Coronary Artery Bypass: A Life Changing Procedure Abroad

Coronary Artery Bypass is a type of surgery performed to treat coronary artery disease, a heart disease that affects a significant part of the general population.

For every human being the heart pumps blood to every organ yet it requires blood supply of its own in order to function. This blood supply is delivered by the coronary arteries and veins. In a normal person, coronary arteries function optimally supplying adequate blood and oxygen to the musculature of the heart. However, a person with coronary artery disease has mal-functioning coronary arteries because they have become narrowed and their walls hardened. As a result, this patient will experience chest pain called angina and also develop heart failure whereby the heart cannot pump adequate blood to the entire body. At such a stage of the disease, coronary artery bypass surgery is needed to help correct the symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.

The mechanism by which this corrective surgery provides treatment is basically to bypass the narrowed and hardened areas of the arteries in order to enhance blood supply to the heart itself.

The procedure entails removal of a piece of a healthy blood vessel and attaching it to the coronary artery around the area that is narrowed. Usually this piece is derived from one of the veins in the leg or from an artery in the chest. This manipulation creates a conduit through which blood can get around the blockage and provide adequate supply to the artery’s area of distribution. Indeed this is a highly beneficial surgery with excellent results and for this reason it is a costly procedure. The expertise needed to perform it, the superiority of technology needed to facilitate it and the delicate nature of the surgery all contribute to making it expensive.

Looking at this scenario, there must be an easier way out in the quest for seeking affordable coronary artery bypass surgery. Medical Care Abroad comes to the rescue by offering this surgery at affordable rates. Rapidly and widely gaining acceptance among many Americans, medical tourism offers a worthy alternative to expensive treatment at home without compromising the quality of care. The task is simply to find a reputable and established organization for medical tourism. International Med Retreat is one such organization through which anyone in dire demand of high quality medical and surgical care abroad can access it easily and affordably.

     International Med Retreat offers Coronary Artery Bypass surgery in Poland and Costa Rica. In Poland, the treatment is available in 14 modern clinics across the country which forms part of the franchise known as American Heart of Poland.

One of them, the Bielsko-Biala is an extremely modern cardiac surgery clinic fully equipped with essential and state-of the art equipment needed to perform highly specialized cardiac surgeries by the best specialists in Poland and in Europe. The surgery is also performed at Clinica Biblica in Costa Rica where the same high standard quality of care is offered.

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How to Decide if Medical Travel is Right for You

Traveling abroad in search of medical treatment is a trend that has grown progressively over the last few years.

A decade ago, making trips into foreign countries for the sake of medical care was a luxury of the rich. These are the people who had the financial capacity to arrange for air-travel, accommodation and pay for their treatment no matter how expensive it was. Over time, this has changed and now, it is possible for people in many different financial situations to access quality treatment abroad.

There are several factors that have contributed to this positive change towards greater accessibility of medical treatment abroad. Different countries across the globe have established themselves as centers of excellence in terms of delivery of quality healthcare. Some of them are countries that ten or twenty years ago were not considered choice locations in which to treatment.

However, they have risen in rank by building top quality world-class facilities, making use of the latest technological advancements in the field of medicine and dentistry and by acquiring medical personnel that have been expertly trained in some of the best institutions in the world, including in most cases some prestigious U.S. medical and dental institutions.

Secondly, travelling abroad is now much easier thanks to the affordability of air-travel. Airlines have expanded their destinations and flights and as a result of competition in the market, they all strive to offer the most attractive and affordable rates for the consumer.

Another significant factor that continues to propel more and more people into embracing medical tourism is the increasing cost of medical treatment at home while the quality of care deteriorates and waiting lines for treatment continue to grow. Moreover, people who esteem their privacy would prefer to undergo treatment away from home and familiar surroundings. Similarly, receiving treatment far from home has the advantage of allowing adequate time for recuperation away from the demands of everyday life at home. So, in light of all these factors, it is becoming increasingly popular to travel abroad for hip and knee replacements, dental treatment, bariatric surgery and prostate cancer treatment such as the High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) procedure.

