[veritas213]

Cant really speak about orthopedic issues but have had some experience when my partner had cosmetic surgery abroad. Cosmetic surgery makes up a significant chunk of treatments and is much more of art than science. There is no way I would ever risk having surgery anywhere before i knowing all the facts. My partner had a face and neck lift from a "reputable" doctor in Los angeles and honestly looks worse afterward than he did before. About 5 years he became painfully aware that he needed it done again so he went to a well-regarded surgeon in Bangkok that really improved his appearance and cost about half as much. http://www.thaimedicalvacation.com

One interesting thing about her experience was that he was told by the doctor in Thailand that he would not be able to offer a surgical facelift since he already had one 5 years earlier. It was very interesting to see doctors saying no rather than risking poor results with multiple surgeries. A person like Joan Rivers is a good example of what can happen when you have way too many surgeries.

Overall though my opinion is that for rare or esoteric conditions, there is no place on earth better than the US. However for common elective or nonelective surgeries, going abroad may not be a bad idea.