Medical Tourism

OBJECTIVES: The threat of the Corona virus has had a profound global impact, prompting extensive discussions among academicians and medical researchers seeking to understand its implications across various fields. Consequently this review aims to explore the COVID-19 research approaches adopted at the Lebanese American University (LAU) between 2019 and 2022 and, to eventually shed light on the importance of the academic publications during this crisis period in the context of Lebanon...

Cosmetic procedures are amongst the most popular procedures sought after by medical tourists. Cosmetic medical tourists utilise numerous sources of information when planning their trips including, where available, discussing their decision with previous medical tourists. Current research on online support communities has investigated the interactions of patients with various health conditions with online support; however, limited research exists on cosmetic medical tourists' participation in online support communities...

BACKGROUND: Travellers' Diarrhoea (TD) continues to be the most common travel-related medical event in international travellers. Updated incidence and risk factor data will improve pre-travel medical advice for travellers from high-income countries (HIC), providing an opportunity for disease prevention, and appropriate disease management. METHODS: A systematic search for cohort studies of TD incidence published between 1 January 1997 and 2 March 2023 was performed using Ovid Medline, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases...

Aesthetic medicine merges art and medical sciences, focusing on the modification and enhancement of physical appearance through surgical and non-surgical procedures. While it is not globally recognized as a medical specialty, aesthetic medicine has become a cornerstone of medical tourism in several Asian countries, including India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Despite its popularity, there is notable gap in literature concerning its ethical and regulatory perspective. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing regulations and ethical considerations in aesthetic medicine within the context of the selected Asian countries...

BACKGROUND: The liability of plastic surgery tourism in patient health and postoperative resource allocation is significant. Procedures completed within the context of medical tourism often lack rigorous quality assurance and provide limited preoperative evaluation or postoperative care. Not only does this jeopardize the patient's well-being, but it also increases the financial burden and redirects invaluable resources domestically through often unnecessary diagnostic tests and hospitalizations...

BACKGROUND: International medical travel or medical tourism is not a new phenomenon in many countries, including among Indonesians. Indonesia is reported as a major source of patients from the lower, middle, to upper classes for its neighbouring countries. This scoping review aims to synthesise evidence on supporting factors for Indonesians taking medical tourism and what needs to be improved in Indonesia's health system. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review guided by a framework provided by Arksey and O'Malley...

The field of infectious diseases saw numerous exciting advances in 2023. Trials of new antibiotics and treatment regimens sought to address rising rates of antimicrobial resistance. Other studies focused on the most appropriate use of currently available treatments, balancing the dual goals of providing effective treatment and impactful antimicrobial stewardship. Improvements in disease prevention were made through trials of both new vaccines and new chemoprophylaxis approaches. Concerning trends this year included increasing rates of invasive group A streptococcal infections, medical tourism associated cases of fungal meningitis, and the return of locally acquired malaria to the United States...

INTRODUCTION: With the development of human society, the question of the value and inviolability of human life begins to occupy a central place in the various social strata and social structures. With the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War, the basic postulates protecting the right to inviolability of human life were laid. The question focused on euthanasia has been discussed in several European countries, such as Germany, Ireland, France, and Italy, leading to considerable interest in the medical community in Bulgaria...

Although it has been established that population density can contribute to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, there is no evidence to suggest that economic activities, which imply a significant change in mobility, played a causal role in the unfolding of the pandemic. In this paper, we exploit the particular situation of Sardinia (Italy) in 2020 to examine how changes in mobility due to tourism inflows (a proxy of economic activities) influenced the development of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we identify a strong causal relationship between tourism flows and the emergence of COVID-19 cases in Sardinia...

BACKGROUND: The number of international travels has grown substantially over the last decade, both globally and in Poland. Thousands of Poles travel to tropical or subtropical countries in Asia, Africa or South America each year. The aim of this paper was to discuss the characteristics of Polish travellers seeking pre-travel consultation at the largest diagnostic and treatment travel medicine clinic in Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the analysis of medical records of 1291 patients seeking pre-travel advice at the University Centre of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Poland, between 1 July and 31 December 2022...

