How Modernization Is Boosting the Cosmetic Medical Tourism Business?

Even a few decades back, the US was a favorite destination for reconstructive plastic surgery and elective cosmetic procedures. However, that trend is changing fast. Hundreds of people from developed countries travel to India, Turkey, Thailand, and the UAE for cosmetic makeovers. Technologies and expertise for reconstructive surgeries are widely available across multiple destinations.

This article discusses how medical tourism for cosmetic surgeries is booming in multiple countries and which are the best medical tourism for plastic surgery. Stay with us.

Modernization in cosmetic medical tourism

Cosmetic surgeries are voluntary procedures people opt for on standard body parts to enhance or alter appearance. The purposes can be aesthetic or to remove the effects of aging on the human body. What started as reconstructive surgeries to help disfigured soldiers overcome their physical and psychological trauma after WWI & II slowly became popular around the 1950s among the general population. According to publicly available data, over 15,000 people opted for cosmetic surgery in the US in 1949. Some common procedures were:

• Facelifts 
• Breast augmentation 
• Liposuction

In 2020, the number of cosmetic surgery procedures went up to 15.6 million, and the standard procedures were:

• Nose reshaping 
• Eyelid surgery 
• Facelift 
• Liposuction 
• Breast augmentation
• Buttock augmentation 

This rapid growth in cosmetic surgeries also accompanies an emerging trend: cosmetic medical tourism. In Thailand alone, approximately 63.4 thousand cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2020. Besides Thailand, the popular destinations for such procedures include Turkey, Singapore, India, South Korea, and Malaysia. 

Middle-income populations in developed countries who wanted to avail benefits of cosmetic surgeries but could not afford them because of high treatment costs in the US are moving to new medical tourism destinations. The primary reasons behind the growth in medical tourism for cosmetic surgery are: 

• Standardization in cosmetic surgeries 
  
  Globally, cosmetic surgical procedures, like abdominoplasty, vaginoplasty, rhinoplasty, liposuction, and hymenoplasty, have become highly standardized. So, performing these procedures in world-class facilities in the US or medical tourism destinations has no significant difference.

• Worldwide availability of best quality equipment 
  
  Any modern medical intervention equipment is now equally accessible in any of the top centers of cosmetic surgeries. Digital-controlled modern technologies are replacing conventional analog or mechanical devices. This has helped cosmetic surgeons deliver quality treatment anywhere in the world.

• Increased number of trained cosmetic surgeons and medical technicians 
  
  From the 1950s to the 80s, the number of skilled cosmetic surgeons was few, and they were mostly based in the US and a few Western developed countries. This situation has changed significantly now. Best cosmetic surgeons in India, Thailand, the UAE, Turkey, and Malaysia are trained in top medical universities.

• Cost-efficiency in performing cosmetic treatments at medical tourism destinations 
  
  Many people today undergo cosmetic surgical procedures and post-operative recovery while enjoying their vacations to exotic Southeast Asia destinations. The combined costs of travel, a cosmetic procedure, recovery support, and vacationing are often less than in the US or other developed countries.

Impact of modernization on cosmetic surgery tourism

In major tourism destinations, advancements in cosmetic medical tourism have helped people looking for elective surgical procedures in several ways. 

• Affordability of treatments
  
  Cosmetic surgeries are elective, which means these are medical necessities. So, medical insurance does not cover such procedures, and people need to pay the bills. Therefore, looking for destinations where such procedures can be performed at competitive costs without compromising patient safety and treatment quality becomes crucial. Modernized cosmetic surgery tourism has made this possible. Many best medical tourism for plastic surgery destinations, such as Thailand, the UAE, Turkey, India, and Malaysia, offer cosmetic treatments at half the costs, or even less, compared to developed countries.

• Access to expert doctors and advanced technologies
  
  Many of the cosmetic procedures are less invasive than reconstructive plastic surgeries. Despite that, a few patients may experience physical conditions because of pre-existing medical illnesses, like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Modern medical tourism centers for cosmetic surgeries offer world-class doctors with years of experience trained in top Western universities. So, people planning for an aesthetic makeover of their appearances enjoy the best quality medical support at every stage of pre-procedure, surgery, and post-surgery recovery. 

• Family vacationing and treatment together 
  
  Most medical tourism centers for cosmetic surgery are closer to exotic vacation destinations. So, it becomes easier to combine pleasure with purpose. You can undergo a breast augmentation or an abdominoplasty and recover under medical supervision while enjoying a vacation in India or Thailand. 

• Highest level of privacy and discretion 
  
  Cosmetic surgeries require medically supervised recovery support, during which your body undergoes an aesthetic transformation. People expect privacy throughout the treatment to bring surprise in front of their social circles. Medical tourism for cosmetic surgery offers the highest level of confidentiality and discretion, which you may not achieve if performing procedures in your home country. 

Modern techniques in cosmetic surgery tourism

Some of the most advanced cosmetic surgery procedures that best medical tourism for plastic surgery destinations offer are: 

• Breast reconstruction 
• Mammoplasty 
• Hymenoplasty 
• Blepharoplasty
• Abdominoplasty 
• Breast implants 
• Hair growth procedures (transplant)
• Thigh lift 
• Rhytidectomy
• Thighplasty 
• Gynecomastia 
• Rhinoplasty 
• Gender reassignment surgeries
• Vaginoplasty 
• Otoplasty 

Conclusion 

It is interesting to know how modern technologies are changing medical tourism for cosmetic surgeries. However, patients must discuss and get detailed information before committing to any elective procedure. Consult with top doctors with your medical history. Medical tourism agencies like Vaidam Health offer the most trusted medical tourism assistance platform. You can use this platform to research the best medical tourism for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures across major destinations.