Cheap Medical Tourism

Now day’s Indian spine surgery hospitals provide very good option for getting low cost cervical fusion treatment. Indian spine surgery hospitals provide very good assistance and treatment facilities to abroad patients for their cervical fusion treatment. In Indian spine surgery hospitals most experienced spine surgeons are available for the treatment of cervical fusion surgery and the surgical techniques used are also most advanced. Medical treatment centers in India for spine surgery are at Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The cost of treatment is very low as compared to the cost of spine surgery in abroad spine surgery hospitals.

When neck movement causes the chronic pain, this neurosurgical procedure is performed to relieve the pressure on one or more nerve roots, or on the spinal cord. It involves the stabilization of two or more vertebrae by locking them together. The fusion stops the vertebral motion and as a result, the pain is also stopped. Trauma and degenerative disc disease most often cause the need for a cervical fusion. A cervical fusion procedure takes between 2 and 6 hours. The length of time depends upon the number of vertebrae involved, whether instrumentation is indicated, and other factors. The surgical techniques available for the treatment of spine disorders is very much advanced and expert surgeons are required for the treatment.

Spinal cord injuries are often caused by accidents, whereby half of all spinal cord injuries occur in car accidents. The spinal cord contains many nerve fibres which carry messages between the brain and different parts of the body. If it is damaged, one or several of the body functions can be impaired. The level of bodily function impairment depends on the extent to which the nerves in the spinal cord are damaged. If the nerves are completely severed, the fibres cannot send messages between the brain and parts of the body. If the nerves are only slightly damaged, it is possible that only one limb or another part of the body will be temporarily paralyzed.

Medical tourism in India is a developing concept now days. The medical tourism in India is gaining more popularity now days as the assistance provided by the medical tourism of India to abroad patients during their treatment in India. Indian spine surgery hospitals provide good treatment facilities to all patients for their faster and risk-free treatment and the clinical care taken by them is best thus many abroad patients are getting attracted to India for their treatment at low cost. After the arrival of abroad patients to India, Medical tourism assists them during their entire stay in India.

Certainly, every surgery (no matter where it’s carried out) entails some element of risk. To minimize the chance of unsatisfactory results, professional associations urge patients to consider surgeons’ training and credentials. In addition, Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper counsels, “It is not enough that a surgeon, or hospital facility, is adequate for the operation being contemplated; they must be proficient enough to cope with worst-case complications as well, and to be able to offer, for example, swift access to state-of-the-art intensive care as and when required.”

North Americans consider overseas medical treatment and dental tourism riskier than local care. Legal means such as malpractice are problematic in other jurisdictions. In general, insurance packages will not cover complications stemming from patients’ overseas care; as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons counsels, “Bargain surgery can be costly.”

Industry specialists counsel that the main areas of risk lie in travel complications and aftercare. Air travel exposes patients to disease vectors that may protract their recovery. So, too, can normal vacation activities such as drinking alcohol, tan in the sun, or exercise, complicate healing of incisions and scars?

Travel immediately after surgery or dental interventions can increase patients’ risk of complications. Air transport may interfere with patients’ normal response to anesthetics or dental fillings. The ASPS warns that long flights can increase the risk of developing pulmonary embolism and blood clots, and suggests waiting five to seven days after bodily procedures and seven to 10 days after aesthetic surgery on the face, before flying.

Perhaps the greatest risk involved in medical tourism concerns after surgery-care. American Dental Association consumer adviser Matt Messina told USA Today that patients risk aftercare. “My concerns are not for the quality of dentistry received … but for the patient when it comes to long-term follow-up and possible complications….’buyer beware’ is very much in play here, as you may have fewer options after treatment if you feel it has not gone well.”

Medical Tourism is gaining popularity day by day for its better services at nominal charges. In ancient times, people used to travel to China, India and other parts of Asia to get treated for various diseases. However, with the introduction of modern scientific and information technology, things have changed for good. In fact, medical tourism is getting popular in New York and many international patients visit the city for getting rid of their ailments. However, earlier getting treated in New York was quite expensive and not many people could afford it, but now the case is all different.

