ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014\u00a0People from around the world are coming to Florida for more than vacations.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands travel to Florida each year for medical procedures<\/p>\n
Florida Chamber estimates medical tourism generates $6 billion in spending<\/p>\n
Patients say they\u2019re combining top medical care with recovery in a vacation setting<\/p>\n
Doctors warn travelers to be cautious when seeking surgery overseas<\/p>\n
They\u2019re traveling to the Sunshine State for medical procedures, combining healthcare with recovery in a world-class tourism destination \u2014 a growing trend known as medical tourism.<\/p>\n
Doctors say hundreds of thousands of patients each year are drawn to Florida for specialized care, competitive pricing, and the chance to heal in a place built for comfort and entertainment.<\/p>\n
According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the industry is generating billions of dollars in economic impact across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd as you can see, this part of the leg we frequently operate on,\u201d said Dr. Kenneth Lee, chief of Plastic Surgery at Orlando Health Cancer Institute.<\/p>\n
Lee says he frequently sees patients traveling to Florida for top medical care.<\/p>\n
\u201cObvious place for destination medical tourism. For destination surgery,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n
An estimated<\/a> 300,000 to 400,000 medical tourists visit Florida each year, many coming from out of state for specialized procedures.<\/p>\n Years ago, Amy Caterina traveled from California to Orlando for a life-saving surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really not a lot of doctors are not taught a lot about lymphedema. And so, it\u2019s always very hard to find treatment,\u201d Caterina said.<\/p>\n She and her family also experienced the benefits of recovering in a vacation destination.<\/p>\n \u201cWe took advantage of the fact that we were in Florida. We went to Disney World, saw a rocket launch, went to Universal Studios,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Lee says that combination is part of the appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what we\u2019re seeing also is people that are in outlying areas saying, hey, I\u2019m going to come into Orlando, Florida, get great care, but yet also allow my family to come here to help me recover,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n Michele Hassing left the cold in Philadelphia for Central Florida for a total knee replacement.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I was in Orlando, so I got to recover in much nicer weather than I would have been in where I came from in Pennsylvania. And I got to go to Universal Studios,\u201d Hassing said.<\/p>\n