The appeal that medical tourism has to offer should not overshadow the reasoning as to whether it is right for you or not. Travelling overseas still places a certain level of demand on the patient; it is a foreign country, the language spoken there may be different, the intricacies of air travel. The following are questions to help you weigh the options and decide what is appropriate for you.

Am I strong enough to travel?

The state of your health should help you determine if your body can handle travelling, especially a long-distance. Simple procedures like dental implants may not stress the body any further but major treatment like a hip replacement may require more care while travelling. There is a need to find out whether you will be well enough to travel back home after treatment. A helpful approach would be to travel to destinations closer home when seeking treatment that will require multiple trips. In case you need expert advice, consult a physician at home to help you assess if you are well enough to travel.

Does my schedule allow for flexibility?

It is important to make sure that there is room to alter your schedule to incorporate the demands of treatment, which could mean a longer hospital stay, and some rehab if necessary.

Is it possible to have someone travel with me?

It is always better to be accompanied by someone when travelling overseas for treatment. Although this will increase the cost to some degree, it is of great benefit to the patient to have a companion.

Am I financially prepared to pay for the treatment?

Many of the U.S. health insurance carriers will not readily cover elective procedures abroad. In some cases financing is available but not always, so patients should be financially prepared.

Can I find time to do some research?

This is a very important step because it helps you identify the right country of destination and the right facility that will provide treatment catered to your specific needs. It requires searching for information that provides an evaluation of the facility’s performance before setting out on your trip abroad.


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Total Hip Replacement Surgery: An Introduction to a Life Changing Procedure

Total Hip Replacement(THR) is a common surgical procedure in the medical field of orthopedics. It involves replacement of a diseased hip joint with a prosthetic one (artificial joint).

The main aim of Total hip replacements is to replace the joint allowing for proper and normal functioning. It also helps to provide relief from pain in certain bone conditions. Total Hip Replacement surgery is performed when other forms of treatment such as medical therapy have failed.

In order to understand how Total Hip Replacement is done, there is need to learn the basic anatomy of the hip. The hip joint is formed by the femur (thighbone) and the acetabulum (a structure curved inwards to hold the head of the femur). In between these two structures is cartilage that helps to reduce friction during movement of the joint. Other structures like ligaments and tendons support the joint and allow for control of movement.

 THR is recommended when the normal anatomy and functioning of the joint is impaired.

This usually happens as a result of diseases including osteoarthritis, bone tumors, hip fractures and rheumatoid arthritis. They may cause loss of joint cartilage, fracture (cracking) of the head of femur and other injuries to the joint resulting in bone pain and the inability to walk or sit.

Following this restorative surgery, the patient is able to walk and sit normally again. Hip replacement cost is therefore worth the end result. The diseased bones are removed and replaced by prostheses whose parts are made from metal, ceramic or plastic.  The patient is monitored for several days after which they are discharged to recuperate further at home. Complete recovery and normal functioning is expected in a few weeks with the wound area kept clean and dry and physical therapy performed. Fortunately, implants used in total hip replacements are biocompatible, thus reducing the risks of rejection by the body.

This procedure only requires a short hospital stay for the patient which means less cost is incurred.

The number of people who need THR is quite high and this makes it a costly procedure. The average cost in the United States between $40,000-$65,000. Medical travel offers a better alternative with the availability of less expensive Total Hip Replacement surgery. At International Med Retreat, we offer this procedure in three select world class facilities located in different countries; Costa Rica, Poland and Malaysia. The greatest advantage with our medical travel services is that the patient will receive top quality care at rates of up to 70% less than that in the United States.

This package is completed by the availability of board certified personnel who are well trained and have extensive experience and who speak English fluently.

You can even meet these providers over an arranged Skype call. The patient has ready access to these medical experts as well as certified caregivers who can travel with them providing medical support whenever the patient needs it.

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Total Knee Replacement: Time Saving & Affordable Options

Knee replacement is one of the most commonly performed procedures in orthopedic surgery owing to the large number of people who have either diseased or malfunctioning knee joints.

As a result, about 719,000 knee replacements are performed in the United States each year. However, despite the great demand, fewer and fewer people are able to access orthopedic care with ease.

