I love the Medical Facilities in Mexico

I've just about got my very own bionic man. His right hip was replaced in Canada some 20 years ago...then came the two artificial femoral arteries done in Mexico...then the exterior very bulgy (sp?)

varicose leg veins done in Mexico...and yesterday, he had his left hip replaced in Guadalajara.

They used a spinal epidural and he was awake during the whole procedure...said it sounded like a construction zone...with the sawing, drilling and hammering.

Fabulous Doctor, fabulous team....just flippin' fabulous.

I'm totally bagged but he's home, content and safe. We're planning to dance for our birthdays this year. That'll be a first in many years.

Viva Mexico!

Great news.
Would it be rude to ask what it cost?

So far,

11,000 pesos for the use of the hospital operating room, drugs, bandages, 2 x-rays and an overnight stay. No frills but spotlessly clean and professional.

2,000 pesos for the ambulance ride home...he had to stay flat.

When the Surgeon comes to the house September 10th to remove the stitches and do a check up, we will pay for him and his team...probably around 50,000 pesos.

I will post the final tally then...including the medicines that I will buy in the next week.

Dr. Omar Martinez Martinez...trauma orthopedic specialist... recommended by Dr. Lastra

Incredible surgeon and his whole team was extra special.



Edited to add...the prosthesis itself cost 37,000 pesos...we had bought this over a week ago and I forgot it in the tally above...DUH!

There's probably only one thing "Western Medicine" does well, and that's "nuts and bolts" surgery. Lucky you. All the best to the recovering patient. VERY IMPORTANT. Do the rehab stuff religiously. A friend had a hip replacement done 8 weeks ago. He's riding his bike, etc. and feeling wonderful.

ferret wrote:So far,

11,000 pesos for the use of the hospital operating room, drugs, bandages, 2 x-rays and an overnight stay. No frills but spotlessly clean and professional.

2,000 pesos for the ambulance ride home...he had to stay flat.

When the Surgeon comes to the house September 10th to remove the stitches and do a check up, we will pay for him and his team...probably around 50,000 pesos.

I will post the final tally then...including the medicines that I will buy in the next week.

Dr. Omar Martinez Martinez...trauma orthopedic specialist... recommended by Dr. Lastra

Incredible surgeon and his whole team was extra special.



Edited to add...the prosthesis itself cost 37,000 pesos...we had bought this over a week ago and I forgot it in the tally above...DUH!

Good price! What Hospital? I had it done 9 years ago at Del Carmen for $ 91,000. pesos, no cost to me. Seguros Monterrey picked up the entire tab.

My patient is doing very well.

We've been talking about the difference in care and attitude of the Doctors in Mexico as opposed to those NOB...also the changes in technique for the surgery.

When my hubby had his right hip replaced in '92, he had full anaesthesia...was in the hospital for six days and in bed for a week after that. Full anaesthesia is really hard to come out of and some people are very ill from the effects. With this surgery, he had the spinal epidural and was awake through the whole thing. He was told that it is far easier to monitor how the patient is doing when they are conscious. He was facing the anaesthesiologist and she kept him engaged in conversation throughout the whole procedure...telling him about his vitals...what the Surgeon was doing...what was going to happen next and general chit chat. She and the team took every opportunity to reassuringly touch and calm the patient with their hands...and there were quite a few humourous exchanges between patient and team.

The anaesthesiologist called him the next morning to check how he was doing.

The Surgeon and his wife came and sat and conversed with us for over an hour (on a Sunday) while we waited for the ambulance to arrive for transportation home.

After changing the bandage today, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the incision...this Surgeon must do embroidery as a hobby...tight, clean stitches...impressive work.

The walker is in use and the trips are getting a little longer each time.

I'm more relaxed than I've been in a while...there's always those "what if" questions in the back of your mind when contemplating any kind of surgery and, now, they're gone. My Bear is doing just fine.

John...it was done at Santa Isabel Maternidad y Sanatorio.

That's a great story. Very reasonable too at least IMO.

We also had a great experience when the big guy needed an angioplasty. It was done in a small private surgery only hospital, no sick people, therefore little risk of exiting with an infection.

Total cost, $7,500 U.S. That included operating room and staff, 2 days in hospital, the balloon apparatus, and the surgeon, an angiogram plus followup.

Interestingly another friend had one done in the U.S. It was more complicated, however the bill was 10 times what we paid.

Sounds like a good place to go for surgery. Which hospital was it?

Yes Raqueteer, in which hospital was it that your big guy had his angioplasty?

I really appreciated the remark you made about "little risk of infection" because it is for that reason that I liked the small hospital that we were in too.

As I said earlier, a little worn but spotlessly clean.

His surgery was done at Jardines de Guadalupe. A really lovely little surgery and maternity hospital in Guadalajara. We were recommended, by a Mexican friend, to one of the best vascular surgeons in the city, she called him and explained that the big guy didn't have insurance. We had a consult and he agreed to reduce his normal fee.

The room had an extra bed for me, big guy doesn't speak spanish, plus hotel style amenities.

I might add that when the hospital made a billing error, the surgeon also went to bat for us.

During the operation, I was permitted to observe from behind a glass wall, and review the x-rays and other tests being done. He explained all the findings and pointed out areas of concern. I must say it beat waiting outside biting my nails.

Meanwhile NOB, some friends have had ghastly experiences with potentially fatal staph infections, which are resistant to antibiotics.

These small surgery only hospitals are just great IMO, and this one apparently has the best cardio equipment in town, at roughly half the price of the more expensive spreads.


Edited to add, Dr. Lastra is also our G.P. He is not the only doc in town that we see, because everyone has their own areas of expertise. For microbiology, we like Dr. Aceves. Anyhow, Dr. Lastra is an excellent diagnostician and is licensed to prescribe pain medications which I need for chronic pain due to spinal issues.
His plastic surgeon, Dra. Ana, is also just super duper, and removed a cyst for me, also in Guadalajara since my trigeminal nerve could have been seriously compromised, which may have resulted in facial paralysis. One year later it's just yet another wrinkle, as promised.

Here's the update...Surgeon drove out from Guadalajara late Saturday afternoon and took out every second stitch because he preferred to err on the side of caution. Hubby met them at the door with his walker (applause!). Everything AOK...Dr. Lastra will remove the rest of the stitches on Wednesday and Physiotherapy will start Friday...first with a muscle stimulator (think they're called a TENS unit).
Final tally...77,700 pesos

The surgeon and his team only ended up costing 25,000 pesos...
Here's the breakdown...
Prosthesis 37,000
Hospital 11,000
Ambulance 2,000
Surgeon and his team 25,000
Medicine 2,500
Walker Rental(month) 200
Total................77,700 pesos

I don't think that this is a cut and dried price...it probably depends on what they find when they get in there/if you need blood transfusions/kind of medicines you need etc.
The surgeon said my hubby has bones like iron...too bad he has crappy cartilage...or maybe his iron-like bones just wore the cartilage out. Quien sabe.
Anyway, all's well that ends well.
P.S. Google your medicines to find out side effects...the Celebrex that was prescribed as an anti-inflammatory did a real number on my hubby's stomach so he told Dr. Lastra and got approval to go back to a previous med....end problem.

There's been much discussion of Celebrex. I am not sure, but it may have been taken off the market in the states due to side effects. Glad to hear your husband's doing well and on a different medication.

And good luck to him, with a speedy recovery!

Thanks for your this opinion.

I believe we’re looking at a “New generation” of health care. The internet is providing a lot of information and medical professionals have a limited amount of time for research. We both need to step up to the plate and take care of some of the research (becoming partners, so to speak) otherwise we will all suffer. IMHO