For many patients, having heart surgery is the difference between life and death. A coronary bypass surgery, for instance, can save a patient's life by restoring blood flow to the heart in the event of a blocked artery. An angioplasty can open clogged arteries following a heart attack to reduce damage to the vital organ. These procedures save lives, but only for patients who can afford them. Unfortunately, many patients cannot afford the care they need in the United States.

That is where medical tourism comes in. For a fraction of the US cost, patients can now receive world-class care in destinations all over the world, where the cost of a coronary bypass is 75 percent less than in western countries and angioplasties can cost as little as $13,000.