Medical tourism, or health tourism, can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' top-notch private medical care in collaboration with or without tourism for patients who are traveling to other countries to obtain surgical and other forms of specialized treatment. Medical tourism is becoming a popular form of vacationing, and covers a broad spectrum of medical services. It mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare. In most cases, medical tourists are not your average holidayers opting for medical treatment, just because it is available, but patients with significant health concerns for whom the cost of their health-care is a primary concern and the vacation aspect a secondary one. Indeed, someone needing medical treatment would not go abroad if the 'affordable healthcare' factor-quality of treatment, cost savings and wait time did not justify it.

The most important factor underpinning the growth of medical tourism is that for western patients, the prospect of getting sub-standard care abroad has become less of an issue. A lot of doctors in countries which are visited by medical tourists are trained in and use the same equipment as in the West. The most important differential is the fees that they charge-from 1/5 to ½ of the fees in the West, depending on where you get your treatment done.

Some of the most popular procedures for which patients venture abroad are plastic/cosmetic surgery, cardiac surgery (heart surgery), elective surgery such as knee and hip replacement and dental surgery.

As world health travel is increasing (by some accounts by 20% per year), many countries that receive medical tourists have aggressively moved to invest in their health infrastructure, provide medical tourism packages, wellness retreats, health advice and simplified visa procedures. Leading medical tourism hospitals have started to market themselves abroad as niche luxury hotels+hospitals-places where you can combine a cosmetic surgery procedure or a heart bypass with a spa vacation.