Bariatric Tourism

Medical tourism refers to the activity of traveling outside one’s hometown or country to receive medical treatment, diagnostic testing, or procedure. In most cases, the purpose is to achieve a more accessible treatment from an economic standpoint; however, it can also be used to receive specialized medical care in places with more experience, resources, or reputation. It is a beneficial practice as it opens access to different treatments to a greater number of patients, getting access to the most advanced technologies for those with the necessary resources, while giving access to certain therapeutics to people with limited resources that otherwise could not afford in their place of origin. This potential tool, however, can have some clinical and ethical issues, the consequences of which can range from minor issues like patient nonconformity to grave scenarios like serious complications.