Discounted plane tickets, a hotel, a driver and a cosmetic surgery operation: aesthetic tourism is gradually transforming medical interventions into real organized stays. Türkiye, Tunisia, Dominican Republic… Several destinations have established themselves in this market, offering services that are often less expensive than in the patients’ country of origin. Enough to appeal to those who wish to change their appearance without spending too much money on it.
But behind these attractive offers, a question arises: what happens when the stay ends badly? Once back home, some patients require emergency consultation, hospitalization or additional care. And this care can represent a significant cost for health systems. In France, a hospital study provides concrete figures on this phenomenon, while an international scientific journal reveals the extent of the difficulties encountered by medical teams.
Aesthetic tourism: in France, a study reveals a bill of nearly 8,600 euros per patient
Surgical tourism is not only an international concern. In Marseille, researchers from the reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery department of the Conception hospital studied the consequences of these interventions on their own hospital activity. Published in 2025 in , their retrospective study covers patients treated between January 2018 and June 2024 after cosmetic surgery carried out abroad. In total, 33 patients were identified, the majority having been operated on in Tunisia.
The most striking figure concerns the cost of their care: 283,781.85 euros in total, or approximately 8,599 euros per patient. The most frequent initial interventions were breast augmentation, found in 15 patients, and abdominal surgery such as dermolipectomy, recorded in 14 patients. Infections represented 51% of the complications observed. These results, which can be consulted in the study published by the , give an order of magnitude of the medical cost associated with these situations in France.
However, be careful with interpretation: this study concerns a single hospital department and 33 patients. It therefore does not make it possible to calculate the annual cost of aesthetic tourism for all French hospitals, nor to state that the entire sum was directly reimbursed by Health Insurance. It nevertheless shows that the price paid abroad does not necessarily correspond to the total cost of the treatment process.
Türkiye, Tunisia, Dominican Republic: destinations that are returning to studies
The phenomenon goes far beyond the French framework. A systematic review published in July 2026 in the analyzed 58 scientific articles covering 1,249 patients operated on abroad and then treated in their country of origin. The researchers notably studied the interventions performed, the complications identified and the consequences for health systems. In the European publications analyzed, Turkey was the most frequently mentioned destination. In studies conducted outside Europe, the Dominican Republic came up most often.
Breast augmentation, abdominoplasty and liposuction are among the interventions frequently reported in works devoted to aesthetic tourism, particularly when several operations are carried out during the same stay. Postoperative infections are the most commonly reported complication, ahead of wound disunity and implant-related problems. These results must, however, be interpreted with caution: the studies identified concern patients who have encountered medical difficulties. They therefore do not make it possible to determine the overall complication rate of all procedures carried out abroad, nor to directly compare the safety of different destinations.
Why can aesthetic tourism weigh on public finances?
The real cost of a procedure is not limited to the amount displayed by a clinic. When a patient requires care after returning, care may require consultations, wound care, examinations, hospitalization or further interventions. However, international research highlights that the available costs remain incomplete: some studies mainly count hospital stays, without integrating all ambulatory care, possible readmissions, rehabilitation or loss of productivity.
In France, it is necessary to distinguish the financing of the initial intervention from that of the care necessary subsequently. Purely cosmetic surgery is not reimbursed by Health Insurance. On the other hand, medically necessary care after a complication can be covered according to the usual rules, depending on the patient’s situation and the care provided. The fact that the initial operation was carried out abroad therefore does not automatically mean that all subsequent care is excluded from reimbursement. It is in this context that public hospitals may be required to mobilize resources to treat patients whose initial intervention has been privately financed.
Beyond the financial question, medical teams face an additional difficulty: the lack of information on operations performed abroad. Operative reports, implant references, examination results or treatments administered are not always available at the time of return. This lack of a complete file can complicate the diagnosis and choice of treatment. In their systematic review, the researchers highlight the need to improve the coordination of care and recommendations for patients who cross borders for a cosmetic procedure.
Aesthetic tourism ultimately highlights a gap between the attractive price of a stay and the means necessary to ensure medical follow-up when everything does not go as planned. For researchers, better patient information, more clearly defined responsibilities of the different actors and recommendations adapted to cross-border journeys constitute avenues for limiting risks. In the meantime, French data still remains too limited to precisely measure the cost of this phenomenon on a national scale.
What is aesthetic tourism?
Aesthetic tourism refers to traveling abroad to benefit from surgical or aesthetic medicine procedures. These trips can be organized by specialized agencies offering packages which include the intervention, accommodation and transport.
Why do patients choose to have surgery abroad?
Price constitutes one of the main arguments put forward by aesthetic tourism offers. Some clinics offer prices lower than those in the patients’ country of origin, sometimes associated with all-inclusive stays. Finding a specialist surgeon or the possibility of combining surgery and vacation may also come into play.
How much does treatment cost after cosmetic surgery abroad in France?
In a study carried out at the Conception hospital in Marseille, 33 patients treated after cosmetic surgery carried out abroad represented a total cost of 283,781.85 euros, or approximately 8,599 euros per patient. This figure relates to a single hospital cohort and does not constitute a national estimate.
Are care after cosmetic surgery abroad reimbursed in France?
A purely cosmetic procedure is not reimbursed by Health Insurance. On the other hand, medically necessary care after a complication can be covered according to the usual rules. Reimbursement depends in particular on the nature of the care and the medical situation of the patient.
What are the main risks of aesthetic tourism?
Studies devoted to patients treated after an operation abroad report in particular postoperative infections, problems linked to implants and wound disunity. Fragmented medical follow-up and the absence of operating documents can also complicate care after return. However, this work alone does not make it possible to measure the overall risk of all operations carried out abroad.
