Why Travel Abroad?

[Troweltalk]

There has been some recent discussion of the option to travel abroad to find the "right" surgeon to perform a hip replacement.

Now if you live in an impoverished third world country, traveling aboard makes a lot of sense. But if you live in North America, the UK or anywhere in Europe; why on earth would you want to travel thousands of miles away from your family, friends to get what you can perfectly well get much closer to home?

What if something goes terribly wrong while you are haivng the surgery; think about what your family will be put through to retreave you.

What if something goes terribly wrong after you return home, what recourse do you really have if you live in the U.S. and your surgeon practices in India?

Other than the Internet and word of mouth, how can you really check out the facility you will be treated in before you commit to going?

Now I understand that some people do not have insurance, and that surgery in some countires costs a lot less than it does in the U.S. or the UK; but is this really the item you want to go shopping for bargains for? How about not eating out for a year, that may make up the difference...

I am not attempting to ridicule anyone who has done this, I just don't get it and hope maybe someone can enlighten me as I do see some folks who routinely recommend that people go to palces like Belgim and India when there are prefectly good surgeons and hospitals right down the street from most of us.

 

[UTdave]

I can only imagine the monetary issue for the most part. And I suspect it swings both ways! I've heard stories about going to India and getting a hip for about $10-12k including travel expense. Mine was $30k, so that's significant savings! On the other hand, if you have unlimited resources, you can go to Belgium, UK, etc and get your surgery done by the people who really developed some of these resurfacing components. I doubt it's much cheaper to go there, but maybe you'd feel better about having a guy whose done 1000's of that procedure?

Sure would hate to have a complication, though! We already saw on this forum what happened to the guy in NC when his hip got infected and he didn't even travel! Surgeons generally hate to take care of other surgeons' complications.

Medical tourism. . . to each their own.

 

[loggon]

Wow I can not understand anyone wanting to go out of the US UK or most countries in Europe for cheaper knee, hip or what ever surgery. I know a lot of folks go to Mexico from here in Texas for cheaper procedures and trust me they pay the price. Usually bad jobs.

I understand if you don't have ins. it must be awful, but there is
usually some kind of assistance. Check it out first.

The saying "Buyer beware" comes to mind.

Mudpro and UTDave make a lot of sense!

 

[Josephine]

But they do, loggon. At one time, the NHS would organise coach parties for people prepared to go abroad to Europe for their THR or TKR in order to keep the UK waiting lists down.

What if something goes terribly wrong after you return home, what recourse do you really have if you live in the U.S. and your surgeon practices in India?

Other than the Internet and word of mouth, how can you really check out the facility you will be treated in before you commit to going?

And these are the two points that spook me about it too, Mud. The BBC did a documentary about this very things some months ago and showed people who'd had all the usual problems like infections, dislocations and loosenings but the local hospitals wouldn't deal with them because they hadn't had them done there. Even had they been able to go private, they still couldn't find a surgeon prepared to clear up someone else's errors. The only exclusion was a thrombosis or PE as that was life threatening and thus treated by the emergency services.

 

[hippain]

I

Sure would hate to have a complication, though! We already saw on this forum what happened to the guy in NC when his hip got infected and he didn't even travel! Surgeons generally hate to take care of other surgeons' complications.

Medical tourism. . . to each their own.

Exactly, from the people I have spoken to, the ones that have the majority of problems and complications 'are' the ones that stayed local and did NOT travel, but instead went to less experienced surgeons with very little skill, just because of convenience and being local. The infection rates of U.S. hospitals has turned into an epidemic. Seriously when I need my other hip done, I would feel a lot safer going overseas to one of the well respected surgeons at a hospital with low infectiion rates than to risk the complications I hear about that happen HERE in the U.S all the time. To each his own, but just because you live in the U.S. do NOT think for one second that you will get the best care here. It is the exact opposite.

I have had several friends that have had different surgeries in the past couple of years and all ended up with infections and major problems. If you pick a well respected surgeon and do your research into top rated hospitals your likelihood of a positive outcome are much higher going overseas than staying in the U.S. or if you are in Canada or the U.K, being stuck with just the surgeon they assign you to rather than one that is skilled and experienced at the surgery or procedure you are looking into.

The person that helped me through my journey traveled abroad and had no complications at all and from what I understand other patients that have gone to India or Belgium are the ones that end up with the best results and never have a need for follow up other than by email.

However, the ones that stayed local in the U.S. that went to inexperienced surgeons ended up flying to Belgium or India to fix the problems that the local doctors gave them.

