Flagging US Economy Makes Medical Tourism More Attractive

In a report issued late last  month, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons states that the US recession has led to fewer patients opting to have cosmetic work done.  What the report doesn’t address is the steadily increasing number of patients who opt to have cosmetic and aesthetic procedures done overseas, particularly in medical tourism destinations like Thailand.

Many patients, having found that a wide range of cosmetic and aesthetic procedures are available overseas for a fraction of the price they command in the US, are choosing to make the best use of their money.  Traveling to Thailand allows the patient to have the same — or even more — work done for far less money: a wise economic decision.

The top five surgical procedures done in the US over the past year include breast augmentation, nose re-shaping or rhynoplasty, liposuction, eyelid reshaping, and tummy tucks.   For non-invasive procedures, the five most popular are Botox treatments, hyaluronic acid fillers, chemical peel, laser hair removal, and microdermabrasion.

All of these procedures, both surgical and non-invasive, are available in Thailand and other medical tourism destination locations.  Increasing in popularity here in the US are reconstructive procedures, which are increasingly covered by health insurance.  This provides new opportunities for the patient; remain in the US and have insurance foot the bill for reconstructive procedures, and make the most out of one’s own out-of-pocket spending by traveling to Thailand for cosmetic and aesthetic procedures.  The most popular reconstructive procedures includes tumor removal, laceration repair, scar revision, hand surgery, and breast reduction.  Two of these procedures — scar revision and breast reduction — are readily available in Thailand.