The other reason for medical tourism in New York to gain attention is that many people visit the United States as a tourist and to increase the revenue of the country’s revenue, the US government is also offering tourists various medical facilities and services. Therefore, if you thought that being treated would hurt your finances, then think again. The hospitals and specialty clinics are well equipped and offer every amenity and facility that a patient requires for a healthy recuperation. You will find various hospitals that actually suit every ones pocket, including very high-tech to normal hospitals. Well, if you are thinking that the normal hospitals will not be able to offer you with what you desire as a patient, then you are wrong. You will be looked after very well before, during and post-treatment.

Medical tourism in New York offers a wide range of curing services for general medicine and surgical procedures like blood vessel system, cardiology, diagnostics, ear, nose and throat, fertility, female reproductive system, general surgery, kidney and urinary tract, stomach and bowel, bones, joints and tendons and many more. Well, you will be surprised to know that people are thronging New York to get cosmetic and dental treatments also. The hospitals are offering mastopexy, augmentation mammoplasty, thighplasty, and lipoplasty, skin refinishing, mentoplasty, pinnaplasty, blepharoplasty, rhytidectomy, chin, and cheek and jaw surgery, facial line filling and forehead and brow lift. Medical Tourism also provides hair replacement, nose surgery, sclerotherapy and abdominoplasty to its patients. In fact, there are designated officers who will assist you throughout your stay in New York City.

The patients will be provided with private transportation to the hotel and to-and-fro for consultation with their respective doctors. The hospitals will also arrange for interpretation assistance if needed; check on recuperating patient regularly is performed; and arrangement for airport medical assistance upon departure will also be given if necessary or requested by the patient. The other services and amenities offered include communication assistance, such as 24-hours dialing, assistance for local tour, including excursion arrangements. The health care manager will also offer assistance on information on local dining, shopping, local culture and customs of destination. The hospitals work in tandem with various other international hospitals and assist in arranging medical visa also for the patients. Therefore, do not worry and pack your bags for medical tourism and explore your healthy side without getting hassled or troubled.

The countries which are generally preferred over all other countries in the world for medical tourism destinations generally provides a wide array of medical facilities in a low cost packages. As the experts believe that the medical tourism destinations will have a positive impact on the economy of these distinctive countries and benefits the traders and patients alike. The medical tourism destination phenomenon may also encourage the foreign investors who hold an interest in those countries.

You have the best of medical services and attendance in these countries with reasonable prices. Some of the hospitals in these countries tie ups with various recreational facilities to provide the patient the best of all the time. According to your budged you can pay to hospitals which arrange the best available treatment package for you. If you want any other luxurious treatment the hospital of these medical tourism destinations will also provide you with this .Such as five star services with a round a clock nurse what is more do you need in your medical tourism destination it is the best you can get in these destinations.

The best of the medical tourism destination is Belgium. This country has doctors specializing in various medical fields such as surgery of heart, health services, cosmetic surgery, and surgery of knees, orthopedic surgery, and transplant of kidney and in care of teeth also called dental care. You will get to have the best of your treatment in Belgium according to your budged with pleasure and amusement. This just you need in your medical tourism destination.

The top 5 of the medical tourism destination which provides the most attractive opportunities for patients and investors for there a medical tour is as follows. These medical tourism countries are being selected on there quality and affordability of care as well as openness to foreign investment.

1. Panama

2. Brazil

3. Malaysia

4. Costa Rica

5. India

While some people took the options of only those medical destinations which offer low cost treatment, but these are the countries where you will get your medical treatment with relax and peace of mind. These are the top medical treatment destinations where you will find the best doctors and surgeons for you treatment. You will get to have a great time in the superb beauty of these countries which is considered to help the patient to recover and hell quickly. It should also be noted that the medical staff in these countries are largely and highly English speaking so the conflict of the language do not pose a major obstacle for the foreign patients in visiting these countries for there medical treatment.

