Are you willing to fly abroad for  cosmetic surgery? Whether it’s  liposuction, breast augmentation, or a facelift on the top list of considerations is the cost. Prime factor is quality of treatment and and many other factors when venturing on medical travel.

Hollywood  has great influence to many of our women today, but this doesn’t exclude men from the picture. From the TV ads, magazines, billboards and other forms of media, beauty has been defined quite perfectly which makes our people of today, be it young or old, want to have theirs equivalent to how media defines it.

To achieve that Hollywood definition, experts have come up with various procedures of cosmetic surgery to meet the needs and desires of men and women of today. However, this desire is not easy to achieve because of the economic crisis that has made millions of people in US and UK to prioritize their needs and put a limit on what they can or cannot afford.

With loss of jobs, housing, life savings and health insurance as the main problems the Americans and British are concerned about beauty has become the last priority.

This makes Medical Tourism by far the top option if they are desperate for Medical Treatment . Not only for medical treatments but for Beauty procedures as well. Sure, they can save pretty much for the procedure, but then again, quality should always be considered.  The first step is to go online and research on  surgeons, when in fact not all surgeons that you stumble upon are the best in their field of study.  Don’t just think of how much you can save but rather on how safe and secure you will be with your decided destination and surgeon.

To help you decide, we are giving you the top 3 countries with the lowest offer per procedure as based from treatmentabroad.com. All you need to do is to find the right surgeon!

Hello there!

Do you have undesirable fats? Are you tired of doing various types of exercises with no result? Suffering from low self-esteem? Are you willing to undergo  a medical procedure?

Then liposuction is what you need, my friend. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes undesirable excess body fats from different parts of the body. Most common body parts with such fats are from the abdomen, buttocks, arms and thighs. It’s one of the popular cosmetic surgery procedure by far, as the results can be quite fantastic and can boost confidence.

There are various liposuction techniques that can be applied which include:

• Dry – this technique is already phased out and it requires general anesthesia. It doesn’t use injected anesthesia which is why this technique is not anymore applied these days as it causes an excessive blood loss approximately 30%

• Wet – requires a small amount of anesthesia injected into the affected area to lessen the bleeding as compared to the dry technique. The fluid also comes with saline to loosen the fat cells and make it easier to suction out.

• Super-wet – the volume of anesthesia used is about the same amount of fat expected to be removed. The blood loss is lesser compared to the tumescent liposuction. Normally, the procedure takes one to three hours, depending on the size of the affected areas/areas.

• Tumescent – meaning “swollen and firm” because of the large volume of dilute lidocaine and epinephrine injected into the subcutaneous fat making it tumescent thus creates a better space between the muscle and the fatty tissue for the cannula (a hollow tube).

• Laser-assisted – uses thermal energy to melt the fat and remove suction. Laser liposuction is in the same way similar to the above mentioned techniques as it also applies sedation of patient and injection of a tumescent fluid.

As far as liposuction is concerned many people hesitate resorting to liposuction because of the costs concerned.  As much as people make would make cost as the top priority, what really should matter is the quality.

Here is a table of a rough estimation of a liposuction fee in United States of America according to area from liposuction.com:

However, if you’re still hopeful of getting the best procedure but for a  cheaper price, why not consider having it outside your country?

There are top surgeons in other countries that are very well-known and respected in this field, this  means there’s a higher possibility of having the best surgeon at a lower price.

When I talk of cheaper costs with good surgeons find below the average cost of liposuction procedures in hospitals and clinics abroad:

Philippines

Cost: Ranging from $1000- $3125 (depending on the area)

India

Cost: $900 – $ 2500 (depending on the area; maximum price includes hospital and doctor fees)

Thailand

Cost: Ranging from $1500 – $3500 (depending on the area; maximum price includes hospital and doctor fees)

Brazil

Cost: $905 and (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Bolivia

Cost: $1900 and above (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Lithuania

Cost: $1,400 and above (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Malaysia

Cost: $2000 – $2500 (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Undergoing liposuction involves tough decisions and financial issues, so we hope that this has been helpful to you.

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Medical Tourism Guide

Medical Tourists have finally decided and now off to the next question, “Which country offers the best medical tourism that I should I go to?”

Given the top reasons and considerations we have discussed on our previous blog post, Top 5 Reasons People prefer Medical Tourism, we have used those reasons in coming up with top destinations for medical tourism. We have listed 5 best destinations, and here are the countries which made it to our list:

1. PANAMA

Price:

- 40% – 70% cheaper over US price

- Travel costs from US to Panama is considerably low.

