Vietnam Medical Tourism

Medical Tourism in Vietnam

What makes Vietnam attractive for medical tourists are its plethora of health spas and its exetremely low prices, which are less than Thailand and Singapore. Vietnam has a long history of massage, and thus professional massage parlors can be found in nearly every town, with exceptionally low prices. Health spas are generally connected to resorts and hotels, and they offer a range of basic health treatments such as hydrotherapy, body scrubs, facials, body wraps, and reflexology. Since the spa industry is a newcomer to Vietnam, there are no regulations on the practice.  However, upscale resorts, day spas, and hotels have the best service and the most qualified staff. 

Aside from health spas; cosmetic, bariatric, and dental procedures are popular among medical tourists, but like the spa industry, cosmetic surgery is a relatively new phenomenon and thus there is a lack of official controls on the practice. For example, out of 200 plastic surgery clinics in Ho Chi Minh City only 25% are accredited by the proper authorities. So if you choose Vietnam as your medical tourism destination double check your clinic’s creditials and avoid those that claim to provide treatment with only 1 hour’s notice.

A growing number of foreigners are flocking to Viet Nam for medical tourism even though the industry, which is new to the country, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said in a recent report. Ho Chi Minh City in the south of the country is where the majority of hospitals and clinics geared towards medical tourists are located. Additionally, Vung Tao, a town on the coast not far from Ho Chi Minh, has its own medical tourism resort known as Medicoast. Medicoast offers visitors complete packages which include accommodation, surgery, post-operative care and use of leisure facilities. A number of establishments offer orthopedic and obstetric treatment.

Patients well enough to travel after surgery can explore Ho Chi Minh City or head north to the capital, Hanoi. Alternatively, the beaches of Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet provide peaceful environments for anyone in need of rest and relaxation during their period of convalescence from medical tourism.

Vietnam is the underdog in the medical tourism industry; however don’t underestimate the quality of care that private Vietnamese hospitals provide. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi, and the resort town Vung Tao (75 miles (120 km) by car or 37 miles (60 km) by ferry from Ho Chi Minh City) are medical tourism hubs, in which the latter has its own medical tourism resort called Medicoast. However, according to the BBC, the number of foreign medical tourists to Viet Nam does not live up to the country’s potential because of its poor marketing activities and shortage of doctors fluent in foreign languages.

Surgery 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.

 There are currently more than 50 surgery centers in the city, eight of which are regular hospitals, with the remainder being purpose-built specialist clinics.

Prices are attractive, coming in lower than those in Thailand and Singapore and up to 70 percent cheaper than the cost of treatment in the US and the UK. Many of the best surgeons in Vietnam’s private clinics studied for their qualifications overseas, so respectable credentials are not an issue. Vietnam is still relatively new to the medical tourism scene and English-speaking staff may not be present in all clinics.

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.

Nowadays wealthy Vietnamese stay at home to have rhinoplasty rather than heading abroad, enjoying Vietnamese surgeons’ competence and low prices. Whether you are looking for an eyelid operation, a nose job, liposuction or a breast lift, Vietnam might be the place to go but some cautions apply.

The major hubs are Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the capital, and a medical tourism resort located in the southern seaside town of Ving Tau opened in 2007. Equipment is modern in specialized clinics and in general hospitals with plastic surgery services. Surgeons, either trained abroad or at Hanoi University, are eager to keep up with the breakthroughs occurring in the world.

Vietnam is indeed a cost-effective destination for cosmetic surgery. Many overseas Vietnamese return to their homeland to perform cosmetic surgery. Prices here are much lower than abroad. People in quest for good looks can have their nose done for a fraction of the price they will pay at home. You will find modern, cozy facilities to relax in before and after the operation and the staff are known for its friendliness.

However, the quick rise in demand and the lack of efficient controls have led many unqualified surgeons to get into the plastic surgery industry. They perform operations in unsafe conditions, leading to complications, such as infections or poisoning. Out of 200 plastic surgery clinics operating in Ho Chi Minh City, only one quarter are fully accredited by the authorities.

Vietnam Dental Tourism

The 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.

Viet Nam has become famous through the world for its traditional medicine such as acupuncture, with a large number of skillful doctors, including Dr. Nguyen Tai Thu, a world-renowned acupuncturist.

Many leaders and officials of foreign countries have been treated successfully by Vietnamese specialists in that Asian traditional medical procedure.

Viet Nam’s Central Acupuncture Institute receives many foreign tourists annually, the BBC said, adding that some hospitals in Viet Nam have been equipped with state-of-the-art instruments that can provide high-quality medical treatment services at a competitive cost.

Vietnam Health Spas

Vietnam doesn’t really have a reputation yet as a health spa destination. Many visitors take advantage of the massage and other beauty treatments offered to pamper themselves; and with such low prices you can really indulge yourself.

Most of the spas in Vietnam are connected to a resort or hotel. They offer very basic spa treatments compared to the more developed health spas in Europe and America. Traditional massage is the most common form of treatment and can be found in every town for exceptionally low prices. Few visitors travel to Vietnam exclusively for a health spa retreat because the industry is still quite undeveloped.

Beauty treatments are becoming more popular in Vietnam as the massage industry tries to expand its base. Hydrotherapy, reflexology, body scrubs and various facials and body wraps are popular day spa treatments. Packages are not a major part of the health spa scene in Vietnam, though some upscale hotels offer spa vacation packages.

There is no regulation yet for the health spa industry in Vietnam as it is still in its infancy. The quality of the facilities and the abilities of the staff vary widely from place to place. In general, the more upscale resorts, hotels and day spas will have the most qualified staff and the best service.