Medical Tourism in Vietnam

Overshadowed until now by the medical tourism industries in other nearby Asian countries like Singapore and Thailand, Vietnam is slowly emerging as a potential challenger for tourist-friendly Thailand. In addition to offering surgeries of all kinds including cosmetic and dental procedures, Vietnam is a leader in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is widely practiced as a curative measure for many types of illness.

Although Vietnam is a relative novice on the medical tourism scene, it is gradually gaining a reputation for itself as a destination capable of offering a broad selection of surgical procedures with a high standard of expertise and pre- and post-operative care. The country also offers alternative medical treatments such as acupuncture, which is attracting increasing numbers of patients with conditions for which Western medicine has proven unsuccessful in treating.

Despite developments in recent years, Vietnam has not yet fully realized its potential as a medical tourist hub and isn’t comparable with neighboring Thailand in terms of its medical infrastructure. Limitations in marketing strategies and in the number of English-speaking doctors available have so far prevented the country in competing with other Asian medical tourism destinations. However, as these issues improve, Vietnam is seeing a significant rise in medical tourist figures.

Cosmetic surgery is the main field concentrated on by Vietnam’s medical tourism industry with clinics offering the usual selection of procedures, including rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, abdominoplasty, liposuction and breast augmentation. A small number of establishments also offer orthopedic and obstetric treatment. Dental surgery is a burgeoning field as well, with both essential and cosmetic procedures on offer.

Vietnam has plenty to offer medical tourists beyond treatment, and visitors can take advantage of a wealth of attractions across the length of the country during convalescence. Pretty beach resorts are on hand for those who need to rest after surgery.

Pros: As Vietnam becomes a more desirable destination for medical and cosmetic surgeries, its infrastructure has seen appropriate improvements. Though still nowhere near the top of the heap as far as medical tourism destinations go, Vietnam is slowly gaining ground in an ever more competitive industry. With prices that are up to 70 percent cheaper than in the west, Vietnam is becoming an attractive option for many. Some Vietnamese doctors are trained overseas and can speak English fluently.

Cons: The war between the communist north and the capitalist south ended with Ho Chi Minh’s socialist victory. Since then Vietnam has become a rather isolated place, but the borders are now opening up to tourists. Infrastructure remains limited, however. Language can also be a problem in Vietnam, as some doctors don’t speak English, making communication difficult.

Medical Tourism in Vietnam

The surgical procedures available in Vietnam are as wide and varied, as in its competitor’s clinics, and the service, quality and prices are similar, with most surgeries costing approximately 50 percent of what they would in a developed western country. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have several good eye specialists where eye exams are as common as laser surgery. Vietnam doesn't yet have the reputation for more serious procedures such as heart surgeries or hip replacements, but such operations exist and are performed with expert skill.

Vietnam Cosmetic Surgery

The Vietnamese cosmetic surgery industry is based predominantly in Ho Chi Minh City in the country’s south. Doctors are highly educated and clinics offer a high level of service, quality and cleanliness. All the usual procedures like breast augmentation, tummy tucks, face lifts, rhinoplasty and liposuction are available. Hair transplants are becoming more popular in Vietnam, with the US$1,500 procedure costing a mere US$500 in Vietnam compared to in the west.

Vietnam Dental Tourism

Visitors to Vietnam’s cities will notice the signs for dentists showing a huge mouthful of straight, pearly white teeth. These local dentists can handle any regular dental work, but for more complicated surgery it’s best to look to the private sector. Dental clinics can perform root canals and caps and most offer cosmetic procedures like whitening and straightening.

Vietnam Alternative Medicine

Chinese traditional medicine is widely practiced in Vietnam, and there are countless practitioners that prescribe herbs and other natural medicines for various ailments. For more serious pain, most Chinese doctors are trained in acupuncture—a technique popular in the west—to relive specific types of pain.