With the advancements in technology and the internet, the world is at our fingertips. This progress has made our life so easy that we can easily cross borders to conduct business, purchase goods or health services. There is a hike to a worldwide trend, i.e., medical tourism. It has now become easy to roam around and perform a medical procedure at a reduced cost. Cosmetic surgery is at number one. The medical procedures like cosmetic surgeries including face lift, hair transplantation, liposuction, etc. deliver almost 92% success rate that developed the medical tourism in nearly every country.
According to a comprehensive analysis by Patients Beyond Borders: World Edition, medical tourism has risen approximately to $45.5-$72 billion (USD) which represents that almost 14 million patients seek medical care outside their country. Medical tourism is growing at a rate of approximately 15-25% each year.
Factors affecting medical tourism:
There are some factors which contribute to making a country more favorable and preferable for medical tourism such as,
- Commitment to international endorsement, quality pledge and most importantly, transparency of the outcome
- Potential for cost saving for medical procedures or surgeries
- Social Stability
- History of achievements along with innovation
- State of the art medical technology
- Trained, experienced medical staff
Top Countries by volume of patients:
The worldwide market for cosmetic surgeries is highly assorted which attracts enthusiastic travelers who are seeking for cost-effective treatment options. Here are the countries that are considered as top medical tourism destinations.
Plastic Surgery:
Breast augmentation has remained the top cosmetic plastic surgery procedure since 2006. 92% of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were for women while only 8% for men. The breakdown of the top procedures is as follows:
Source: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/plastic-surgery-statistics
Cosmetic surgeries are trending among people in every country. It will not cut your pocket much while transforming your looks. Top countries for these operations are Turkey, America, India, and France that have highest numbers.
| Cosmetic | N. America | India | France |
| Breast Augmentation | $5,000 | $2,500 | $9,600 |
| Breast Lift | $9,000 | $3,000 | $7,000 |
| Breast Reduction | $4,000 | $2,100 | $10,000 |
| Face Lift | $8,500 | $2,500 | $12,300 |
| Liposuction | $7,000 | $1,750 | $7,900 |
| Nose Job (rhinoplasty) | $4,200 | $2,250 | $7,000 |
| Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) | $6,400 | $2,500 | $7,900 |
| Note: Prices may vary. | Source: MedSolution.com | ||
Hair transplant: Hair transplant is one of the most common operations of medical tourism. Turkey is one of the top countries which have the highest number of patients for hair transplant. Usually, the cost of hair transplant depends on the number of grafts to be transplanted. Hair transplants are not roofed by health insurance companies in most countries, which give rise to the medical tourism in other countries. India is considered to be the second top destination having high medical tourism numbers for hair transplant while Hungary is in the third place.
| Countries | Average hair transplant cost
(prices based on 2,000 grafts) | Per Graft
price ranges |
| Turkey | $3,000 | $1.50 – $5.00 |
| India | $3,000 | $1.50 – $5.00 |
| Hungary | $3,600 | $1.80 – $5.20 |
| Poland | $4,000 | $2.00 – $6.00 |
| Mexico | $4,500 | $2.25 – $5.50 |
| Thailand | $5,200 | $2.60 – $6.00 |
| Malaysia | $5,000 | $2.50 – $6.00 |
| UK | $7,000 | $3.50 – $7.50 |
| Australia | $15,000 | $7.50 – $13.50 |
| USA | $16,000 | $8.00 – $12.00 |
- All prices are in USD and are subject to change.
How much can you save?
The average range of savings from the most-traveled destinations for medical tourism is:
| Brazil | Costa Rica | India | Malaysia | Mexico | Singapore | South Korea | Taiwan | Thailand | Turkey |
| 20-30% | 45-65% | 65-90% | 65-80% | 40-65% | 25-40% | 30-45% | 40-55% | 50-75% | 50-65% |
Source: Patients Beyond Borders: World Edition
The above information and the cost guide will help you select the destination for treatment. We live in such society where everyone is conscious about their looks and want to follow the latest lifestyle trends. A healthy life with a modern look is what everyone dreams of in today’s world.
