Medical Tourism: Traveling from TX to Mexico (Post, Howe: transplants, insurance)

[Robzherenow]

Because of the hight cost of treatments in the USA, I heard many Texans are traveling to Internationally accredited facilities in Mexico and Costa Rica for medical and dental treatment. The cost would only be a fraction of what it would cost in the U.S.

Has anyone heard of this trend? If so please share your experiences.

[WillysB]

Seems I've heard a couple of them have come back dead.

[GayleTX]

One very successful medical specialty that I'm aware of is US and Canandian citizens going to Mexico for weight loss surgery. Besides being much less expensive. the Mexican medical community has years more experience than the US surgeons and there are several very successful clinics that cater to the American expectations.....they offer 'all-inclusive' packages that include air fare, limo, luxury hotel, and very clean, state of the art medical faciltities. Many people have found they can get all that for about what their insurance co-pay would be in the US (or while they grew older just waiting for approval in Cananda).

[ChristieP]

My father-in-law, who lives on the Texas-Mexico border, uses a dentist in Mexico and has been very happy with the services he's received.

[loves2read]

you need to research any facility and doctor very carefully

have seen programs on shows like 20/20 or Dateline (yes, I know that can be like Enquirer type journalism) where people who went came back with some severe problems that were not just expensive to correct but basically life-threatening...

India is another country where people are going for medical care
but I think there is history there of buying body parts cut rate to use for kidney transplants and other surgeries of that ilk--which would really turn me off for the unethical nature...

[unexpected]

Originally Posted by loves2read

you need to research any facility and doctor very carefully

have seen programs on shows like 20/20 or Dateline (yes, I know that can be like Enquirer type journalism) where people who went came back with some severe problems that were not just expensive to correct but basically life-threatening...

India is another country where people are going for medical care
but I think there is history there of buying body parts cut rate to use for kidney transplants and other surgeries of that ilk--which would really turn me off for the unethical nature...

there is no history of anything like that in india. If you really read this somewhere, I'd be curious to see the source.

[jcaughron]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

the Mexican medical community has years more experience than the US surgeons

Can you provide documented proof of this in the literature? Would YOU go to mexico to get your Bariatric sugery performed?

[nsumner]

A friend of mine came to visit from France this summer and while here, she got sick and we had to take her to the emergency room. They did a urine test that indicated a kidney infection. The ER didn't even perform a blood panel, no xrays, just the urine test and a brief conversation with the nurse. The bill was a $1100 + cost of antibiotics. How ridiculous is that?

I know of several people that go to Mexico for the dental work, looks just fine.

[NOTAM]

yeah i just recovered a patient (soldier) who had to have I&D (incision and debridement) and JP drains placement and admission for IV antibiotic therapy for a botched abdominoplasty in Mexico. well not so much aesthetically botched, but perhaps not done under the most sterile techniques. as an ER nurse and Post Anesthesia nurse i have seen plenty of botched work from MX. remember, also, you are out on a limb if you have any major problems. litigation is out of the question. what you get is what you get. like it or not. beware. there is a reason why its cheap. remember, no such thing as a free ride. make sure you just save the money (or if you have to, finance) and use an accredited plastic & reconstructive surgeon.

[GayleTX]

jcaughfron.......

the lapband surgery was only approved in the US about 2002 - it's been done in Mexico and Australia and Switzerland for probably 20 years (it's actually a procedure called gastric banding..... "Lap-band" is really a brand name made by the Allergan Corporation in the US just as "Realize" is another brand name made by Johnson and Johnson....very similar products).

No, I myself would not go to Mexico to have weight loss surgery, particularly gastric banding, mainly because gastric banding requires a great deal of aftercare (saline fills, adjustments) to work properly, and most US weightloss surgery doctors won't do aftercare for patients who have had their bands implanted outside the US. However, I did have my surgery done in the US by a surgeon who practiced in Mexico and my aftercare done by a physician who practiced in Mexico before coming to the US - they have many years experience and good reputations in the field.

I do, however, know many people who have gone to Mexcio and have been very happy - they go because of the thousands of dollars difference in the cost. Not worth it to me, but most of the ones I know have been satisfied. I was not 'recommending' doing that, just saying that it is a popular practice.