Medical Tourism and the Search for Perfection
People travel for many reasons.
They travel to see the ocean, to meet people or to shop for various items that will furnish their homes or make for the perfect give for family members.
Sometimes, believe it or not, some travel and shop for a new nose or bigger breasts, a trend that's called medical tourism.
The global search is meant to discover the perfect body or secure a money saving medical procedure like replacing a hip, getting teeth straightened, or simply trying to get costly medical procedures completed because of a lack of insurance.
The cost of surgery in India, Thailand and South Africa can be one-tenth of what it is in the United States and Western Europe. Sometimes even less.
A heart-valve replacement that costs $200,000 or more in the U.S. goes for $10,000 in India, which also includes round-trip airfare.
While saving money is one reason why people travel to far away places for medical procedures, it’s certainly not the only reason.
There are shorter waits, and the chance to spend a relaxing week on the beach, see the sights and recuperate while living it up in a luxury hotel with friends and family is an add-on of sorts.
In most places the medical care is as good if not better than at home because the professionals doing the work have been trained in the US or Europe.
One example is Bangkok’s Bumrundgrad hospital, which has more than 200 U.S board-certified surgeons.
The advice those in the industry will tell you is the do your homework and talk to people who have traveled abroad for treatments. Check out packages and facilities.
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