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Guide to medical tourism: Is treatment abroad for you?

Medical tourism,as it is now known, is a growing industry and more and more countries are jumping on the bandwagon to offer tourists competitively priced elective surgery, cosmetic surgery and dentistry abroad. 
 
Overseas healthcare is a safe and viable option but it is important to do some research beforehand:
 
  • Read all you can and talk to people who have been abroad for surgery to help make your decision
  • Scan the newspapers or TV to see which countries are getting good press for their medical expertise.  India’s health care sector, for example, has undergone an enormous boom in recent years and has become a global health destination offering some of the best medical treatment in the world, despite the perceived shortcomings of healthcare in developing countries.  Meanwhile closer to home, European countries like Belgium, Hungary and Poland are offering excellent cosmetic dentistry and cosmetic surgery treatments for very reasonable prices, and are only a short flight from the UK.
  • Look out for exhibitions and symposia on medical tourism and meet international healthcare providers at events such as India’s Medical Tourism Expo in London or Turkey’s Healthex London Exhibition (February 2007).
 
The reasons for choosing to travel abroad for medical treatment are different for everyone but with lengthy NHS waits and concerns about MRSA in NHS hospitals there is little wonder that a growing number of Brits are taking advantage of affordable, high quality private healthcare abroad, and combining it with a tropical, cultural or relaxing holiday on a Caribbean island, in a cultural European capital, or the south of Spain, saving thousands of pounds compared with having the treatment done privately in the UK. 
 
However medical tourism does not appeal to all; decide whether being away from your home and family to have surgery/treatment would bother you, do you often feel home-sick when holidaying abroad?  If you feel it could be for you, then then find out what you need to consider.
 
Go to introduction : Medical Tourism Guide
Go to part 2 :  What to consider
 

Get a quote

Our "Get a quote" service, enables you to compare prices and providers, quickly and efficiently. Complete the enquiry form for the kind of treatment that you are seeking, select the countries that you are interested in and you will get a response from a several hospitals, clinics and medical tourism companies within 48 hours.

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What does it cost?

We run an independent survey of medical tourism prices, compiled from price information from 108 clinics, hospitals and healthcare providers in 30 countries. You can compare prices for cosmetic surgery, elective surgery (such as hip, knee and eye) and dental treatment abroad.