A new nose in Prague…a facelift in Thailand…a curvier chest in Mexico…cosmetic surgery used to be for the rich-and-famous only. But these days, it’s so affordable overseas, the middle-class masses are picking up their passports to seek a better-looking physique oceans from home.

I was treated better in India than I have ever been in the U.S.,” says Kelly Bettis. “My doctor, dietitian and physical therapist came to visit me every day after my surgery. The food was a little different, but I got used to it.”

In fact a lot of Americans are getting used to it. Not just in Asia but in Europe too, for instance, the Czech Republic is renowned for cosmetic surgery.

Traveling from her native Tennessee, Kelly went to the Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, India, for liposuction and a tummy tuck. “I checked prices all over and found out this was the better deal. I was surprised to find out they were Harvard-affiliated, which ended my anxiety and fears. I would highly recommend the doctor and hospital to everyone. Everyone that worked there was always friendly, helpful and respectful, and I saved 80% on my medical procedure.”

Kelly is typical of the thousands of people who opt to travel abroad every year for cosmetic surgery. Her positive experience is typical, too.

Crossing borders for cosmetic surgery was once something only the very wealthy did, heading to a handful of exclusive clinics in Brazil, Switzerland and South Africa. But today more than 120 U.S.-accredited hospitals all over the globe offer nearly every type of cosmetic and aesthetic specialty — to the masses. And procedures cost 30% to70% less than they do in the U.S.

With modern techniques and new international options, relatively low-cost cosmetic improvements are now possible for everything from a “funny” nose to breasts that their owners think are too small or too big. Aesthetic plastic surgeons can nip and tuck a belly that’s a little too bulgy, or smooth a forehead that time has set into a permanent accordion of creases. And there is no shortage of patients seeking such improvements. In 2008, more than 12 million aesthetic procedures were performed in the United States alone.

Cosmetic surgery can be costly at home, because most health insurance companies and national health programs are reluctant to cover elective procedures. But cosmetic surgery is much cheaper overseas. And with high-quality care widely available abroad, more and more patients are heading outside the States to take advantage of the cost savings.

Where to Go

Facilities like Hospital San Jose Tec and Hospital Angeles in Mexico, Bangkok Medical Center in Thailand, and CIMA and Clinica Biblica in Costa Rica not only offer most typical treatments, but also have years of experience catering to international patients.

Once you start looking, it’s surprising how many top-class medical centers you’ll find worldwide. South of the border, the Joint Commission International (JCI), which requires foreign hospitals’ health care to be equivalent in quality to rigorous U.S. standards, has accredited nine hospitals in Mexico, including Christus Muguerza Alta Especialidad Hospital in Monterrey. Christus Muguerza has two plastic surgery specialists who handle procedures from breast augmentation to nose nips.

If you go a little farther, you’ll find yourself at the Rosenstock-Lieberman Center for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in San Jose, Costa Rica. It offers everything from hair transplants to tummy tucks. In Brazil, the Ivo Pitanguy Clinic and the Hospital da Plastica in Rio have been around for about 40 years. They’re envied around the world for their high success rates.

In Europe, the Czech Republic is a popular destination. In the beautiful old city of Prague, you’ll find the Esthe Clinic. It has one center devoted to cosmetic surgery and another to laser resurfacing. In the same city, you can find the Laderma Klinik.where a facelift is only $3,054—a procedure that would cost $10,000 to $16,000 in the U.S. No wonder more than 70% of the Laderma’s clientele comes from the U.K., Europe, Canada and the U.S. Another clinic, MyClinic Prague, specializes in injectables and chemical peels.

“Two JCI-accredited hospitals in Turkey that perform plastic surgery are: the Kadikoy Florence Nightingale Hospital in the old Ottoman capital of Istanbul and the Florence Nightingale Hospital in the city of Sisli. Both do aesthetic surgery for obesity, breast reduction, and reconstruction of the breast, nose, and face.

In India at the Max Super-Specialty Hospital in New Delhi, surgeons specialize in correcting birth defects and perform the usual range of cosmetic procedures.

Thailand’s Preecha Aesthetic Institute offers a full range of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery in the heart of Bangkok. The institute is perhaps best known, however, for its expertise in gender reassignment surgery.

International Living’s new in-depth health care report, The World’s Top 7 Destinations for High-Quality Good-Value Health Care,  is available now. Covering seven of the world’s top medical destinations, it gives you all the details you need to get the best quality health care at the best prices.