Each year, millions of US residents travel to another country for medical care which is called medical tourism. Medical tourists from the United States most commonly travel to Mexico and Canada, and to several other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Medical tourism can be risky. The risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good health for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase a traveler’s risk of complications include infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, quality of care, challenges in communications, air travel, and continuity of care. Before going to another
country for medical care, travelers should get a pretravel consultation at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and learn about specific risks they may face because of their health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure; obtain international travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation back to the United States; find out what activities are not recommended around the time of the medical procedure, such as swimming or hiking, and plan accordingly.
