Why the US is a Great Option for Private Surgery
Why the US is a Great Option for Private Surgery
When you begin looking for private surgery options within Canada, you can quickly realize that for many ailments, there are limited choices. While private surgery is not completely banned in Canada, there are a lot of rules and limitations put on the facilities that offer the services. You cannot have a private surgery done within your own province, with the exception of Quebec. So now what? If you are in a place where nothing is available to you, you might start looking outside of Canada. The first logical place is the US, however, many people automatically count that out because they are afraid it will be too expensive. That is definitely not the case with many surgeries. In fact, the cost(s) are comparable to what you might pay if you had it done in Canada if you know where to look. There are also several other benefits to crossing the border south as opposed to traveling to another country much further away:
Cost: While cost is important, it should not be your deciding factor. Many people think, it’s just breast implants or a simple knee surgery. They do these every day. What could go wrong? If the right standards are not met, A LOT! Sometimes you get what you pay for and your health should not be compromised to save a few dollars. Having a safe, successful surgery should be your number 1 priority. Doing a cost benefit analysis on how much you’d really be spending, or saving, by flying elsewhere, might surprise you when you add everything up, especially if the result is not what you expected.
Shorter Flights: When you have a surgery, you become susceptible to complications such as blood clots for the first 10 days, however, that risk can go up to 3 months. Your odds of developing one if you are flying increase significantly if you are on a flight that is longer than 4 hours. Most flights to the US can be accomplished in 4 hours or less for the most part. Going somewhere like Europe will most certainly be longer flights in the 8-10 hour range. If you are going to India, it can be more like 14+ hours. Surgery is not a pleasant thing to do. Who wants to sit for hours on end, likely in pain? And why add additional risk if it’s not necessary?
Everyone Speaks English: While this might seem obvious, going to a country that does not speak English can create some situations where things get lost in translation. It can be difficult to convey precise medical information to someone in another language if that person is not fluent in the native language. In countries like Mexico, Germany, or France, you might be at a facility where your nursing staff taking care of you or even the surgeon does not speak English. While there will most likely be an interpreter, things can still be overlooked or missed. There is a lot of paperwork you sign off on as well. How can you know for sure what you are signing if you can’t read it properly?
Training and Specialty of Surgeon: You do not want someone trained as a Pulmonologist or General Surgeon doing an orthopedic surgery. This is more common than you would imagine, especially for plastic surgery, in other foreign countries. The outcome will be more favorable when you have your surgery done with a licensed and trained specialist that is within the specialty of the surgery you are having. Looking at your surgeons training and their specialty is a must. You can easily check credentials for US doctors. Other countries do not publicly provide this information so you could be having a surgery by a surgeon that has had no specific training on what you are having done or with an expired license.
Regulations: US hospitals and out patient facility centers have the same regulations as Canada. They all have accreditations and must adhere to specific standards. Not all hospitals in other countries do. This can increase your risk 10 fold if standards are not being met or followed.
If you are in need of a private surgery, reaching out to a medical facilitator like Health Vantis can help walk you through your options to make a better informed decision. Contact us if you’d like more information!
Health Vantis
info@healthvantis.com
877-344-3544
