[Medical tourism: a new kind of traveler?].

In an era of globalisation, an increasing number of patients are seeking medical care abroad, for a fraction of the price in their home country The reasons are numerous. Some countries face an increasing demand, either because of inappropriate health insurance coverage (e.g. United States) or long waiting lists (e.g. United-Kingdom, Canada). In parallel, medical care facilities and infrastructures of many countries of Asia and latin America offer now high quality care, if not better, than their European or North American counterparts. In theses conditions, more and more patients decide now to travel abroad for cardiovascular and orthopedic surgery that they cannot readily have in their home country. In Switzerland, this phenomenon is still marginal but changes could occur in a near future.