- Medical tourism enquiries have risen 11% in the past twelve months based on analysis of 22,239 online enquiries from patients
- Liposuction tops the table of the most popular overseas treatment according to clinic comparison site WhatClinic.com.
- Thailand most popular destination for medical tourism in the past 12 months, though Indonesia is growing in popularity.
- 30% (the largest segment) of patients were between the ages of 25-34*
- Only 4% of patients are over 65, but there are more older patients travelling abroad for high end cosmetic dentistry.
- 20% of all patients researching plastic surgery are male, according to analysis of one year’s worth of visits to the site.
- 33% decline in demand for breast implants, reflecting a global trend for non-surgical procedures.
(Melbourne) A new report looking at over twenty two thousand enquiries from prospective plastic surgery patients in Australia, over a two year period, has revealed an 11% increase in overseas enquiries, in particular for liposuction and breast implants. The report, from medical search engine Whatclinic.com also revealed the top medical tourism destinations for Aussies abroad.
The Australian Society for Plastic Surgeons have said that “We don’t know which procedures are most popular with Australians overseas as statistics are not collected at this time” so today’s report sheds some light on consumer demand for elective cosmetic treatment.
The ASPS also say “we can assume a substantial number of breast surgeries are being performed as a recent survey of ASPS members found that breast surgery was the most common kind of surgery conducted overseas requiring corrective treatment.”
WhatClinic can confirm that that breast augmentation enquiries account for 15.7% of all overseas demand, with liposuction slightly ahead at 16.4%. Liposuction is the most in demand overseas treatment, with breast implants, nose jobs, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck all hitting the top five.
Overall demand for treatment has remained relatively static in the past year, however, the proportion of patients looking abroad has increased, no doubt influenced by price savings and the ease of travel. The top five destinations, in order of popularity for the past year have been: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India and South Korea.
| Age and Gender breakdown – All Plastic Surgery Australia pages – based on sample data from traffic in the past year | |||||||
| Female | Male | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ |
| 80% | 20% | 18% | 30% | 21% | 16% | 11% | 4% |
| Top 10 most popular plastic surgery procedures in Australia – based on email enquiries sent to Australia clinics on WhatClinic.com in the past year | |||
| Procedure | Change (in inquiries) | Average price Australia | (in Australian dollars) |
| Breast Implants | -33% | €5,891 | $8,130 |
| Liposuction | -15% | €3,672 | $5,067 |
| Eyelid surgery | 9% | €3,287 | $4,536 |
| Tummy Tuck | -8% | €5,366 | $7,405 |
| Rhinoplasty | -1% | €5,675 | $7,832 |
| Gynecomastia | 6% | €4,074 | $5,622 |
| Breast Reduction | -5% | €6,414 | $8,851 |
| Breast Lift | -23% | €6,839 | $9,438 |
| Otoplasty | -6% | €3,102 | $4,281 |
| Facelift | 2% | €8,696 | $12,000 |
These are the most popular treatments in Australia based on analysis of 12,392 patient enquiries to plastic surgery clinics in Australia over the past 24 months. While breast implants are still by far the most popular treatment, it is interesting to see the fall in demand, which may well be a reflection on some downward trends in surgical treatment being noted internationally. Non-surgical and medical aesthetic treatments however, are booming, with fillers, wrinkle treatments, and various laser treatments advancing in popularity.
According to a report from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), there was a fall of 40% in the number of cosmetic surgeries performed last year. Philip Boyle, Head of Consumer Matters at Whatclinic, says
“We have seen a fall of around 11% in demand for the majority of plastic surgery treatments in Australia over the past year, which may be a reflection of a larger trend nationwide. Google trends also indicate a reduction in the number of people generally searching for key surgical treatments like breast implants. Non-surgical treatments, including injectables are however, growing in popularity, both on our site and on Google, as well as a wide range of less invasive alternatives. The number of medical aesthetic treatments available are also growing. Within the top ten most popular treatments, only gynecomastia (male breast reduction), eyelid surgery and facelift have seen increased demand from users on our site. Hair transplant for men a strong emerging trend, one that also drives a lot of patients to seek treatment in Australia and abroad.
“Our advice to anyone considering plastic surgery is make sure to check the credentials of the practitioner. All surgery, no matter how small, carries risk. Here in Australia, you can check if your surgeon is a member of ASPS, as their members have at least 12 years of medical and surgical education, as well as additional certification and accreditation. Surgeons abroad can be harder to research, so check for qualifications and make sure you are fully briefed on the risks, and also that you are insured, should anything go wrong.”
About WhatClinic.com
WhatClinic.com is a clinic comparison site that lists over 125,000 clinics globally. In the last year over 17 million people visited the site to find, compare and book treatments across a wide range of elective, self-pay medical treatments. WhatClinic.com’s mission is to give the patient, as an empowered consumer, access to all the information they need to make an informed choice, including price, availability and reviews. WhatClinic.com was founded in 2007 by tech entrepreneur Caelen King, and is in operation in over 125 countries. There are 5536 private healthcare clinics in Australia listed on the site, 490 of which are plastic surgery clinics (including groups and chains) 744 beauty clinics and 897 medical aesthetic clinics.