Six Things You Should Know Before Travelling Abroad For Surgery

As medical tourism grows in popularity, an expert shares key tips to keep you safe.

Freelance Life Writer

Around 523,000 people from the UK travelled abroad for surgery in 2024, with the most popular destinations for ‘medical tourism’ being Turkey, Poland and Romania, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

People might travel abroad for treatments such as dental and cosmetic surgery, cancer treatment, weight loss surgery, fertility treatment, organ transplants and stem cell therapy, according to experts at TravelHealthPro.

“Transgender travellers may seek hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery abroad,” they added.

The growth in medical tourism appears to stem from a mixture of factors, including higher disposable incomes, increased readiness to travel for health care, low-cost air travel and the expansion of internet marketing, TravelHealthPro said.

NHS waiting lists have also been growing in recent years, though NHS England noted it delivered more elective activity in 2025 than........

© HuffPost