University of Amsterdam.
Signs (Chic). 2011;36(2):297-302. doi: 10.1086/655909.
Along with a handful of other nations in the developing world, Brazil has emerged as a top destination for medical tourism. Drawing on the author's ethnographic fieldwork in plastic surgery wards, this article examines diverse factors - some explicitly promoted in medical marketing and news sources, others less visible - contributing to Brazil's international reputation for excellence in cosmetic plastic surgery. Brazil's plastic surgery residency programs, some of which are housed within its public health system, attract overseas surgeons, provide ample opportunities for valuable training in cosmetic techniques, and create a clinical environment that favors experimentation with innovative techniques. Many graduates of these programs open private clinics that, in turn, attract overseas patients. High demand for Brazilian plastic surgery also reflects an expansive notion of female health that includes sexual realization, mental health, and cosmetic techniques that manage reproduction. Medical tourism is sometimes represented as being market-driven: patients in wealthier nations travel to obtain quality services at lower prices. This article ends by reflecting on how more complex local and transnational dynamics also contribute to demand for elective medical procedures such as cosmetic surgery.
巴西与其他一些发展中国家一起，已成为医疗旅游的顶级目的地。本文通过对作者在整形病房的民族志实地调查，考察了多种因素——有些因素在医疗营销和新闻来源中明确宣传，有些因素则不太明显——这些因素促成了巴西在美容整形手术方面卓越国际声誉。巴西的整形外科研修计划，其中一些设在其公共卫生系统内，吸引了海外外科医生，为美容技术的宝贵培训提供了充足的机会，并营造了有利于创新技术实验的临床环境。这些计划的许多毕业生开设了私人诊所，反过来又吸引了海外患者。对巴西整形手术的高需求也反映了一种广泛的女性健康观念，其中包括性实现、心理健康和管理生殖的美容技术。医疗旅游有时被认为是由市场驱动的：富裕国家的患者前往以较低价格获得高质量的服务。本文最后反思了更复杂的本地和跨国动态如何也促进了对选择性医疗程序（如美容手术）的需求。
