For patients choosing to travel abroad for surgical services, orthopedic procedures are among the highest in demand, according to the 2015 Medical Tourism Survey conducted by the Medical Tourism Association, an international nonprofit trade organization.
Here are five key findings:
1. Overall, 69 percent of respondents expressed an interest in travelling overseas of healthcare purposes.
2. Sixty-five percent of the respondents who wanted to travel for medical treatment did not have health coverage.
3. Twice as many medical tourism patients cited an interest in orthopedic surgery, including hip and knee replacements, as compared to those said they were seeking cardiovascular, oncology and ophthalmology services.
4. Cosmetic and dental procedures also saw a high demand among this specific patient population.
5. Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica were leading destinations of choice.
Note: The survey polled 2,300 patients considering medical tourism opportunities.