By, Kevin Poling, Director of Travel & Patient Services at Satori World Medical

The trend of medical tourism, where Americans are traveling outside the United States for medical care, is becoming more common due to the high cost of surgery in the U.S. Countries all over the world such as Thailand, India, Costa Rica, and Mexico are world-renowned for their medical and dental care.  Below are a few of the most popular procedures among medical tourists:

• Cardiac Surgery: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, stroke and other vascular problems, is one of the deadliest and costliest health problems in the U.S. However, top quality healthcare for heart disease can be obtained internationally at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S. The average heart procedure in India costs a tenth of what it would for the same procedure in a U.S. hospital. The Asian Heart Institute, located in Mumbai, India, performs over 1,200 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedures per year. They are affiliated with the prestigious American hospital The Cleveland Clinic, and provide world-class cardiac care. 
• Joint Replacement: Orthopedic procedures, such as hip/knee replacements are becoming more frequent due to the aging Baby Boomer population, and as Americans remain leading active lifestyles. Having an orthopedic procedure can be done overseas in high quality facilities that can save as much as 50% compared to having it done domestically.
• Cosmetic Surgery: Costa Rica, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil are known for their plastic surgery. Average savings on plastic surgery procedures can be as much a 50%, while the quality of the care delivered rivals that of top U.S. hospital institutions. Top plastic surgery procedures include tummy tucks, breast augmentation, facelifts, and rhinoplasty.
• Dental Procedure: Having dental work done abroad has become popular since most health insurance plans do not cover dental procedures and the average cost savings for dental treatments can be as much as 75%, when compared to the cost in the U.S. Every year, highly trained reconstructive and cosmetic dentists provide dental treatments to thousands of patients travelling abroad for economical dental procedures. Popular dental tourism locations include Mexico and Costa Rica.