Yahoo Finance called about a piece on Americans flying to South Korea for $312 health screenings that would cost four times as much at home. It was mostly about general checkups, not surgery, but my practice sits forty minutes from Ciudad Juarez, and I see the surgical version of this question constantly. Here’s the fuller answer.
The Price Comparison Is Usually Apples to Oranges
An overseas quote and a domestic quote are rarely measuring the same thing. A US quote tends to fold in the surgical facility, anesthesia, and a defined postoperative period, all bundled into one number. An overseas quote often covers just the operation itself, with everything else priced separately or not mentioned at all. Before you compare two numbers, make sure you know what’s actually inside each one.
The Real Draw Isn’t the Discount
For most patients I talk to, the deciding factor isn’t the price gap. It’s access and speed, being offered an appointment in two weeks instead of five months. That’s a legitimate reason to travel. I’d just rather patients travel with eyes open about what they’re trading for that speed.
The Risk Sits in Aftercare, Not the Operating Table
This is the part that rarely makes it into the pitch. Complications after surgery often surface after you’re already home, and at that point the surgeon who operated is on the other side of a border. The physician picking up your case locally has no operative report, doesn’t know what was actually done inside, and is starting from zero on a case that isn’t routine anymore.
That gap, between when a complication shows up and who’s actually available to manage it, is the real risk in medical tourism. It has nothing to do with the surgeon’s skill and everything to do with distance and timing.
Five Questions Before You Book
Verify the operating surgeon’s individual credentials, not just the clinic’s marketing. Get an itemized quote in writing, so you know what the price actually includes. Confirm in writing who pays if there’s a complication, and what the revision policy is. Line up a physician at home before you travel, so you’re not searching for one mid-crisis. And build in more recovery time before flying home than the clinic recommends, since travel stress on a body still healing is its own risk factor.
None of that is meant to talk anyone out of traveling for care. It’s meant to make sure the trip doesn’t trade a five-month wait for a much worse problem six weeks later.
About Dr. Frank Agullo
Frank Agullo, MD, FACS, is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He completed his plastic surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. He has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for thirteen consecutive years, and his El Paso practice regularly treats patients navigating exactly this decision given its proximity to Mexico.
Ready to Talk?
Whether you’re considering surgery here or weighing options abroad, I’ll give you the same honest questions to ask either way.
Call (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or book online at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful.
@RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.
Cross-links
- Patient-facing version on agulloplasticsurgery.com: “Considering Surgery Abroad? Read This First” (link once live)
- Practice version on swplasticsurgery.com: “Southwest Plastic Surgery on Medical Tourism” (link once live)
- Source: Yahoo Finance (syndicated from Moneywise.com), “‘Still worth it’: Why Americans fly to South Korea for $312 healthcare that can cost up to four times more at home,” Victoria Vesovski, August 1, 2026. https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/still-worth-why-americans-fly-120000175.html