Medical Tourism in Colombia

Benefits of Medical Tourism in Colombia

   The popularity of plastic surgery has turned Colombia into an international medical tourism destination for elective surgeries.  The most recent data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery  – ISAPS  (from 2011) ranks Colombia eleventh in world for these types of procedures.  The top five list includes in order, the USA, Brazil, China, Japan and Mexico.  In 2011, Colombia recorded 211,879 of these surgeries.

The most popular surgical procedures in Colombia are liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty and abdominoplasty. The most popular non-surgical procedures are Botax and Hyaluronic Acid injections.

Originally Colombians living overseas were the initial clients. Now many foreigners are discovering the benefits of having their surgeries in Colombia where the costs are much less yet there are highly qualified and skilled surgeons.

This aesthetic tourism has begun to emerge as a serious business in cities like Bogota , Cali , Medellin and Barranquilla.

Plastic surgery not only creates income for Colombia from medical treatments and all of the other associated necessities of medical tourism, it also generates patients seeking other treatments such as dentistry, cosmetic facial surgery and  ophthalmological correction of eye defects.

According to Proexport, the government agency that promotes international business and tourism , foreign investment and non-traditional exports over a period of the last five years has seen health tourism grow 0.4 percent to 0.8 percent , representing earnings of approximately $ 140 million  USD.

The difference in costs are noticeable. Where the difference in the cost of a dental crown might be $700.00 – $800.00 USD .  Heart surgery that might cost upwards of $286,000 USD  in the US may be as little as $26,000 USD in Colombia. In Colombia you can find the same quality of service – or better with a much more caring approach.