Getting Cosmetic Surgery Abroad

Cosmetic surgery is one of the biggest branches of medical tourism. Thousands of individuals flock to various countries all over the world each year to get treatments such as liposuction, face lifts, eye surgery, wart removal and many more. Cosmetic surgery in Asia is especially cheaper compared to the States. You also get to have world class accommodations and get to see new sights for a totally enjoyable vacation.

The Growth of Cosmetic Surgery

In the past decade, the number of people going for cosmetic surgery has significantly grown. With the start of medical tourism, even more individuals are going under the knife because of cheaper costs and the availability of modern equipment and technology to perform the different operations. In the past, only first world countries were capable of doing operations because of state-of-the-art tools and well-experienced surgeons.

Some countries like Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines are now widely known for their modern equipment and facilities. The doctors are also well-trained and already have a wide expertise on various cosmetic procedures. A number of medical institutions in these places now boast of having accreditation from the JCI. You can also get advantages in terms of airfare cost, transportation and hotel bookings.

Tips for Tourists

Tourists are advised to pick cosmetic clinics in country located near your place of origin. However, the availability and convenience of modern air travel has allowed people from the west to easily go halfway around the world and return in less than 10 days. American patients may travel south to Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica, while others will go as far as the Asia Pacific or the Mediterranean to get treatment. Some of the other popular places for cosmetic surgery include Turkey, Malta, India, China and New Zealand.

Patients should plan and prepare for their travel carefully. The waiting list is significantly shorter in Asia, so you can expect to have the procedure a day or two after you arrive. You can also gain advantage of medical tourism packages wherein you get transportation to and from your hotel, meal bookings and tours around the city before and after your operation. You can talk to your travel agent to prepare a top quality hotel for your stay.

Staying Safe

Medical tourists are advised to stay a few days more after the cosmetic procedure to avoid any complications and ensure that they are truly recovered and stable before traveling back to the States. You should research a bit about the different laws and consumer protection regulations in the country you are visiting. Determine whether or not your current insurance policy will cover your case even if you are getting treatment overseas.

Go online and learn more about your cosmetic surgery. Talk to other patients who have undergone the same procedure and ask them about the different pros and cons of traveling abroad. You can minimize the risks and complications by staying prepared for these particular factors. You should also talk to your local doctor and the surgeon who will do your operation for maximum benefits.

Fertility Tourism: Making Babies Abroad

A lot of people are going abroad to avail of fertility methods and procedures. Fertility tourism has become widely popular especially in countries like Thailand, Jordan and Malaysia. You can get the benefit of cutting costs, enjoying a great vacation and having a child you have always wanted. Procedures in developing countries are generally state-of-the-art, top quality and reliable. Here are some more tips and details about the approach.

What is Fertility Tourism?

Fertility tourism is also called reproductive tourism, described as the process of going to a different country to receive fertility treatments. The approach is considered a part of medical tourism. The main reasons that foreigners go to other countries to seek attention is the lower price offered by developing countries and legalities concerning the procedure in their home nation. The major procedures done include donor insemination and in-vitro fertilization. The term was also proposed to be "reproductive exile" to focus on the difficulties that infertile patients have to face, having to travel globally to receive treatment.

On IVF Procedures

Israel is the number one fertility tourism destination in the world for IVF or in-vitro fertilization techniques. It has the most number of fertility clinics per capita globally. America is preferred by several Europeans due to the bigger success rates and less stringent regulations. A lot of infertile patients go to Italy and Germany as well because of their lenient laws. Countries like America and Spain are quite restrictive when it comes to donor egg utilization as well as the number of eggs that can be fertilized.

Some of the risks include women having multiple pregnancy and the development of some complications because of the minimized restrictions on the number of eggs allowed to be implanted into the uterus at a single session.

More Details

Some individuals who wish to choose the sex of their child usually travel to the United States. A lot of people from the United Kingdom travel to the States, due to the PGD or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, which is an extension of IVF for sex selection, which is not allowed in the United Kingdom. The UK only allows the procedure, if the patient needs to be screened for genetic problems, while other regulations in the United States are more lenient.