There are some goals of each of these countries on which these countries are working. For example Panama represents a wide range of opportunities for real estate investments and as well as investment in the medical tourism industries. And goal of Brazil is to become one of the most dominating economies in the world in terms of medical tourism and this favorable for the foreign investments. Malaysia is doing progress in medical tourism by leaps and bounds. Malaysian medical tourism has grown from 75,210patients to 296,687patients from 2001 to 2006 which bring about a total revenue of $59 in the country through this act. Malaysia attracts foreign medical tourists and investors alike for its favorable exchange rate, political and economic stability and due to high rate of literacy. Costa Rica like Panama has become a popular medical destination for the foreign peoples due to its High-Quality medical facilities.

Most of the patients come across to Costa Rica on there medical tour for its low costs of dental work and plastic surgery. The countries political stability, high educations levels and its policies for free trade among medical tour have also attracted the foreign investors. While India, arguably has the lowest and the highest quality of medical facilities available for medical tourism. According the report of the world travel and tourism council India was ranked as one of the top ten emerging destinations due to its highly skilled and equipped doctors and hospitals.

Over the past two decades, Eastern Europe has emerged as a significant and popular destination for health tourism. Its well-established medical infrastructure built around prominent research hospitals, as well as its proximity, first encouraged West Europeans to consider dental treatments and cosmetic surgery vacations in the East. Shortly afterward, Americans began to follow.

Specialized travel agencies offered dental treatments, without the high cost and bureaucratic procedures that their own national health service entails. Prices were so much lower that clients from the UK would fly out, undergo their dental treatment, spend some time sight-seeing, and then return home.

Dr. Bela Batorf of the British Hungarian Medical Association told the BBC: “our prices are a third or less than English prices.” Of her trip to Budapest, Sue Smities said, “The only thing we had to pay for was the flight and overnight accommodation. The consultation, x-ray, and CT scan were all free.”

West Europeans traveled to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland for spa treatments as well as biomedical interventions. Both Budapest and Prague offer thermal springs and spa facilities, with treatments such as hydrotherapy and water massage, as well as aesthetic surgeries.

The same factors that make healthcare in East Europe so appealing to patients, make a short vacation to recuperate from their surgery seem a good idea as well. The national airlines of East European countries offer competitive airfares. Patients find a short stay enjoying Budapest, Prague, or Warsaw a good value, as they enjoy these cities’ many attractions.

The idea of traveling for medical care is not something new, but the modern concept of medical tourism has only surfaced in the past 10 to 15 years. Countries like Argentina, Costa Rica, India, Brazil and Mexico are establishing infrastructures and facilities to support their medical care system for patients that seek affordable plastic surgery. Because of the sudden rise of plastic surgery in the U.S., American patients are tempted to consider the option of flying abroad to get the medical care they can’t afford at home. The idea of modern medical tourism - traveling to foreign countries specifically for lower cost of care has made great achievements in the recent years.

Unlike before when patients have suffered the consequences of medical travel because they fell victim from botched surgery and unprofessional care. Of course, cases like these will still exist. It all goes down to the patient’s ability to investigate and do research. The best road to safely looking better is better traveled if you start with a lot of homework and some probing questions for your surgeon. If you find the surgeon unworthy of your trust, then back away immediately. Surgery is a life threatening procedure and can also alter the way you live and how you look after a few hours in the operating room. The first thing a patient should consider is the surgeon, his credentials and years of experience. If the patient trusts his/her surgeon, the success of the procedure is very well foreseen.

Plastic surgery in Argentina is one of the fastest growing trend. The reason behind the popularity of plastic surgery in Argentina is because of its surgeons. Looking at the high demands of breast implants, laser surgery and nip-and-tuck treatments, surgeons in Argentina has all the reasons to be renowned. Aside from the quality of surgeons, the nation is one of the many countries that has advanced medical care facilities and world class health care centers that promote low plastic surgery cost. Patients might have questions about the quality of care overseas; however, one quarter of physicians in the U.S. are foreign-born, so the concept of having a Thai or an Indian physician is really nothing very new or very foreign to an American patient these days.

