Medical Tourism Insurence Questions

[harrietvane]

The company I got my insurance through was Global Protective Solutions. I can't comment as to their value, as thankfully I had no need to make a claim.

 

[galaxygrrl]

So, my PCP had the best solution to this GB problem. She is giving me an ultra sound to my GB and we will see how healthy it is, so I have more data to make a decision. Stay tuned.

 

[Munchkin]

I took my H and sister to Spain for surgery. Try not to worry too much! Most Americans are convinced health care here is better than what's available in the rest of the world. That might have been true a few decades ago but not anymore. Honestly my 2 patients in Spain had better care than I did in the US.

 

[Will2014]

I went to Mexico with the late Dr. Aceves in 2014. Dr. Esquerra has now taken over that practice and follows the same path of excellence. You'll be in good hands! I chose not to have my GB out and have had zero problems with it. But just so you know, a person having surgery on the same day as me did have hers out for I think $1500 more. Check with Karla. But my motto is if it ain't broke..do NOT fix it. Especially for something that may or may not become a problem down the road. As mentioned, GB surgery would be covered by your insurance so I'd not worry about it now. Best of luck to you going forward!

 

[DSRIGGS]

So, my PCP had the best solution to this GB problem. She is giving me an ultra sound to my GB and we will see how healthy it is, so I have more data to make a decision. Stay tuned.

Please know that an ultrasound will just show stones or sludge. It doesn't measure functionality. A hida scan would tell you that. My son didn't have stones but his GB was only functioning at 15% so it had to come out.

 

[southernlady]

Esp with the gallbladder, assuming it isn't broken is not enough. They need to actually test it. Mine also didn't show stones or sludge, but my HIDA scan was the clincher. The down side was I had 2 surgeries in a 6 month time frame and could have avoided ONE of those. Every time you go under the knife, you risk possible complications and while gall bladder surgery is routinely easy, doesn't mean it is all the time...ask that poor teen who died from a SIMPLE wisdom tooth removal. The piece of paper you sign for ALL surgery does list DEATH as a possible consequence. Seldom happens for "routine" procedures but it can.

If it were me, I would have had mine out at one go.

Back in Feb, I saw a local to me bariatric surgeon cause my PCP was getting weird about doing our labs. Now this office was RUMORED to be doing the DS so my husband and I both went and I flat out asked...yes, the surgeon was aware of the DS and how to do it, he chose to not do it in his practice. But HE KNEW IT. And he said, according to all the literature on the DS and everything he read on it as to how it was done, the gallbladder was also to be removed due to a high percentage of failure of that organ in the following months. He was honestly floored when he found out neither of our surgeons had done it during the DS. He agreed I would have avoided a second operation if I had and got my husband in for a HIDA scan to check his as well since my husband still has his.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Yep that is true Liz. I had sludge in mine and was having symptoms so the surgeon took mine out in 11. At the post op follow up he said that it was definitely bad and definitely needed to come out.

Moral of the story is that there are two ways the GB can fail. First being obstruction like stone/sludge (picked up with ultrasound) and the second being function which is picked up by the HIDA scan. Passing one test doesn't mean one is in the clear so if imaging shows no stones or sludge an still symptomatic a HIDA scan should be ordered.

 

[galaxygrrl]

All, I have to say, I love the opinions on this, but all I keep on hearing is stories and not data. The data I've read says it's not worth it.

 

[Munchkin]

The best decision one can ever make is an informed one!