Looking at this scenario, some may wonder why it is not so easy to access this procedure in the U.S. It is helpful to note that for any form of healthcare, cost of treatment plays a major role in determining whether treatment can be accessed easily or not. Likewise, the exorbitant cost at which knee replacements are performed in the U.S. places this surgery beyond the reach of the ordinary American consumer. In 2013, the average cost of this procedure in the U.S. was $49,500.

The staggering cost of treatment causes most insurance companies to decline covering the cost of surgery. Some may agree to pay only after purchasing an add on.

Thirdly, as Obamacare comes into full effect in 2014, it becomes even more difficult to get a knee replacement at a decent cost.Obamacare seeks to provide affordable care to everyone and it will therefore attract more people into America’s health system.

As this happens, patients in need of knee replacements, especially those over the age of 65 who have already had orthopedic surgery on their knee, should expect to have rationed care and a long wait to receive any further procedures.

Amidst this trend of rising costs and growing unavailability of procedures, what can the average American do to lessen the burden of costly medical care? Quite simply, medical travel offers a reasonable and effective solution. Knee replacements accessed via medical travel come at a cost that is affordable.

In 2013, it cost an average of $ 13,500 to undergo the surgery through medical travel, this includes the cost of travel as well.

In comparison with the price of the same surgery in the U.S. it clearly reveals how medical travel is affordable, without compromising the quality of care.

So why choose medical travel? International Med Retreat facilitates world class health care for you by organizing prompt treatment upon your request. By taking care of your travel and accommodation needs at affordable rates, we ensure that yours is a comfortable experience throughout the entire process. With medical travel, the inconvenience of long waiting lists, costly treatment and sub-standard quality of care is eliminated. Wondering whether medical travel is safe? The answer is yes. Actually, many doctors working abroad have been trained and board certified in the U.S. Our surgeons fall in this category and adding to their skill and experience is the fact that they are fluent in English.  Moreover, our hospitals in locations such as Poland, Malaysia and Costa Rica have excellent facilities that equal or even surpass many in the United States

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Weight loss surgery takes many forms including the increasingly popular gastric lap band procedure.

It is a type of bariatric surgery that offers a promising remedy to the problem of obesity. More specifically, gastric lap band is designed for obese patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 40.

In some other cases, patients with a BMI of 35-40 may undergo this procedure if they have certain co-morbidities that will improve with weight loss. Such conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea.

Gastric lap band entails placement of a band on the upper part of the stomach to reduce its size. The band is inflatable and adjustable so that it can be corrected accordingly over the course of time as per the patient’s needs. A patient who has undergone the lap band procedure will experience faster satisfaction with minimal intake of food. When used in tandem with other useful measures like eating healthy foods and reducing appetite, gastric banding results in significant weight loss over the course of time. Less food consumption means less weight gain and ultimately, reduction of BMI.

In comparison to the other types of bariatric surgery; sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, why choose the lap band procedure?

Most notable is the fact that gastric banding is the least invasive of all the procedures because it can be performed via laparoscopy. This means the surgery will take a shorter time, the patient will have minimal scars and a shorter stay in the hospital. Since the procedure is associated with lesser pain than that experienced with open surgeries, the patient will also have a faster recovery.

Secondly, with gastric lap band, there is no re-routing of the patient’s intestines or removal of any part of the stomach.

On the other hand, sleeve gastrectomy is quite radical as it involves removal of greater than 80% of the stomach. Similarly, gastric bypass entails re-routing the patient’s intestine in a bid to bypass some digestion. In light of this, gastric lap band has an edge over the other procedures in that the patient will not experience malabsorption because without amputation of the stomach or cutting of the small intestines, there is no interference with normal absorption.

Looking for more reasons why gastric banding is superior to other bariatric procedures? Well, here is more insight on its benefits .

Unlike the other procedures which are permanent; lap band is reversible and removable if so desired.

The safety profile of this procedure is also commendable although just like any surgery, it may be accompanied by a few minor complications.

Notwithstanding, well researched scientific databases from the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery have shown that gastric lap band is associated with the least life-endangering complications, the least rate of re-operation and shortest post-operation hospital stay.

It therefore suffices to say gastric banding is an answer to those searching for inexpensive weight loss surgery.

Tracy McManamon on Google+