Please do not put down what some patients have no choice to do, when finances are concerned and someone has no insurance at least there are choices for them to find the best and travel. But I have also heard of millionaire patients that had all the money in the world and could pay for any surgeon, travel to India or Belgium for hip resurfacing and never regretted it because they went to the best and got great results.

HipPain.

 

[Troweltalk]

I see you've sampled the Kool-Aid...

 

[hippain]

Please explain, I don't quite understand what you are saying?

HipPain

 

[hippain]

Better yet, maybe if you would have traveled abroad like this patient Jared did

broken link removed: https://www.surfacehippyinfo.com/Stories/20090109350/Other-Patients/Jared-Manders/menu-id-30.html

You would have had his amazing results? ;-)

HipPIan

 

[Troweltalk]

Better yet, maybe if you would have traveled abroad like this patient Jared did

broken link removed: https://www.surfacehippyinfo.com/Stories/20090109350/Other-Patients/Jared-Manders/menu-id-30.html

You would have had his amazing results? ;-)

HipPIan

This is the second time you've posted that same video, to which I made comment on in the "resurfacing" thread.

You seem to be advocating for this doctor, why?

I had my hip resurfaced by a fine doctor who practices in a great hospital not more than 16 miles from my front door. Why would someone like me need to go overseas, because you and some others have for some reason decided to promote for this guy?

I'm not a doctor, nor do I work in the medical field. I am however an instructor of well over 30 years in a highly skilled trade. I know many individuals who have done the same work many thousands of times and who are mediocre; good enough to hold a job, but nothing special. I know some young bucks with only a few years experience who are true artisans in their craft; their work is worthy of the Smithsonian, and in some cases, that is exactly where it is showcased. This whole concept that just because someone has done a process more "times" than someone else, does not on its own merits make them better than everyone else.

As for my "Kool-aid" remark, go look up the Jim Jones colony in Ghiana.

 

[hippain]

To me MudPro it is NO different than you also sampling the Koolaid by preaching that what you say is what is so. I am not advocating any particular doctor, YOU are advocating that it is not ok to travel to find the best surgeon and yet you openly admit your recovery was no where near as fast as others that you believe are NOT telling the truth or as you say, what is it, smell of the truth?

Don't quite remember what you said or how you put it? I am not trying to argue here. We all have our own beliefs and all I know is the research I have done for my own health and future. You choose to believe people that had better recooveries than you are not telling the truth, instead of just being happy for them and allowing all patients to do their own research to find out what is right for them and share in their success. I guess unless their recovery was not quite as good as yours, then you will just not accept it? Come on Mudpro, be happy for people that recover quickly, it happens for both resurfacing and THR's. I know I am happy for them.

I am not selling anymore than anyone else on this site that talks about the great benefits their THR's have provided them or can be for all different ages. I am sharing my experience of a surgery that worked for me and gave me back my life!

BUT, the key here is OPTIONS and the ability for patients to KNOW they exist. I am sorry you have a lot of anger in you for whatever reason, I am not an angry person, just want to make the right choices for myself and hope that everyone else coming to a forum like this one has the same opportunity to research ALL of their options, even when sometimes they are limited due to financial reasons, that does not make them bad, and thank god for those options, because where would those poor souls be? AlLL I am thinking of is where would I be had I not had the option? Is that bad? NO, look at my results! I only want the same for anyone else doing their research for the first time, find what is best for them. Why are you so angry?

HipPain

 

[hippain]

Oh by the way I do agree with you completely that just because a doc has done a lot of surgeries does not make him good at it.

HipPain

 

[Troweltalk]

I am not angry, I am tired. Tired of hearing outlandish claims made on behalf of resurfacing and a select few doctors who seem to have successfully designed a propoganda campaign to garner business. It borders on unethical.

You suggested in an earlier post that a patient could receive better care in Belgium than they could in the United States. In support of your claim, you suggest that the standard of care in the U.S. is substandard. You are entitled to your opinion, but I think that you are more like one of those folks that stand outside a bar in New Orleans; "hawkers" I believe they are called, whose sole purpose is to bring bodies in the door.

On your video, I believe the last scene shows the patient, allegedly at 4 weeks post-op, jogging away down an icy road. In another video from the same website a patient from the same Belgium surgeon, I saw a man jumping rope at two weeks. If you believe this nonesense, well I've got some land near a national park (Everglades) that I would like to talk to you about. If you don't beleive it, then you should stop diseminating it because it can and will mislead people.