Hospitals that participate in medical tourism usually reserve the highest quality of care and best physicians for international patients. As for Argentina, only clinics and hospitals approved by the Joint Commission International (JCI) are allowed to provide plastic surgery in Argentina for foreign patients. This is to ensure the wellness and quality of health care of foreign patients that visits the country for medical reasons. In terms of plastic surgery cost, many patients travel to South or Central American countries such as Brazil, Argentina or Costa Rica for cosmetic procedures, where it is cost effective to travel and cosmetic surgery is advanced. A full face and neck lift could cost $12,000 in the U.S., while the same procedure could cost as little as $3,800 abroad. Hip replacement surgery, for example, could cost anywhere between $40,000 and $65,000 in the U.S., whereas a patient might pay between $8,000 and $18,000, which includes travel costs, to receive the procedure overseas. Aside from plastic surgery cost, patients that have gone the affordable plastic surgery abroad actually tend to experience more hospitality, friendliness, compassion and caring overseas.

If you want to know more information on how to redesign your body in Argentina, you can visit GoSculptura.com and get your free surgeon consultation and a free preview of how you will look like after the surgery.

Medical tourism is the new buzzword industry in many developed countries. With healthcare costs spiraling through the roof in developed countries like the US and UK, people afflicted are looking towards alternate destinations to get their treatments taken care of at lower costs with an added pleasure of the opportunity to see the other lands. Countries in the mystic east, for example, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia are making the most of it due to their advanced medical facilities they offer as well as their being preferred destinations for tourism. This industry has spread to South Africa, South America (Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil) as well as east European countries like Hungary. The industry is growing by the day is estimated to grow by 250% by 2012 form a mere $40 billion in 2004.

Medical tourism is also slated to bring in ancillary benefits to the destination countries by pumping up their economy and will also gel well with foreign investors who already have a stake in these countries. This article presents five top medical tourism destinations which present the most attractive opportunities. We have selected these based on the quality and cost of medical care offered and their offering to FDI (foreign direct investment). These countries are largely English speaking and thus there should be no hiccups in getting world class treatment there.

Panama

Situated just south of the United States, Panama is in close proximity and offers very affordable and high quality health care. As per present comparisons, a surgery undertaken in Panama costs 40-70% lesser than anywhere in the US according to the NCPA (National Center for Policy Analysis) repot published last November. The cost of surgery undertaken by Panama health care is relatively higher than the South East Asian countries but that is made up by the savings on the airfare, due to its proximity with the US. Moreover, Panama is also highly “Americanized” and thus is a favorite destination of many tourists - general and medical.

Panama’s official currency is the US Dollar and most health care specialists are US trained. This makes sure that the logistics of traveling are lesser and medical tourists are not in for rude culture shock when they visit Panama.

Panama’s economy is heavily dependent on the services industry and thus medical tourism would have a positive impact on the same. With a surplus of more than 1.5 million (as per CIA World Factbook) skilled labor force, Panama will be a force to reckon with in the services industry.

Panama, compared to other South American countries has a US dependent economy and is trying to foster its trade ties with the US. It also has free trade agreement with the US (signed in December 2006) and does not participate in the CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement). Panama also welcomes foreign investment with open arms especially in tourism, service related industries and Panama real estate.

Brazil

Brazil is one of the most preferred destinations for plastic and cosmetic surgeries. Brazil’s foray into medical tourism began with Ivo Pitanguy, a plastic surgeon of world-renown who started a clinic outside Rio-de-Janeiro about four decades ago. Brazil today is considered the “mecca” of plastic and cosmetic surgery and is the 2nd largest market for these surgeries after the US. This is due to the impeccable quality of service and affordable costs it offers compared to other medical tourism destinations.

According to MedRetreat, a medical tourism service company, Brazil has most number of hospitals and health care centers after the US. Almost all of them are fully accredited by JCAHO (Joint Commission), US which is the largest organization that accredits hospitals. These facts underline the importance of Brazil in the medical tourism industry and promote almost all other kinds of procedures in addition to plastic and cosmetic surgeries.

