Medical tourism, also known as medical travel, surgical tourism or health tourism, is phrase used for when patients travel outside their home country to receive medical treatment.
In cosmetic surgery, medical tourists typically choose to go abroad for the following reasons: lower cost (especially if a procedure is not covered by insurance), convenience (procedures can be booked while on vacation), or privacy (recovery can take place abroad where no one has to know a procedure was performed).
Medical tourism, while sounding like a nice vacation, does come with some risks and extreme care must be taken to research the doctor and medical facility where the cosmetic procedure is to be performed.
Keep in mind also that it might be more challenging to have recourse should you be unhappy with the results of a procedure done abroad, or to have revision surgery should you require it.
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