What if you could get top-notch medical care by highly skilled, U.S.-trained physicians in a world-class medical facility, all at a cost far less than treatment in the United States? It is called medical tourism, and hundreds of thousands of Americans each year are doing it. They go for dental treatment in Mexico, for hip replacement in Thailand, for heart surgery in India, and for cosmetic and weight loss surgery that costs as little as a tenth what they would pay in the United States. This is the first really authoritative book that will tell you almost everything you need to know - hundreds of clinics, hospitals, and spas in about 50 countries, how to travel, how to pay for it, how to prepare - what to do and what to avoid. Dr. Paul Gahlinger brings his experience as a physician, anthropologist, hospital director, and professor of public health and medicine to explain how it really works. Dr. Gahlinger has personally visited a great number of these hospitals, clinics, and doctors. You cannot always trust what you see on the Internet - but you can trust this book. While many medical tourism "referral services" take your money and send you to low-quality providers, this book shows you how to do it directly, with all addresses, phone and fax numbers, and everything you need to know to obtain superb health care at an affordable cost.