Over the past twenty years, medical tourism has created its own lane in the global economy generating millions of dollars in international trade between first-world countries and underdeveloped nations around the world. Beyond the borders of America, in countries like Mexico, Thailand, Dominican Republic and Cuba, the cost of medical procedures are, in most instances, less than half the price. Furthermore, with the development of technology, people can now easily access doctors and surgeons all over the world through a basic internet connection. Most doctors even offer free virtual consultations whereas in New York, the average cost of a consultation can run you around $100! That being said, all the enticing aspects of medical tourism doesn’t go without the unforeseen intricacies that may be less than favorable. In 2017, after years of researching mastectomy surgeons both here in New York and abroad, I finally booked my surgery date with Dr. Mallol in the Dominican Republic to have my breast reduction. A year prior to booking my surgery date, I had submitted photos online for my consultation and within a few days I had received Dr. Mallol’s quote which was $7000USD lower than the two quotes I had received from surgeons here in New York. When I had gotten my surgery date it was time to start making other arrangements like plane tickets, hotel stays, transportation etc. Generally, when booking surgeries abroad, most surgeons recommend staying at recovery houses. Essentially, this has created another opportunity in the tourism market wherein some recovery houses are dedicated to only providing the best of the best. These luxury recovery resorts provide qualified 24-hr nurses in addition to personal assistants, chuffers, gourmet meals, massages, exquisite décor, pools, hot tubs, breathtaking views and all the soothing ‘eat-pray-love’ kind of perks that tourists dream of. All at a price of course. Despite all the luxury benefits, I chose to stay at a regular 4-star hotel in the city near my doctor’s office and hire a private nurse which was surprisingly cheaper than staying at a recovery house. Yet another opportunity for qualified persons abroad to capitalize on the increase in medical tourism. I was able to find the most caring and committed nurse through her Facebook page where she had numerous reviews and recommendations from both patients and doctors. When I finally met my surgeon in person for our pre-surgery appointment, it all became real. I was finally going to get the breast reduction surgery I had been wanting since I was a teenager. During my appointment, Dr. Mallol was extremely critical in explaining every detail about the surgery and the type of method he was going to use for my mastectomy. I joked saying “You don’t have to explain I’ve watched tons of YouTube videos, I know what you’re going to do.” To which he laughed saying, “No my dear, I have to, for medical purposes.” I didn’t think much of it then, until I had to sign a liability waiver. Fortunately, it wasn’t a thick stack of legal language that I couldn’t understand. It was just a simple paragraph stating that he had explained to me risks of scarring, nerve damage, blood loss, infection and even death. That should have scared me away right? But it seemed a little too late to turn back. Thinking back now I was literally signing my life away. Not to mention, he was only willing to accept cash payments! Sketchy much? Thankfully, my surgery was incident free and successful. Even though I was groggy and a little confused waking up out of the anesthesia, I could already feel the difference through the numbness. Needless to say, not everyone who chooses to have surgery abroad experiences the same satisfaction. There have been reports of surgeons exploiting medical tourism knowing that most of their patients are so desperate to have their procedures done that they would sign a waiver accepting all responsibility and consequences whereas here in America doctors are held accountable for even a hint of malpractice. Medical tourism surely has its highs and lows, but it is most definitely taking a leap into the unknown.