 

[hippain]

Oh and MudPro just so you know I am not promoting one doctor, since you brought up Belgium and India, here is another patient I found a video of at one year post op that went to India a third world country!!!

broken link removed: https://www.surfacehippyinfo.com/Stories/20081130179/Martial-Arts/Scott-Kopperud-Martial-Artist/menu-id-30.html

That is why people travel abroad, to get the best results and sometimes for the best money IF they do their research carefully.

Hippain

 

[Troweltalk]

I see you keep getting your kool-aid from the same punch bowl...

 

[hippain]

LOL, it's not my video Mudpro, wish it were, my recovery was no where near that fast, but that does not mean they don't exist, that is all I am saying. Really, you take this way too serious. my recovery was probably slower than yours but where I am at today is what matters to me, and all you see are ads for Jimmy Connors and that Olympic gymnast for THR's, why not show what can be possible for resurfacing. Are you seriously saying these sites are posting lies?? I doubt these patients would video tape themselves and lie about it.

Come on, lighten up and realize that you picked a good surgery and everyone has their choices, some have no choice if they have no insurance, so give them a break, have a heart.

Come on, Hugs to you, have a nice evening you sound like you could use a hug!

HipPain.

 

[Troweltalk]

Out of couriosity I went back and read all of your previous posts, all 16 of them. Most of them are an attempt to direct people to the surfacehippy website.

I knew you were a shill...

 

[hippain]

As do you and I sincerely feel sorry for you Mudpro, that you clearly are full of anger and can not let that go. I pray for you and hope that whatever it is that is bothering you so much in your life does not affect the poor people posting on this site looking for help. Let it go, life is way too short!

HipPain

 

[hippain]

That is very funny, I WISH!!

 

[LoriH357]

This is an interesting thread! I am a "medical tourist", myself. I'm not sure if I fit the "typical" profile, though (uninsured). I could not not get my insurance company to cover hip resurfacing after several appeals (no one "in-network" did HR at the time). After weighing all my options I found Dr. Vijay Bose in Chennai, India. As a nurse, I did my homework. Dr. Bose is one of the most experienced HR surgeons in the world (I was #700). The hospital is internationally Joint Commission Certified. They are held to the same standards of care as hospitals in the US and follow all the same surgical protocols. I received top-notched care and had a wonderful experience. That was a little over 2.5 years ago and I don't regret any of it! I was back to work, off crutches and driving within 3 weeks.

I'd go again, should I need the other hip done, in a heartbeat.

Lori

 

[Jamie]

Hippain, you are entitled to your opinions about health care in this country, in Great Britain, Canada or anywhere. But, I cannot let your comments about treatment under these health care systems being poor go unchallenged.

In the interest of fairness on this thread, it has been MY experience with personal contacts and contacts on this forum that excellent work is done in all these countries. Great doctors and less than great ones are everywhere, but that is why research is important. And frankly, even great doctors screw up now and then....not every surgery they perform is a raging success. I would tend to believe a few more of the glowing stories that roll around on the internet if they were somewhat balanced by some of the problems experienced.

And as for the countries that have national health care, you do not have to be "stuck with the surgeon they assign you." Patients in these countries DO have choices, as you can read from posts here on this forum from members in Great Britain, Canada, Spain, and other countries. In fact, as of January in Great Britain, not only can a person choose different surgeons within a hospital, but they can now opt to go to ANY hospital they choose.

There is a HUGE difference between "staying local" (meaning that a person might not drive to a large hospital or city to have a procedure) and going to another country to have surgery. Many times forum members (as well as Jo and me) have recommended that an individual look into surgeons at a larger hospital that can work with more specialized cases.

But the logistics of traveling to a foreign country for surgery are tremendous and that fact, as well as how you would handle a problem AFTER surgery, should be carefully weighed against any cost benefits or perceived better treatment. I'm sure people get fine treatment in a foreign country most of the time at major hospitals. But to say they will not get equally fine treatment in their own country is not something I agree with.

If you are going to make a statement like "The infection rates of U.S. hospitals has turned into an epidemic." you need to back that up with some facts and sources. Such a comment can scare people who are considering surgery and may be fearful of the process. This is not my experience and I do not believe our hospitals are any less safe than those anywhere in the world.

You and MudPro may have a difference of opinion on many matters. However, both of you agree that a person should do lots of research and then pick the option that best suits their particular situation. I think you need to let it go at that.