country’s prosperity shows in the high-quality health care available there. Singapore attracts over 500,000 medical tourists a year. It has a particularly good reputation in oncology and cosmetic surgeries.

Spain

Spain is a good destination for fertility treatments, including egg freezing, surrogacy, and IVF. It offers an array of cosmetic procedures like liposuction, rhinoplasty, facelifts, dental implants, orthodontics, and teeth whitening. Knee or hip replacements, laser eye surgeries, and spinal surgeries are available at the highest levels of expertise.

Thailand

Thailand has a strong reputation for offering world-class health care. The country has state-of-the-art facilities and internationally-trained medical personnel. Cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, dental care, cardiology, and orthopedics are all strong suits there. Thailand is also considered a leader in gender reassignment and stem cell procedures. Thailand particularly benefits from medical tourism because it is also such a desirable tourist destination.

Turkey

Like many other medical tourist destinations, Turkey offers excellent dental care, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and cosmetic surgeries of all kinds. It is a world leader in hair transplantation. In recent years Turkey has become advanced in robotic cardiac and urologic surgeries.

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has some of the most sought-after medical facilities in the world. The country has spared no expense in building state-of-the-art facilities and recruiting international medical personnel with the highest qualifications. Some particularly strong programs there are cosmetic surgery, dental work, orthopedic treatments, oncology, robotic surgery, stem cell research, and research on genetic disorders.

Pros and Cons of Medical Tourism

Before deciding on becoming a medical tourist yourself, consider these pros and cons:

Pros

• The cost is often much lower than what you would pay, even if you have insurance.
• It can reduce your wait times for a procedure, which could be months away in the patient’s home country.
• Many facilities have Western-trained doctors and host specialists from world-class medical centers like the Mayo Clinic or Harvard Medical International.
• Overseas hospitals may offer procedures that are not available in the person’s home country.
• It allows the patient to have an enjoyable vacation opportunity at either end of the treatment.

Cons

• Patients with life-threatening conditions like cancer might pursue alternative treatments abroad that are not effective and will shorten their lifespan.
• There is limited aftercare. Patients who develop surgical complications or side effects from medicine after some time has passed will have to pursue follow-up treatment in their home country.
• Your insurance may not cover this treatment, so you will pay 100% of the cost out-of-pocket. Depending on the terms of your coverage, it may or may not be worth it.
• Many of the destination countries do not have robust malpractice laws, so your ability to sue a neglectful doctor may be limited or nonexistent.
• Some countries have health risks you would not face if you stayed in your own country. For example, water- or insect-borne diseases.

All in all, medical tourism can be a great choice. Millions of people have done it and are satisfied with the results. However, there are inherent risks that should not be underestimated. Anyone considering it should thoroughly research their options and the facility and physicians they may work with. In the end, your health is ultimately in your own hands.