Level of Service:

- As an Americanized country , language barrier is not a problem.

- Favorite destination among Americans both in general and medical.

- Improved economy, lots of vacay spot and prestigious hotels to choose from

Quality:

- Most health care specialists are US trained

R&R-in-1 (Recovery and Relaxation in one):

- Panama has a wide range of beaches to go to, not to mention the uninhabited islands to visit to.

Lack of Wait:

– Many of their physicians are US-trained, so getting higher priorities can be a bit of issue.

2. BRAZIL

Price:

– Low cost compared to other countries offering Medical Tourism.

Level of Service:

- As the second largest market for plastic surgery in the world, behind the U.S, Brazil is most likely attributed to the high quality of service.

Quality:

– Most hospitals for general medical treatment are JCAHO accredited, the largest U.S. hospital accreditation organization.

– Their largest city, São Paulo, is considered to have some of the world’s best equipped hospitals, advanced evaluation procedures and highly skilled physicians, according to BrazilMedicalTourism.com

R&R-in-1:

- A huge number of tourist destinations to choose from, most popularly their beaches. The beaches are frequented by many tourists but there are also secluded beaches where medical tourists can indulge into a peaceful and relaxing experience.

Lack of Wait:

- Due to the good performance with their general medical treatment, many tourists, mostly Americans and Europeans, getting higher priority depends.

3. MALAYSIA

Price:

- They offer a wide range of medical procedures, all at an affordable price than in US. The Cardiac Bypass surgery, for example, can cost from around $6,000 to $ 7,000.

Level of Service:

- The health care services in Malaysia have improved in just a short span of time, resulting to a huge number of foreigners to prefer Malaysia, now that surely has something to do with the better service they render to their patients.

– Most private hospitals in Malaysia offer accommodation such as luxurious suites with personal butlers and full-time nurses. Costs are reasonable that foreign patients can avail these and even arrange one for the traveling partners.

Quality:

- As a haven for health care facilities and hospitals, many foreigners consider Malaysia as a top option for their modern facilities and highly efficient medical staff whom are also highly qualified English speaking medical professionals.

R&R-in-1:

– Malaysia is a tourist heaven, medical patients can take advantage while on recovery enjoying their beautiful beaches, and go sightseeing.

Lack of Wait:

- Most Asian countries such as Malaysia, have higher priorities given to foreign patients, so expect for a faster booking.

4. COSTA RICA

Price:

- Americans will enjoy a favorable exchange rate for the dollar and many procedures offered from a half to tenth of the cost than from home.

Level of Service:

- They offer a range of dedicated recuperation facilities that give you the comfort of a high class hotel and the relaxation of a vacation, but with the security of knowing that there are doctors and nurses there to monitor your recovery and progress.

Quality:

- Costa Rica’s doctors are fully trained and must be certified by a national medical association before they are allowed to practice

- Thousands are drawn to Costa Rica’s modern hospitals and private clinics which have Board Certified surgeons, many professionally trained in North America or Europe.

R&R-in-1:

- If you’re up for their beaches, there are a lot of choices from fun beaches to quiet and peaceful ones perfectly suits for your relaxation and recovery stages while on vacation.

Lack of Wait:

– Majority of the patients are Americans, so expect for a so-so priority.

5. INDIA

Price:

– India is indeed a tough contender when it comes to health care services in southeast asia. Treatment package price is 35% to 40% lesser than costs in USA.

Level of Service:

- In most hospitals, practitioners and medical staff are known for their respect, friendliness and good English-speaking.

Quality:

- India provides world class medical facilities with hospitals and specialized multi specialty health centers providing their expertise in the many areas, practically covering every aspect of medicine combining modern treatments with traditional experience.

R&R-in-1:

– The historical places and beautiful beaches are just one of many places that is a must-see.

Lack of Wait:

- India is known for the high-priority that they offer to overseas patients.

We hope this helps you finally get a booking on your chosen medical tourism destination. And we wish you a safe trip, fast recovery and fun & relaxed vacation trip.

The Procedures range from Heart Bypass, Heart Valve Replacement, Angioplasty, Hip Replacement, Hysterectomy, Knee Replacement to Spinal Fusion.

The study compares the costs for doing the procedures in the United States compared to India, Thailand and Singapore.

Read more…

We have presented the numbers in a diagram below. As you can see the savings can be substantial. The savings range from 75% to 95% percent.

International Price Comparisons: Selected Surgeries

(Source: American Medical Association, June 2007)

Please comment below.

Until next time

Malcolm – Your Medical Tourism Guide