Other Destinations

The United Kingdom and Sweden are short on sperm donors and only allow identified donors. The stock has dropped by one-third in the United Kingdom. Sweden, at present, has an eighteen-month waiting list for donor sperm. British women, as a result, go to Spain and Belgium for donor insemination. The laws have been changed, however, so Spain and Belgium now purchase donor sperm overseas to meet the growing demand.

Other Swedish visitors go to Denmark each year for insemination. Denmark allows single women to receive artificial insemination. In Canada, you are not allowed to pay donors to provide sperm or eggs. Canadian women can get sperm from the United States. Eggs are not allowed to be imported, however. Canadian women continue to go abroad to get such treatment.

Dental Tourism: Why Go Abroad?

Dental tourism is one of the main reasons why Americans and Europeans choose to seek attention elsewhere. Aside from the cheaper rates in third world countries, people get to enjoy a full vacation, plus excellent amenities. Dental work is offered by well-experienced doctors, depending on the kind of job you wish. You should also learn more about the background of the institution and seek accreditation to ensure your safety and wellness.

Overview

Dental tourism is considered a part of the sector called medical tourism. The practice involves thousands of individuals looking for dental care in other countries, besides their own local health care system. Dental tourists usually go to other destinations for a variety of reasons.

Primarily, price is the number one factor, since countries like Mexico, Ireland and Hong Kong offer top quality services at a fraction of the cost they pay in the United States. People from high income countries usually find it very convenient and worthwhile to get dental help in developing countries. They get to access globally competitive dental care services, as well as enjoy new sights and culture during their recovery period.

Labor All Over the Globe

Dental requirements are provided by countries included in the European Union to attain the minimum approved by the government of every country. A dentist rendered qualified and competitive to practice in one EU country can freely apply and practice in other EU nations as well. Labor is then available in more places. Standardization efforts are being done by the ADEE or Association for Dental Education in Europe to ensure that patients only receive the best dental care possible. Programs and accreditation procedures are being done to help dental students become fully competent in foreign dentistry institutions.

About Price and Quality

Dental tourists usually prefer going to the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom because of the globally competitive dentists and the policies revolving around the practice. The dental professions are closely observed by authorities and agencies to ensure that patients are getting the right value for their money. Before, Ireland and the United Kingdom were criticized for not including all the details of their pricing.

It is important to provide an accurate quotation now before any procedure is done. Price lists at present no longer determine the final cost. The supply is also limited when it comes to professionals, since new specialties and branches of dentistry are emerging. The cost of material in other countries like India, the Philippines and China are significantly cheaper, without any compromise in cost.

Procedure and Price

Implants with crown can cost around $2000 to $5000 in the United States and only around $950 in Mexico, Poland and Hungary. Veneers cost around $1000 in the United States and only $350 in India, Poland and Mexico. In the States, a root canal costs around $700 to $1200 and only $150 to $250 in Mexico and Hungary. Crowns cost around $750 to $1000 in the States and only $280 in Mexico and India. Bonding will cost you $300 in America and only $60 in developing countries.

Cosmetic Surgery Abroad: What to Expect from Medical Tourism

Cosmetic surgery is one of the most common practices that medical tourists go for abroad. They wish to take advantage of the cheaper costs, modern technologies available and the opportunity to see new places. Before you get a package, you have to learn more about the possible risks and other options you have regarding the procedures. You can make the trip more convenient and easy by finding out the different features and requirements.

About Cost

When going for cosmetic surgery, you have to compare prices between countries and hospitals. Expect to pay 40% to 80% less than what you expect in the United States or United Kingdom. The cost will be determined by your current condition, the type of surgery and other special features. Of course, getting top quality accommodations and other features will also equate to a more expensive medical tourism package. You can get any type of procedure available in America, such as tummy tucks, liposuction, nose jobs, face lifts, breast augmentation, chin repair and many more.