The most sought after destination in Brazil is São Paulo, which is not only the biggest city in Brazil but also boasts of some of the world’s best hospitals and healthcare centers complete with all evaluation procedures and some of the world’s most renowned and highly skilled professionals. Also, Brazil is in close proximity to the US and takes only about 9 hours on a flight.

Brazil is also very conducive to foreign investment and is slated to become one of the most dominant economies in the future according to Jim O’Neill (Goldman Sachs). Thus, in addition to saving on medical costs and seeing Brazil, investing in real estate here could bring in high returns.

Malaysia

Located in South East Asia and being one of the most beautiful tropical tourism destinations in the world, Malaysia is also a haven for healthcare facilities and hospitals. AS a result of this, Malaysia’s medical tourism industry has experience a geometric growth in the recent past. To give you an estimate, people who have opted for healthcare in Malaysia has grown from about 75,000 to 300, 000 per annum between 2001 and 2006, which is a growth of 400% in a span of 5 years (figures are from Association of Private Hospitals, Malaysia). The revenue generated through such influx medical tourists in 2006 touched the $60 billion mark. It is predicted that the Malaysian medical tourism market will grow at 30% per annum until 2010.

Healthcare in Malaysia offers a wide range of procedures that include cosmetic, cardiac and dental surgeries at much lesser costs than the US. A cardiac bypass surgery in Malaysia costs around USD 6000-7000.

Malaysia attracts foreign investment and tourists alike due to conducive exchange rates and, stable government and its high literacy rate. Malaysia is the only country in the world that has almost 90% of its population living in the vicinity of healthcare facilities. This speaks volumes for its network of hospitals.

Costa Rica

Another popular medical tourism destination, Costa Rica is located in South America and caters to a lot of medical care requirement of patients from developed countries. Costa Rica offers world-class medical care at down-to-earth costs and is very convenient to travel to, especially from North America. It is just 8-10 hours from the USA and is highly accessible with little logistic arrangements.

As per the NCPA report last published, more than 150,000 foreigners have sought Costa Rica’s healthcare facilities for their treatment in 2006. Costa Rica specializes in cosmetic and dental surgeries and any form of procedure costs around half of what it would cost in US. For example, a dental veneer costs $350 in Costa Rica while it costs about $1200 in the USA.

With high literacy rate and economic stability coupled with a welcoming attitude towards foreign investment, Costa Rica is a fast growing economy. It is a member of the US-CAFTA agreement that was implemented in March 2008 making it more conducive to investment and medical tourism.

India

The ratio of value for money in medical care is the best in India, which means that you can get the best medical care at the lowest cost compared to any other medical tourism destinations according to NCPA. India boasts of several JVI accredited hospitals and uses the best infrastructure with cutting-edge medical care technology. The only drawbacks with India are the restrictions placed on foreigners and the distance from the US.

Medical tourism despite the drawback has grown immensely in the past few years. With about 500,000 foreigners opting for treatment in India in 2005, the industry has grown from 150,000 in 2002. The medical tourism industry itself is slated to being in USD 2,2 billion a year by 2012.

With the availability of high tech medical care infrastructure, India specializes in almost all medical procedure, be it orthopedic, cardiac or cosmetic procedures. India also has some procedure, yet unavailable in the US such as Birmingham hip resurfacing which has recently got the FDA approval in US. The costs of healthcare are very low, for example a high tech hospital in India charges USD 4000 for a cardiac surgery that would cost more than USD 30,000 anywhere in the

USA

India, as a country faces many issues like environmental issues, illiteracy, poverty and religious strife and dissuades foreigners from traveling there. However, the mystic value that the country carries along with its efforts towards becoming the “global health destination” encourages many foreigners to opt for healthcare here.

With reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, progressive policy on economic reforms and foreign trade makes India a highly sought after destination for foreign investment. With a fast growing market, India is slated to become an economy to reckon with.