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/9581387.].

Introduction Obesity, a complex and multifactorial disease, is defined by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m². When the BMI exceeds 40 kg/m², it is classified as morbid obesity. This condition leads to excessive fat accumulation, which impairs normal body function and metabolism. For individuals grappling with morbid obesity and those who have faced significant hurdles in their quest for substantial weight loss, bariatric surgery emerges as a vital option. Purpose The study aims to explore the dynamics of bariatric surgical tourism in Pakistan, shedding light on factors influencing the choice of Pakistan as a destination for bariatric tourism...

BACKGROUND: TikTok (ByteDance, Culver City, CA) is a powerful and popular source of patient education. However, the lack of content regulation raises concerns about the spread of medical misinformation. OBJECTIVES: We aim to analyze the source, content, quality, and reliability of TikTok posts focusing on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments focused on men. METHODS: A search was conducted on TikTok using 16 popular hashtags related to male cosmetic procedures...

OBJECTIVES: Medical tourism is expanding globally, with patients seeking cosmetic procedures abroad. To date, little information is known regarding the risks and outcomes of cosmetic tourism, especially potential stroke complications. Here, we present a case of fungal meningitis in the setting of medical tourism leading to ischemic strokes and vasospasm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We describe an immunocompetent 29-year-old female patient who initially presented with intractable headaches and an abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile who was eventually diagnosed with Fusarium solani meningitis as a part of a common source outbreak in Matamoros, Mexico...

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, virtual methods are among the most important and influential marketing instruments in various industries, such as medical tourism. This study aims to investigate the quality of Iranian hospitals' web pages and their association with the province's share of the medical tourism industry in Iran and the ownership type of hospitals. METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study, the quality of hospitals' websites was investigated through a 36-item self-administered questionnaire which was validated, and its reliability was verified (Cronbach's alpha = 74%...

INTRODUCTION: As medical cost continues to rise, so has the use of medical tourism by patients as a more cost-effective alternative. While the upfront cost savings attract many unsuspecting patients from their country of origin, there are significant patient safety issues surrounding short- and long-term follow-up, as well as the management and cost of complications. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses on complications that presented after cosmetic surgeries performed abroad...

BACKGROUND: The study was an analysis of patients managed by plastic surgery services at Heatherwood and Wexham Park hospitals during the calendar year 2022 for complications following cosmetic surgeries performed both internationally and within the United Kingdom. METHODS: Patients were identified via local databases and encounters and management confirmed with retrospective studies of patient electronic medical records. RESULTS: 23 patients were managed during the year 2022 for complications post cosmetic surgery...

BACKGROUND: The three-year the pandemic has increased the preference for "safer and healthier" medical tourism destinations at a global level. Busan in South Korea aims to increase its competitiveness as a "medical city" destination. This study aimed to explore the best marketing strategies designed based on country-specific attraction model. METHODS: We collected data from surveys with 10 participants of a focus group from the medical tourism field in Busan and 352 participants of doctors, stakeholders, and moderators working in the medical tourism field in Nov and Dec 2022 to investigate key success factors for the medical tourism in Busan...

BACKGROUND: Travel out of country for medical care is increasing for many reasons including costs, wait-lists, and availability of procedures. Until 2018, when the surgery was offered in only 1 province, Canadians with amputation wanting osseointegration (OI) had to travel out of country for the surgery. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of accessing health care in Canada after having a procedure performed out of country. METHODS: This is a phenomenological study of persons with amputation who had OI outside of Canada...

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare and potentially life-threatening soft tissue infection, even more so when associated with fungal causative agents. Onset has been identified in nosocomial settings following elective surgery, but not in esthetic surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: We here present a case of necrotizing fasciitis related to Candida albicans infection which occurred in an immunocompetent patient who received a cosmetic breast augmentation mastopexy combined with a Brazilian Butt Lift using autologous fat grafting...