The cost of tummy tucks in the States is around $8000 to $8500. You can get about 60% off, depending on the place and hospital. Breast augmentation will cost you around $6000 to $6500 in America, but getting it in Southeast Asia will only cost you about $2000 to $3000. Expect to spend around $8000 to $8500 for breast lifts in the States. If you plan to get it overseas, you can slash costs by 40% to 75%. Breast reduction will charge you about $8000 to $9000 in first world countries. However, if you choose to go for a medical tourism package, you will only be charged around $5000. Lap-band surgery in America costs around $18000, but getting it in Asia only costs around $6000 to $10000. You can also get liposuction in three various areas for only $5000, compared to the standard $8500 price tag in the United States.

Finding the Right Country

You have to familiarize yourself with the different options you have when it comes to picking the right destination. Read more about each country and determine which factors make it very competitive for medical tourism, specifically cosmetic surgery. Some nations are better known for their expertise at a particular procedure or two. For example, Thailand is highly recommended for its breast lifts and breast augmentation procedure. You can get excellent results when it comes to liposuction and tummy tucks in the Philippines. A lot of individuals travel to Jordan or Israel for lap-band surgery, facelifts and nose jobs.

Also ensure that the medical institution you are visiting is accredited by the JCI or Trent. Other accreditations will also help you make sure that you are dealing with competent and reliable professionals. Learn more about the available facilities and technology they have.

Final Tips

Doctors highly recommend that you get an insurance policy covering your treatment abroad, just in case you experience untoward incidents or are not fully satisfied with the results. There are policies available today covering traveling medical tourists. The coverage will include recovery period and follow-up procedures and surgeries if needed.

3 Best Countries When Medical Touring

There are several countries today competing to get accreditation from the top governing bodies, to hopefully become one of the best when it comes to providing medical tourism packages. There are 3 nations you have to specially consider, though, since these have been very consistent in giving quality care, as well as the most attractive tourist spots this side of the globe. Here are some more details on what to expect and why they're the best.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is situated just between Nicaragua and Panama. It is located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, so you can expect tranquil and breathtaking views and great weather most of the year. Costa Rica is only a 2.5-hour flight from Miami, Florida. Compared to other nations in Central America, Costa Rica has high standards of living, as well as a peaceful democratic rule. Some of the favorite activities by medical tourists are scuba diving, surfing, swimming, parasailing and sunbathing.

Costa Ricans mainly speak Spanish, although a lot of medical institutions in the area require most of their staff to be good at English as well. Some of the main reasons why you have to consider Costa Rica for your medical tour are its top quality health institutions, modern equipment and facilities and a highly ranked health care system. The system is actually better compared to the United States and you only pay a fraction of the cost. A couple of hospitals are accredited by the JCI. Some of the most preferred procedures in the country include dental work, weight loss operations, cosmetic surgery and orthopaedics.

India

India is situated in southern Asia with several countries surrounding its borders like Pakistan, Myanmar, China and Bangladesh. India has gone through a huge growth in terms of technology and medicine in recent years. It has also been very active in providing programs and aims to get more accreditation in its many hospitals to become one of the top medical tourist destinations in the world.

At present, there are 13 hospitals in the country that are accredited by the JCI. Some of the most common procedures that patients look for when visiting include cosmetic surgery, dental work, heart surgery and cancer treatment. The cost of care in India is considerably lower compared to other medical tourist spots. Patients can also communicate better with health care providers since majority of Indians are very good at speaking English. Visitors can enjoy their vacation more because of the India's rich culture and unique sights, sounds and attractions.

Thailand

Thailand is arguably the most popular medical tourist destination globally. It is located in Southeast Asia, just west of Cambodia and south of Myanmar. Visitors like traveling to Thailand because it is conveniently located near other Asian countries, so you can cross the borders and go to several other nations in just one trip. Top quality medical services are offered with a number of private hospitals earning JCI accreditation.

Some of the most popular procedures done in the country include spinal fusions, orthopaedics, prostate surgery, coronary artery bypass grafts and gastric bypass. There are also medical institutions in Phuket, Thailand that specialize in cosmetic surgery, dental work and eye surgery. A lot of hospitals in the area at present have English-speaking staff.